Competition Commission Submits Sky Report to Government

LONDON, December 17: The U.K.’s Competition Commission has
submitted its final report on BSkyB’s 17.9 percent ITV stake to the Secretary
of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, John Hutton, who has
30 days to issue his ruling.

The Commission has not revealed the details of its report,
which is expected to suggest that Sky limits its interest in the commercial
broadcaster. In October, the Commission ruled that the stake, acquired in
November of last year, “restricts competition and therefore operates against
the public interest.”

While the government has 30 days to respond, there is
speculation in the British press that a decision could come before Christmas.

—By Mansha Daswani