In UK 63 per cent oppose Murdoch’s expansion plan
27 Dec 2010
An opinion poll has revealed strong public support for an independent investigation into the bid by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation to take full control of BSkyB.
The survey by ICM Research, which was published today polled 2,000 people, and revealed that 63 per cent are in favour of an independent inquiry into the proposed takveover. The poll was carried out for a group of rival media organisations.
While the News Corp bid received support from only 5 per cent, 44 per cent were opposed to the bid and 52 said they had no opinion either way.
The poll also found that 84 per cent believed no single organisation should be allowed to exercise too much control over the news media, with 75 per cent saying it was important that there should be competing, independent sources of news in the UK.
The poll had been commissioned by BT, Guardian Media Group, Associated Newspapers, Trinity Mirror, Northcliffe Media and Telegraph Media Group. The organisations are opposing News Corp's attempt to buy the 61 per cent of Sky it does not already own.
The media regulator, Ofcom is due to submit its report to Jeremy Hunt, the culture secretary by 31 December. He would have to decide the whether to submit it to the Competition Commission.