News Corp withdraws bid for BSkyB
Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has announced that it is dropping its planned bid to take full ownership of satellite broadcaster BSkyB.
It follows a scandal over phone hacking at News Corp's UK newspaper group.
News Corp deputy chairman Chase Carey said the bid had become "too difficult to progress in this climate".
The move came just before MPs debated a motion supported by all major parties calling on Mr Murdoch to scrap the bid. The motion was approved without a vote.
The scandal has already led to the closure of the UK's biggest-selling newspaper, the News of the World.
On Friday, Prime Minister David Cameron announced details of a public inquiry into phone hacking and media regulation.
Market reaction"We believed that the proposed acquisition of BSkyB by News Corporation would benefit both companies, but it has become clear that it is too difficult to progress in this climate," said News Corp deputy chairman and president Chase Carey in a statement.
"News Corporation remains a committed long-term shareholder in BSkyB. We are proud of the success it has achieved and our contribution to it."
BSkyB's share price briefly dropped following the announcement, taking it down 4% for the day, before recovering to close 2% up.
“Start Quote
End QuoteThere could be further damage to the reputation of News Corporation, damage which could alienate advertisers and buyers of its newspapers and entertainment”
The company's share price has fallen some 20% since peaking at 850p earlier this month, and is now trading at a level not seen since News Corp first announced its bid plans in June last year.
Following News Corp's announcement, BSkyB chief executive Jeremy Darroch said: "We remain very confident in the broadly based growth opportunity for BSkyB."
Shares in News Corp rose 3.8% in New York.
'Huge humiliation'A spokesman for Mr Cameron welcomed the news: "As the prime minister has said, the business should focus on clearing up the mess and getting its own house in order."
The Labour leader, Ed Miliband, called it "a victory for people up and down this country who have been appalled by the revelations of the phone hacking scandal and the failure of News International to take responsibility".
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Simon Hughes said that "the sun is now setting on the Murdoch empire".
Continue reading the main storyThe BBC's business editor Robert Peston said: "It's a huge humiliation. This was [News Corp's] biggest investment plan of the moment. It was one of the biggest investments they've ever wanted to make.
"It is an extraordinary reversal of corporate fortune... And questions will now be asked whether this is the full extent of the damage to the empire."
News Corp already owns 39% of BSkyB, but may be compelled to give up even this minority stake if it is deemed not to be "fit and proper" by regulator Ofcom following the conclusion of current police investigations.
Robert Peston added there had been "a lot of speculation" that Mr Murdoch might now want to sell his UK newspapers, but the current state of the industry made them less attractive to potential buyers.
"The question is, who is going to pay him the price that they are worth? He will not want to sell those papers at a loss."
Business Secretary Vince Cable said it would be "very difficult" to imagine the BSkyB bid being resurrected at a later date.
Mr Cable, who was secretly recorded last year saying he had "declared war" on Rupert Murdoch, had been in charge of overseeing the bid, but was replaced by Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
Public inquiryMr Cameron has asked Lord Justice Leveson to oversee a public inquiry into the News of the World scandal and media regulation.
In a statement to the Commons, he said the inquiry would begin as "quickly as possible" and would be in two parts - an investigation of wrongdoing in the press and the police, and a review of regulation in the press.
The judge will have powers to call media proprietors, editors and politicians to give evidence under oath, the PM said.
Mr Cameron said those who sanctioned wrongdoing should have no further role in running a media company in the UK.
Scope of hacking inquiry
- Culture, practices and ethics of the press
- Their relationship with the police
- Failure of current regulation
- Contacts made and discussions between national newspapers and politicians
- Why previous warnings about press misconduct were not heeded
- Issue of cross-media ownership
He said Lord Justice Leveson, assisted by a panel of senior independent figures, would make recommendations for a better way of regulating the press which "supports their freedom, plurality and independence from government but which also demands the highest ethical and professional standards".
He will also make recommendations about the future conduct of relations between politicians and the press.
Mr Cameron told MPs he would require all ministers and civil servants to record meetings with senior editors and media executives to help make the UK government "one of the most open in the world".
Mr Miliband welcomed the proposal, arguing it must be imposed retrospectively, so that he and Mr Cameron publish all details of meetings with media executives dating back to the last general election.
The prime minister was previously criticised for meeting Rupert Murdoch, head of News Corporation, in Downing Street soon after the election, because Mr Murdoch did not walk through the front door.
Newspapers which did not support the government ran stories of "secret meetings".
Who is Lord Justice Leveson?
Lord Justice (Sir Brian) Leveson became a barrister in 1970 and a QC 16 years later.
The 62-year-old was made a High Court judge in 2000 and appointed to the Court of Appeal in 2006. He was senior presiding judge there from 2006 to 2009 and now, as chairman of the Sentencing Council, is responsible for criminal sentencing policy in England and Wales.
Lord Justice Leveson is well known for being the barrister who led the prosecution case against serial killer Rose West, who was jailed in 1995 for the murder of 10 women and girls.
He was also the judge during the 2006 trial over the murder of 10-year-old London schoolboy Damilola Taylor.
Earlier at prime minister's questions, Mr Cameron said a "firestorm" was engulfing parts of the media and police, and those who had committed offences must be prosecuted.
Mr Miliband said it was an insult to the family of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler, whose phone was allegedly hacked, that Rebekah Brooks was still News International's chief executive.
Mr Cameron responded: "She was right to resign, that resignation should have been accepted. There needs to be root and branch change at this entire organisation.
"What has happened at this company is disgraceful - it's got to be addressed at every level."
In other developments:
- Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown told the House of Commons that lawbreaking has taken place "on an industrial scale"
- News International's legal manager Tom Crone, who primarily worked at the News of the World and on the Sun, has left the company
- The Sun has defended its story revealing Mr Brown's youngest son Fraser had cystic fibrosis. It has released a video of the man it says was the source - the man's face is not revealed and his voice is disguised to protect his identity
- The prime minister met the parents of Milly Dowler, after which they welcomed news of the phone hacking inquiry
- The Australian arm of Mr Murdoch's media empire is to investigate all payments made to contributors since 2008
- In the US, Senate Commerce Committee chairman Jay Rockefeller called for an investigation into whether phone hacking targeted any American citizens and whether journalists working for News Corp had broken US law
- Shares in News Corp have fallen 14% since 4 July, wiping about $5bn off the company's value
Meanwhile, Labour's communications chief Tom Baldwin is facing renewed questions over claims he handled private information which was gained illegally during his years at the Times newspaper, another News International publication.
The former Conservative deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft makes the allegations in a blog posting on ConservativeHome, which he owns. Mr Baldwin has not responded to the claims.
Comment number 41.
Eddie Duller13th July 2011 - 16:13
It is time for journalists to treat politicians differently and create more distance between them. During the News International investigation the judge should recommend abolishing the lobby, the system where journalists are licensed by the serjeant at arms in the House of Commons and where they agree to report on a non attributable basis. Ministers and MPs should always be quoted by name..
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Comment number 32.
Alan T13th July 2011 - 16:00
Well, so long as this is a permanent decision and won't be revised when the furore has died down, this is excellent news.
Newspapers are slowing dying anyway, another 5-8 years and they will be a complete irrelevance. Web and TV media is where Murdoch-ism needs to be minimised. Today's announcement is a positive step.
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Comment number 30.
Slodger13th July 2011 - 15:59
This is actually a victory for a diverse and partially excellent press in this country, and a conscientious parliamentary democracy. Does anybody think it would not have happened without the persistance of the Guardian newspaper, (thanks to Davies, Rusbridger et al) and MPs Chris Bryant and Tom Watson?
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Comment number 13.
BMT13th July 2011 - 15:42
Sadly all it means really is NI will await the outcome of the public and criminal enquiries, install new management at NI and in 18 mths to 2 yrs time go for another bid.The sooner these enquiries get underway/are concluded the better,there's getting to be an air of 'lynch mob' mentality about all this.Lets not forget the basics of our law,innocent TILL proven guilty.
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Comment number 3.
Magic Hatter13th July 2011 - 15:28
I wonder if all those outraged posters who cancelled their Sky subscriptions will now renew them again or will News Corporation have to sell their existing stake to satisfy their moral indignation?
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