Stop Rupert Murdoch - Protest Thursday 3rd March

Protest Thursday 3rd March 5.30pm outside Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2-4 Cockspur Street, off Trafalgar Square, London SW1 on the day that the culture secretary makes a decision NOT to refer News Corp to the Competition Commission.

Called by the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom.

Murdoch's News Corp is trying to take full control of the satellite operator BSkyB in a move which will further shrink the plurality of the British media and hand more power to a media mogul who only recently described Thatcherism as his inspiration and who 'applauds' the government for its 'tough fiscal line'. We know that he was also the first person through the door of Downing Street after Cameron became prime minister.

The communications regulator Ofcom has told culture secretary Jeremy Hunt that he should refer the deal to the Competition Commission. Hunt, however, has been in secret talks with News Corp trying to find a solution that will mean the deal does NOT get investigated and is NOT subject to any public scrutiny.

News Corp has made it clear that the main reason it wants to rush the deal through is because the longer the delay, the more it will have to pay for Sky as its share price goes up. They care nothing about plurality, diversity or openness just profits and influence.

A decision is expected in the next few days. If Hunt and News Corp do stitch up a deal, we need to make our voices heard loud and clear that, instead of a bigger Murdoch empire, we want more controls on media conglomerates, more diversity in our media system and more voices arguing against the cuts.