UK says minded to examine Fox-Sky deal for impact on standards

[September 12, 2017]  LONDON (Reuters) - The British government said it was minded to refer Rupert Murdoch's takeover of pay-TV group Sky for a full investigation to examine whether it would uphold broadcasting standards, knocking Sky's share price sharply.

The Sky logo is seen on an advertising wrap on a bus in west London, Britain June 29, 2017. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Media Secretary Karen Bradley had already said she was minded to refer the deal for a full investigation to see whether it would give Murdoch's Twenty-First Century Fox <FOXA.O> too much control over the media.

On Tuesday she told parliament she was also minded to ask the country's competition regulator to examine whether Fox would uphold broadcasting standards if it had full control of Sky, an unexpected turn that sent Sky's shares down 4 percent.

(Reporting by Kate Holton and Kylie MacLellan; editing by Michael Holden)

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