Communications Bill Under Threat Over 'Murdoch Amendment'

by Robin Pilgrim, LawAndTax-News.com, London

23 June 2003

According to reports in the UK media last week the hotly-debated Communications Bill, which is now less than a week away from report stage in the House of Lords, could run aground as support grows for Lord Puttnam's proposed amendment to it.

The bill will lift the ban on newspaper owners purchasing Channel Five, a move which has sparked concerns that Rupert Murdoch's News International group may endeavour to increase its hold on the UK market. Accordingly, Lord Puttnam has proposed that any takeover bid for the station be subjected to a public interest test, in order to maintain a plurality of media owners in the United Kingdom.

The proposed amendment already has the support of a significant number of Labour peers. However, speaking to the Guardian on Friday, Liberal Democrat leader in the upper house, Lord McNally observed that:

'There is wide cross-party support for the amendment and in the Lords, this usually means a defeat. If the government doesn't come up with a solution, the Lords will reject the bill.'

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