A U.K. regulator is recommending that the government block Rupert Murdoch’s planned takeover of Sky TV in its current form.
The Competition and Markets Authority said in a statement Tuesday that the proposed deal by Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox is likely to be “against the public interest” because it would reduce the number of people with control of media businesses.
The authority proposed steps it said 21st Century Fox could take to address the concerns, including spinning off Sky News.
The British government asked the regulator in September to examine the takeover because of questions over 21st Century Fox’s “genuine commitment to broadcasting standards” and the increased influence the deal would give the Murdoch family over British media.