BECTU Opposes News Corp BSkyB 'Ownership'

The broadcast union, BECTU has added its voice to those expressing their fears for the future of media pluralism in the UK if Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is permitted to own 100% of BSkyB.
The union's submission to Ofcom's public interest consultation makes it clear that News Corporation's further expansion into UK media would threaten media pluralism and undermine impartiality.
Ofcom's consultation closes this Friday, on 19 November, and the regulator is expected to report to the Secretary of State for Business, Vince Cable, by the end of the year.
The union's submission, authored by one of the organisation's research officers, Andy Egan, stated: "The broader cultural and democratic role of the media means that limits on excessive concentration of ownership in this sector are even more necessary than the normal competition controls in the rest of the economy.
"For a healthy democracy, we need to ensure diversity, representativeness and freedom of expression by allowing a plurality of views and interests to be expressed through the media.
"The power of the media not just to reflect but to form opinion makes such controls all the more necessary," the document said.
Challenging those who state that a shift in ownership would make no difference, BECTU said: "We do not accept the argument that increasing News Corp's stake in BSkyB from the existing level of 39% cent to 100% will make no difference in practice.
"BSkyB currently has an independent editorial structure, a separate board with independent directors and a different shareholding structure.
"Moving to 100% ownership will remove all such institutional barriers and independent interests, leaving BSkyB in the direct and immediate control of News Corp."
On the threat to impartiality, BECTU argued: "We note that the impact of media coverage on public perceptions and democratic debate is not just influenced by balance and impartiality within the coverage of each issue but by the underlying selection of issues to cover and the setting of the news agenda.
"A dominant media owner can exert significant and, we believe, undue influence over which issues are covered and how they are prioritized. This undermines any narrower concern for impartiality and is unhealthy for democratic debate."
Through its submission, BECTU urged Ofcom to recommend to Vince Cable that News Corp's proposed bid be referred to the Competition Commission.
(BMcC/GK)