UK government clears Fox bid for Sky if it sells news channel

Britain’s government has said Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox would be allowed to buy Sky providing it follows through with a proposal to sell Sky News to Disney or another third party, Reuters reports. Murdoch launched his bid to buy all of Sky in December 2016. The takeover has been held up by politicians and regulators who fear it will give him too much sway over the news agenda. According to Culture Secretary Matt Hancock, Fox’s proposal to divest Sky News to Disney, or to an alternative suitable buyer, with an agreement to ensure it is funded for at least 10 years, was likely to be “the most proportionate and effective remedy for the public interest concerns that had been identified.”