Avaaz: Murdoch Sky bid decision could face legal action

** Approval from minister will likely face court challenge, campaigners say **

A government approval for Rupert Murdoch’s planned takeover of Sky TV could face a legal challenge, Avaaz said today, as Culture Secretary Karen Bradley announced that she intends to refer the case to the Competition and Markets Authority over plurality concerns.

Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox has already proposed limited concessions in an attempt to persuade Bradley not to involve the CMA in deeper scrutiny. In 2011 Jeremy Hunt chose to accept similar Murdoch proposals at the same stage in the bid, only for the bid to fall apart later over the Milly Dowler phone hacking scandal

Campaign group Avaaz has been a leading opponent of the Sky takeover, filing detailed evidence, bringing victims to testify about the sexual harassment scandals at Fox News, and encouraging tens of thousands of people up and down the country to write to politicians calling for them to reject the deal.  

Alex Wilks, campaign director at Avaaz, said: “Karen Bradley should make this decision based on what’s best for the British people, not Rupert Murdoch. If the government green lights the deal based on more empty Murdoch promises, we’ll look hard at a legal challenge to protect our democracy.”

Campaigners from Avaaz staged a colourful protest outside Parliament this morning while Secretary of State Karen Bradley announced her decision featuring a giant Rupert Murdoch on stilts, dangling a Theresa May live puppet on strings. Pictures are available on the wires.

ENDS

Notes to editors

An Avaaz spokesperson is available for interviews.

More information about the bid and Avaaz's recommendations, can be found in a briefing here.

More than 70,000 British citizens signed Avaaz's petition which was successful in getting Karen Bradley to investigate the bid by Ofcom.

CONTACTS:

London: Alaphia Zoyab +44 7738 335 680 / alaphia@avaaz.org

New York: Will Davies, +1 646 628 1210 / will@avaaz.org