Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said he expects his decision on whether to allow the proposed takeover of BSkyB by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation to be “judicially challenged” whatever decision he comes to.
The decision passed to Mr Hunt after Business Secretary Vince Cable was stripped of his responsibilities for media regulation after being recorded telling undercover reporters he had “declared war” on Mr Murdoch’s media empire.
Mr Hunt told an audience at a debate on the future of the media at the London School of Economics he could not provide a “running commentary” on what is “a quasi-judicial process”. He said: “I can’t get drawn on this, sorry. This is a decision that is likely to be judicially challenged by the side that is disappointed.”
Asked what his initial reaction was to the decision being passed to him, he laughed and said: “OMG.”
He said he was focused on the decision of whether to refer the matter to the Competition Commission, but refused to be drawn on the timetable for the decision.
He said: “This is a very, very hot potato and I’m aware of what happens if you hold a hot potato in your hand for too long.”
The debate was interrupted after 20 minutes when student demonstrators walked into the hall and began to barrack Mr Hunt, chanting “Minister of Culture, Tory Vulture” and “Tory scum” and questioning whether he could be a neutral judge of the proposed takeover.
The protesters, who numbered around 30 and were booed by the audience, left after about 10 minutes.
Mr Hunt laughed off the demonstration, saying the LSE had a “great role as the crucible” of free speech.
The poll, carried out in December by ICM for an alliance of rival media organisations, found 63% believed there should be an independent investigation into the News Corp bid.
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