August 29, 2017

Fox News no longer broadcasting in the UK as feed pulled ahead of Government decision on Sky takeover bid

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Fox News is no longer broadcasting in the UK after owners 21^st Century Fox pulled the plug on a feed of the US news channel today.

The channel has been broadcasting in the UK for 15 years through Sky.

A spokesperson for the Rupert Murdoch-owned 21^st Century Fox said: “21st Century Fox has decided to cease providing a feed of Fox News Channel in the UK.

“Fox News is focused on the US market and designed for a US audience and, accordingly, it averages only a few thousand viewers across the day in the UK.

“We have concluded that it is not in our commercial interest to continue providing Fox News in the UK.”

The announcement comes as Culture Secretary Karen Bradley considers whether to refer a proposed £11.7bn Sky takeover bid from 21^st Century Fox-owner Rupert Murdoch to the UK competition watchdog.

Bradley has said she is “minded to” refer the deal to the Competition and Markets Authority on the grounds of media plurality, but has yet to make her final decision on the matter.

Murdoch is bidding to buy out the 61 per cent of Sky it doesn’t already own, which would result in Murdoch companies having the third largest total reach of any UK news provider (after the BBC and ITN) according to an earlier Ofcom review of the bid.

Fox News has been embroiled in scandal in recent months following a number of claims of sexual harassment at the workplace. Allegations were lodged against former Fox News chief executive Roger Ailes and presenter Bill O’Reilly, both of whom have now left the broadcaster.

Picture: REuters/Aaron P. Bernstein