Sky stops broadcasting Fox News in UK

Sky is to stop broadcasting Fox News in the UK after low audience figures, the media said.

21st Century Fox, owned by Rupert Murdoch, said the channel was being withdrawn as it was not commercially viable.
According to BBC, the decision is not to do with Fox’s takeover bid for Sky.

Karen Bradley, Culture secretary has said she may refer the bid to competition regulators.

“[Fox] has decided to cease providing a feed of Fox News Channel in the UK,” a spokeswoman said.

“Fox News is focused on the US market and designed for a US audience and, accordingly, it averages only a few thousand viewers across the day in the UK.

“We have concluded that it is not in our commercial interest to continue providing Fox News in the UK.”

Sky stopped broadcasting the US television network in the UK from 4 pm Tuesday.

Back in December 21st Century Fox offered £11.7bn for the 61% stake in Sky it does not already own.

Critics of the merger, which gives 21st Century Fox access to Sky’s 22 million customers in Europe, say Rupert Murdoch will have too much control of the UK media.