This week, as Fox’s attempts to completely buy out Sky rumble on, the High Court weretold what an inappropriate decision it would be.
Fox own a minority stake in Sky but hope to buy the rest. In February the campaign group Avaaz won the right to challenge the take-over along with Ofcom’s position that the new entity would be “fit and proper” to hold the broadcast licence.
Their submission (Tuesday 19th June) is a good account of just some of what is repulsive about Murdoch’s operations, the kind of behaviour that has sent people running in the opposite direction from establishment and corporate media.
George Peretz QC outlined allegations of sexual and racial abuse against presenter BillO’Reily and Roger Ailes (former Fox Chairman and close ally of self-proclaimed molester President Trump). Avaaz argue that these allegations and the poor way they were handled speak of a general culture and levels of poor governance that should preclude the take-over.
It was also argued that Ofcom had not properly taken account of James Murdoch’s role as CEO of the proposed new organisation, having been Fox CEO since 2015. The regulator had been concerned about his role in the hacking scandal that broke in 2011 after years of routine criminality in the family empire came to light.
It may be too much to hope that Avaaz’s submission will alter the overall outcome, but there’s a significant chance of all holdings been swallowed up in takeover bids from either Disney or Comcast. As is typical in under-regulated capitalism, establishment corporate media continues to conglomerate towards cartel and oligopoly at the expense of diversity and choice.
For more on the background of Rupert Murdoch and his pernicious influence on our national life, check out our “5 Things You Need to Know” video:
Stephen Durrant
