Ofcom Declares Sky “Fit and Proper”

LONDON: Ofcom has ruled that Sky is a "fit and proper" license holder, but declares that James Murdoch "repeatedly fell short of the conduct to be expected of him."

Of James Murdoch, Ofcom said: "his failure to initiate action on his own account on a number of occasions" was both "difficult to comprehend and ill-judged."

Of Rupert Murdoch, it said: "We do not consider that the evidence currently available to Ofcom provides a reasonable basis on which to conclude that Rupert Murdoch acted in a way that was inappropriate in relation to phone hacking, concealment or corruption by employees of NGN or News International."

A Sky spokesperson said of the decision: "Ofcom is right to conclude that Sky is a fit and proper broadcaster. As a company, we are committed to high standards of governance and we take our regulatory obligations extremely seriously. As Ofcom acknowledges, our track record of compliance in broadcasting is good.

"We are proud of our contribution as a broadcaster, the investments we make to increase choice for U.K. audiences and the wider benefits we create for the economy. After a lengthy review process, we are pleased that Ofcom has now reached its conclusion and we look forward to continuing to develop our business for the benefit of customers and shareholders alike."