Church opposes Sky sale
THE Church of England became embroiled in the row over News Corporation’s bid to take full control of BSkyB yesterday.
The Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch, Bishop of Manchester and former member of the House of Lords Select Committee on communications, said if the bid were successful News Corp would “dominate both the television and newspaper landscape”, adding Sky News could potentially come under “subtle editorial influence” from its parent company.
The Church has written to the media regulator Ofcom, saying Rupert Murdoch’s company should not be allowed to buy out the rest of BSkyB because it would threaten media plurality.
News Corp rejected the Church’s argument saying: “There has been an increase in plurality in UK media with more people consuming news from more sources than ever before.”