James Murdoch has sent out a strong message to the UK government regarding News Corp’s bid to acquire the 61% shareholding of BSkyB it does not own. He told delegates at Morgan Stanley’s annual media and telecoms conference in Barcelona last week that the UK government must decide whether it wants to risk “jeopardising an £8 billion (R90bn) investment in the UK’ with a prolonged investigation. He warned that News Corp could even relocate some of its projects to “more welcoming’ countries should the regulators decide against News Corp’s scheme.
Murdoch, who chairs BSkyB and also looks after News Corp’s European interests, said: “From a policy perspective, the Government needs to assess the benefits of having a digital TV business that is a world leader centred in the UK marketplace, with all the things that brings, versus potentially jeopardising an £8 billion investment in the UK with a prolonged plurality process.’
