)--An alliance of U.K.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) March 13, 2011 -- An alliance of U.K. media organizations opposed to News Corp's (NWS) takeover of British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC (BSY.LN) will launch a lobbying campaign Monday to urge the government to refer the takeover to the competition commission. guess handbags


On March 3, the U.K. government accepted News Corp's proposal to spin-off its Sky News Channel, clearing the way for the company to buy the remaining 61% of BSkyB it doesn't already own and side-stepping a potential referral of the deal to the competition commission.

The media alliance, composed of BT Group PLC (BT.LN), Guardian Media Group, Associated Newspapers, Trinity Mirror (TNI.LN), Northcliffe Media and Telegraph Media Group, will send a letter to lawmakers and interested peers Monday setting out its main objections.

These include that the Sky News spin-off will be dependent on News Corp financially, the safeguards for editorial independence offered by News Corp are weak and the remedy puts too much power in the hands of the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, Jeremy Hunt.

A spokeswoman for News Corp. in London declined to comment on the media alliance's statement. BSkyB wasn't immediately available to comment. mens summer fashion 2011

Hunt, who had been deliberating whether or not to refer the deal to the competition regulator following advice from Ofcom and the Office of Fair Trading, accepted News Corp's undertakings on March 3 and started a consultation on his decision that expires March 21.

"We regard the proposed undertakings as being fraught with uncertainty and unlikely to safeguard plurality," the media alliance letter said.

"We do not believe that, given these concerns, and those of many others in civil society, the Culture Secretary should accept these undertakings, but should forward the matter to the Competition Commission for a full investigation."

News Corp's proposals would mean Sky News would be spun off as an independent public limited company. The shares in the new company would be distributed amongst the existing shareholders of BSkyB in line with their shareholdings.

As a result, News Corp. would retain a 39.1% stake in the new company, according to a statement issued by the DCMS.

News Corp. also owns Dow Jones & Co., publisher of this newswire and The Wall Street Journal. power balance black

To ensure "editorial independence and integrity in news reporting", the new company would have a board made up of a majority of independent directors, including an independent chair, and a corporate governance and editorial committee made up of independent directors, who would have no other News Corp. interests.

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