British media petitions against Murdoch's BSkyB deal

Diverse media houses in Britain, including such unlikely bedfellows as The Guardian, The Daily Mail, and the BBC have joined forces in lobbying against media mogul Rupert Murdoch's proposed takeover of BSkyB. Murdoch's company, News Corporation, currently owns 39% of Sky, but has proposed an £8 billion buyout that would see it take full ownership of the broadcaster. This would expand Murdoch's media empire, which already includes the Sun, the News of the World, the Times and book publisher HarperCollins. The media houses against his latest deal have signed a petition to business secretary Vince Cable, drawing attention to the "far-reaching consequences for media plurality", should he effect the takeover. Read more: The Guardian