Fears that Sky News (DStv 402) maybe being closed down or becoming its own entity with less resources that will curtail its news gathering capacity will no longer be a possibility with News Corp. that has announced that it will no longer bid for full control of the overall pay TV broadcaster, BSkyB, that Sky News forms a part of.
Amidst a cascading scandal of growing scope regarding News Corp.'s unethical journalistic practices, News Corp. announced that it will no longer be pursuing the possibility to get full control of BSkyB.
If News Corp. got full control of BSkyB, News Corp. would have had to sell off Sky News or close Sky News down since News Corp. would then control too much ''news'' power according to British broadcasting law. Since Rupert Murdock showed that he would close something down like he did with the tabloid News of the World, fears arose that Sky News - if it couldn't be sold, would simply be closed down. The British 24 hour news channel has also been a loss making operation ever since it started.
"News Corporation remains a committed long-term shareholder in BSkyB. We are proud of the success it has achieved and our contribution to it,'' says News Corp. in a statement.
