LETTER:Murdoch supports media deregulation

From Mr August A. Fischer

Sir: Your leading article about cross-media ownership ("The smile of the tiger", 10 March) is riddled with inaccuracies, but by far the most extraordinary is the claim that News International Plc is opposed to the liberalisation of the UK's Byzantine media regulation.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Rupert Murdoch and News International have been advocating media deregulation for many years - long before it became fashionable among our competitors.

And on the specific issue at the heart of the review - that is, cross- ownership between newspapers and terrestrial television - the company's chairman made our position crystal clear in a speech to the Institute of Directors in April 1993:

"Any newspaper owner should be encouraged, not discouraged, to get into television and other modern media. In a market whose technology is changing so fast, they should be the advance guard of change, the great challengers of existing monopoly, as we have tried to be."

Yours sincerely,

AUGUST A. FISCHER

Chief Executive

News International Plc

London, E1

10 March