Public want investigation into BSkyB bid approval, says poll

There is strong support among British people for an independent investigation into the takeover bid for broadcaster, BSkyB, by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, according to an opinion poll today.

The poll, carried out by ICM for an alliance of media organisations, found that 63% believed there should be an independent investigation into the News Corp bid.

The alliance comprises BT, the Guardian Media Group, Associated Newspapers Ltd, Trinity Mirror plc, Northcliffe Media, and the Telegraph Media Group.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt is due to receive a report on the bid from the regulator, Ofcom, by December 31. He will then have to decide whether to refer it to the Competition Commission.

The decision has passed to Mr Hunt after Business Secretary Vince Cable was stripped of his responsibilities for media regulation after he was recorded telling undercover reporters that he had "declared war" on Mr Murdoch's media empire.

The poll commissioned by the media alliance found 84% believed that no single organisation should be allowed to control too much of the news media, while 75% said it was important that there should be competing, independent sources of news in the UK.

Some 44% opposed the News Corp bid, as against 5% who said they supported it. Fifty-two percent said that they neither supported nor opposed it or did not know.

A spokesman for the alliance said: "This deal marks a significant change of control and the public is clearly concerned. If anything, popular awareness of the issues at stake will now be substantially higher.

"A clear majority of the public wants a full and independent investigation into News Corporation's bid to take over BSkyB. The Competition Commission provides that mechanism.

"The public's concern that no one organisation should control too much of the news - as News Corporation would under the planned deal - is also very striking."

* ICM interviewed 2,006 adults aged 18 and over from its online panel between December 10 and 12.