In the news

You sure?

Happy to be corrected, but my understanding was that the only legal grounds on which the takeover could be challenged was if the new entity that emerged had control over too large a portion of the media to maintain an impartial press.

The initial consultation seemed to indicate that it would not. Now NOTW is disappearing, they will have even less dominance, and so, in theory at least, it should improve the case for a takeover.

At the end of the day the government is bound by the law, and from what I understand, as yet there isn't a way for the government to get out of it.

But as I said I'm happy to be corrected if I've got any of this wrong.

I think broadly speaking you're right here, but in addition to the media plurality debate, OFCOM has a responsibility to ensure that BSkyB is controlled by the aforementioned 'fit and proper persons'. If the practices of News of the Word indicate that the people running Newscorp are either delinquent in their duty to ensure that the paper was operating within the law, or complicit in that activity, then OFCOM ought to seek to prevent the takeover. And frankly, I cannot see an outcome of the current situation which doesn't imply one or the other of these two conclusions. I think the real difficulty is proving it; the idea that Murdoch was skipping blithly through the fields whistling Tiptoe Through the Tulips when he was meant to be managing Newscorp is utterly ridiculous, but it would be very difficult to prove that he was actively involved and therefore complicit. the real knockout blow would come if some smart investigative journo could uncover similar activity in the US or some other market.

Bearing in mind that Newscorps' first posited offer for BSkyB was rejected by the latter as too low, I think that we'll certainly se a delay in the takeover proceedings while they fight fires here. it will be difficult for Newscorp to back out of the acquisition now, as US investors will get skittish if they do, but every media outlet that he doesn't own is going to be desperately clawing for purchase against them. I think it's going to be very difficult to quieten this down without getting rid of Brooks - which as stated by others will imply that the rot goes right to the top.

As for the comments about her hair, I actually think it's the best thing about her.