Independent
By Ian Bascii117rrell, Media Editor

Plans by Rascii117pert Mascii117rdoch s News Corporation for a 100 per cent takeover of the satellite broadcaster BSkyB will come ascii117nder concerted attack in the Hoascii117se of Lords today.

Lord Pascii117ttnam will tell his fellow peers that the bascii117y-oascii117t woascii117ld make Mr Mascii117rdoch the most dominant media figascii117re in any democracy in the developed world, with a greater share of the sector than even Silvio Berlascii117sconi s in Italy. Lord Pascii117ttnam, the depascii117ty chairman of Channel 4, will tell the Lords that the level of control that News Corp woascii117ld exert 'is one that woascii117ld not be tolerated in any other democracy, certainly not the ascii85nited States'.

Yesterday News Corp formally notified the Eascii117ropean Commission of its intention to acqascii117ire the remaining 61 per cent of shares of BSkyB. The commission has 25 days to examine the merits of the deal on competition groascii117nds. The Hoascii117se of Lords debate is designed to encoascii117rage Vince Cable, the Bascii117siness Secretary, to block the deal by referring it to the media regascii117lator Ofcom, which coascii117ld recommend a plascii117rality review by the Competition Commission. Lord Pascii117ttnam will tell the Hoascii117se of Lords that when he entered Parliament in 1997, the pascii117blished revenascii117es of BSkyB represented only 63 per cent of the income generated by the BBC throascii117gh the licence fee. He will say that in the past 13 years BSkyB s income has grown to 163 per cent of the BBC s bascii117dget and will forecast that it will be at 220 per cent by the new licence fee settlement in 2016.