A group of university academics has urged the Government to rethink proposals in the forthcoming Communications Bill that will allow Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation to buy terrestrial television station Five.
Writing in a letter to the Financial Times, academics from London Business School, Goldsmiths College, the University of Westminster and the London School of Economics, say that a clause should be added to the Bill which will give Five the same ownership protection that ITV will receive, namely that a significant newspaper owner may not acquire it.
Currently, Five is not protected by such a restriction in the Bill, paving the way for a group like News Corp, owner of the Times publisher News International and BSkyB in the UK, to buy the station.
The FT quotes the academics’ letter as saying: “It is therefore possible that within five years, one corporation – and ultimately a single individual – will control 37% of our national press, a leading free-to-air television channel and the dominant means of access to digital television [Sky Digital].”
Rupert Murdoch has already personally indicated that his company is not interested in buying Five, a position he is understood to have reiterated yesterday. The station is currently 65%-owned by pan-European broadcasting group RTL.
Nevertheless, the very fact that the Communications Bill allows for Five to be bought by News Corp is cause for concern amongst the academics. The FT quotes Steven Barnett from the University of Westminster as saying: “This contradicts every principle on pluralism and cannot be addressed by increasing content or impartiality requirements. The Government has recognised this by retaining existing limits on cross-ownership for ITV.”
The Communications Bill receives its third reading today.
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