Media Bill loosens rules on ownership

The Communications Bill, which would allow foreign nationals to gain larger stakes in British broadcasting, was published yesterday.

Rupert Murdoch, for example, could buy Channel 5 and Disney or AOL Time Warner could move to take control of ITV. A number of MPs and a scrutiny committee chaired by Lord Puttnam have asked for more safeguards in this area.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport said the Bill would allow "significant deregulation to promote competition and investment" but core rules would be kept to ensure "a range of media voices".

The Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom said Britain was in danger of becoming "a satellite of the US if the Government's Communications Bill passes through Parliament without major amendments". It added that the swaths of the media would be sold off to the highest bidder. Front runners were "moguls such as Rupert Murdoch, the Disney Corporation and AOL Time Warner".

The Bill would merge the regulating bodies into Ofcom, the Office of Communications, but the BBC would continue to be regulated by its board.