Friday, July 22

UK delays major Murdoch takeover deal

LONDON - A final decision on Rupert Murdoch's biggest takeover battle was delayed, known for some months after the British Government News Corp.'s showed offer for British Sky Broadcasting PLC competition authorities, than a phone hacking scandal no signs of abating.

The announcement Monday by culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt followed News Corp.'s withdrawal of a promise, spin-off, Sky News, which had been a condition for the purchase of 61 percent of the satellite broadcaster, they do not already have.


Britain's Competition Commission must now hold a full investigation, whether the acquisition would to break anti-monopoly laws. These questions take typically six months, and Murdoch must hope that the current febrile atmosphere around the supply cools off.


"I think it's a smart move, it allows politicians some wiggle room, takes it from the political pressure," said Louise Cooper, media analyst, BGC partners. She added that Murdoch of the Government a favour done had by forcing a request competition - like one, that hope media mogul to deliver in the future.


News Corp.'s second dramatic step after last week decision for the news of the world, who was at the heart of the phone hacking scandal, close Boulevard newspaper, block pressure on the offer from all sides of the political spectrum as the Government faced was. New charges in the hacking scandal emerged Monday, including a BBC report that said that the Sunday Times newspaper, owned by Murdoch's news international arm, reportedly the personal data of the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the time targeted he was Minister of Finance UK.


Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg urged to "do the decent and reasonable Murdoch, what" and the offer for BSkyB, reconsider during Ed Miliband, the leader of the opposition labour party, threatened with a parliamentary vote on the offer.


Murdoch to London Sunday personally manage the crisis his media empire, that the share prices of both News Corp has comfortable and BSkyB, take one Rammender in the last few days.


BSkyB closed, recovers shares by 4.6 percent to 716 pence ($11.40) on the London Stock Exchange Monday from earlier lows. A week ago, BSkyB shares were as high as 850 pence, which means that the company has shed about 17 percent of its value or some ? 2.3 billion traded (3.7 billion$).


From noon New York time, shares by 6.8% to $16.16 were News Corp., has it says around $3 billion value of its value lost on Monday alone.


Murdoch has a history of fleeing from the tight situations in the United Kingdom, since he took control of the news of the world back in 1969. He clearly hopes that the proposed acquisition from the political scene will receive full access to BSkyB for him can help.


"News Corp continue to believe that taking into account the only relevant legal test that gives proposed acquisition it leads not enough plurality in news delivery in the UK," the company said.


Failure to comply with the ? 7.5 billion (11.9 billion$)-Ubernahme would clinch a big setback for Murdoch, who has built a global media empire over four decades. The company owns Fox News and 20th Century Fox film Studio and a number of newspapers and media of the world is.


As News Corp.'s largest ever acquisition, full control of BSkyB News Corp given 100 percent of what has become an increasingly profitable companies. Last year BSkyB a pre-tax profit of a little under 900 million pounds ($1.43 billion) of its offering of exclusive sports rights and blockbuster movies made.


A week ago it looked through the business such as the British Government, subject to certain conditions, wave went including spiders from the sky news network. A major concern among critics Murdoch was his stable of news agencies would have too much power over the British media.


Earlier in the day, Prime Minister David Cameron said News Corp needed, the difficulties in the U.K. Unit, News International, over the phone hacking scandal before with the BSkyB bid push to fix.


"When I ran this company BSkyB and News Corp, I would be focused on clearing up the confusion it in News International, with all the problems that still exist from, come", a speech in London said Cameron after. "I suspect there are more problems to come."


Cameron himself is under pressure for his close ties to key figures in the scandal, including former news of the world editors, Andy Coulson, and Rebekah Brooks.


Coulson was arrested during Brooks growing pressure from her job as Chief Executive of news international step still-down face.


Brooks and several executives have offered by the police as a witness, a source at News International confirmed, on condition of anonymity speak interviewed are.


Murdoch may face problems in the United States because of the phone hacking scandal. Legal experts said Monday possible Murdoch's US based complaints because of the shady practices at the news of the world, is his now defunct British tabloid may be exposed to.


They said that a broad Act developed Murdoch's News Corp law enforcement under the 1977 foreign corrupt practices Act to track executives that bribery of foreign officials in exchange for big contracts could be held responsible.


The news of the world was accused of making profits to police in exchange for information - a possible violation of the provisions of law laws to comply with. Up to the U.S. Department of Justice to decide if this would be merited criminal charges, it would determine during the Securities and Exchange Commission, if it financial misconduct at News Corp.


The associated press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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