News Corp gets nod to go ahead for BSkyB takeover

UK culture secretary Jeremy Hunt has greenlighted News Corp's bid to completely take over BSkyB, the satellite broadcasting company.

Hunt's approval of the bid came after News Corp agreed to guarantee the future independence of Sky News with a series of undertakings. The deal which will cost News Corp around £9 billion, is subject to a further seven-day consultation period (See: UK govt nod for Newscorp-BSkyB merger) http://www.domainb.com/industry/Media/20110304_newscorp_bskyb.html.

However, the culture secretary's willingness to clear the BSkyB deal has not gone down well with a section of Labour figures in parliament.

In the House of Lords, Lord Prescott attacked Murdoch. "This man, to my mind, is not a fit and proper person to be purchasing such an organisation."

He was referring to the criminal investigation into phone hacking at the News of the World (published by News Corp's News International arm). "This is the company we are now considering giving control of a major media organisation." (See: Murdoch's bid for BSkyB faces further probes) http://www.domainb.com/industry/Media/20110114_murdoch.html)

In the Commons, the Labour MP Tom Watson warning of further revelations to come in the hacking scandal said,  "There is evidence News International conspired with convicted criminals to pervert the course of justice by hacking serving police officers and detectives, their families and the families of the victims of serious crimes," he said.