OFCOM escalates probe into BSkyB

Rupert Murdoch faces a growing threat to his British media business, after the UK communications regulator stepped up its probe into whether British Sky Broadcasting was a “fit and proper” owner of a broadcasting license.

Ofcom has ordered News Corp’s UK newspaper subsidiary to provide it with documents relating to civil litigation stemming from the long-running phone hacking scandal at the group. Until now the regulator has only been “monitoring” publicly available evidence relating to the scandal that has rocked the British media, police and political establishment. Confirmation of OFCOM’s switch to an “evidence-gathering phase”, originally reported by the Financial Times, came as Mr Murdoch faced tough questioning during a second day of evidence under oath at a judicial inquiry into the behavior of the UK press.