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Ofcom
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===News International phone hacking scandal=== {{Main|News International phone hacking scandal}} In July 2011, in the wake of the News International phone hacking scandal, Ofcom came under pressure to launch an inquiry into whether the parent company of [[News International]], [[News Corporation (1980β2013)|News Corporation]], was still the "fit and proper" owner of a controlling stake in the satellite broadcasting company [[BSkyB|British Sky Broadcasting]] (BSkyB). On 13 July former Prime Minister [[Gordon Brown]] urged Ofcom to launch an investigation.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/07/13/bloomberg1376-LOAAC60UQVI901-5319LIBGU2PL77S07RDVI9V238.DTL|title=Brown Urges Ofcom to Probe News Corp.'s Existing BSkyB Stake|access-date=24 July 2011|work=San Francisco Chronicle|date=13 July 2011}} {{Dead link|date=December 2011|bot=RjwilmsiBot}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-13/brown-urges-regulator-to-probe-news-corp-s-existing-bskyb-shareholding.html|title=Brown Calls on Regulator to Probe News Corp.'s Existing BSkyB Shareholding|access-date=24 July 2011|publisher=Bloomberg L.P.|date=14 July 2011|first=Robert|last=Hutton}}</ref> On 15 July the Deputy Prime Minister [[Nick Clegg]] stated that the Government would launch a review of laws on what constituted a "fit and proper" owner for broadcasting companies in the United Kingdom, and that anyone found not to meet that standard can be forced to give up their current holdings in a company.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/phone-hacking/8639225/Phone-Hacking-Rupert-Murdochs-grip-on-BSkyB-may-be-threatened-warns-Nick-Clegg.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/phone-hacking/8639225/Phone-Hacking-Rupert-Murdochs-grip-on-BSkyB-may-be-threatened-warns-Nick-Clegg.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Phone Hacking: Murdoch's grip on BSkyB may be threatened, warns Clegg|access-date=24 July 2011|work=The Telegraph|date=15 July 2011|location=London|first=James|last=Kirkup}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On 22 July 2011, it was reported that Ofcom had begun an investigation into whether the phone-hacking scandal may have changed BSkyB's status as the "fit and proper" holder of a UK broadcasting licence.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/efce3662-b48a-11e0-a21d-00144feabdc0.html?ftcamp=rss|title=UK regulator begins probe into BSkyB's status|access-date=24 July 2011|work=Financial Times|date=22 July 2011}}</ref> On the same day [[Ed Richards (chief executive)|Ed Richards]], the then chief executive of Ofcom, replied to [[Simon Hughes]] MP, [[Don Foster (politician)|Don Foster]] MP and [[Tim Farron]] MP following a letter which they had written to him on 8 July concerning News Corporation's shareholding in BSkyB.<ref name=ofcomlet>{{cite web|url=http://media.ofcom.org.uk/2011/07/22/letter-to-simon-hughes-don-foster-and-tim-farron-mp-from-ed-richards/|title=Letter to Simon Hughes, Don Foster and Tim Farron MP from Ed Richards July 22, 2011|access-date=25 July 2011|publisher=Ofcom|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920060643/http://media.ofcom.org.uk/2011/07/22/letter-to-simon-hughes-don-foster-and-tim-farron-mp-from-ed-richards/|archive-date=20 September 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In the letter Richards confirmed that Ofcom considers that News Corporation's current shareholding of 39.14% in BSkyB does give it a material influence over the company; that Ofcom is not precluded from acting by ongoing police investigations; and that Ofcom's process is not dependent upon a criminal conviction being secured.<ref name=ofcomlet/> In April 2012, Ofcom's probe moved from a monitoring phase to an "evidence gathering" phase.<ref>Katherine Rushton [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/media/9229535/Ofcom-steps-up-fit-and-proper-probe-into-BSkyB.html ''Ofcom steps up 'fit and proper' probe into BSkyB''], ''The Daily Telegraph''. 26 April 2012</ref>
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