The group mediático of the Australian magnate Rupert Murdoch is exhibited to a rigorous investigation in the United Kingdom by supposed domineering position, opposite to the informative plurality that the Government must guarantee

This way it is indicated by the newspaper 'The Guardian', according to which the Labour minister of Industry, Alistair Darling, has requested a finished investigation on the way in which the British public obtains his daily informations.

The agency that looks over the competition in this country and Ofcom, which must guarantee the correct functioning of the sector of the communications, they have expressed his worry for the recent buy of 17.9 per cent of the broadcasting station of television ITV for Sky, property of Murdoch.

Sky, which directs the son of the magnate, James Murdoch, invested nearly 1.000 million pounds sterling (1.470 million euros) in this acquisition, which frustrated the ambition of the businessman Richard Branson of fusing its own group, Virgin Media, with ITV.

Ofcom warned that the relation between ITV, which possesses a participation of 40 per cent in ITN, and Sky might limit the possibility of election of sources different from news about television.

According to this office, the relations between the journalistic group of Murdoch, News Corporation, owner of the newspapers of big throw 'The Times' and 'The Sun', between other publications, as well as of BSkyB, in which this group has a participation of 39 %, and ITV they raise problems on the informative 'plurality' in the United Kingdom.

'The viewers can turn affected negatively, as for informative plurality, if those who control newspapers acquire control or influence on television channels', warns Ofcom.

According to Don Foster, spokesman for culture, mass media and sports of the Democratic Liberal Party, in the opposition, it pointed out that 'it is already time for the Government to face the monopolies mediáticos and it gives priority to the interest of the public'.

For his part, a spokesman of Virgin Media was congratulated of that it has been decided to throw an investigation and told that this group supported from the first moment that the acquisition for Sky of a participation in ITV damages the free competition and can affect negatively to the informative plurality.

In addition to the powerful means that it possesses in Great Britain, Murdoch is proprietary in the United States of the Internet portal 'My Space', the daily 'New York Post' and the network of Fox, which Fox News includes, 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Also he is a proprietor of the American publishing house HarperCollins, as well as a series of newspapers in Australia and Asia, between them the newspaper of national circulation 'The Australian'.


(Agencies, 25/05/07)