Sky News protection

RUPeRt murdoch has increased his offer to protect sky News as part of fresh efforts to push through his company’s £11.7bn takeover of sky.

his firm 21st Century Fox has offered to fund the news channel for at least ten years, up from a previously proposed five. it also said it would provide annual statements confirming the murdoch family had not tried to influence sky News’ editorial output. Fox, which owns 39pc of sky but wants to buy the rest, put forward its offer in response to concerns raised by the Competition and markets Authority.

the regulator claims Fox’s takeover of sky – including sky News – would give murdoch, 86, too much influence over the UK’s media.