Murdoch firms ‘shown favours’

The outgoing head of UK regulator Ofcom has accused government representatives of showing favouritism to Rupert Murdoch’s companies.

Ed Richards said he was “surprised” by the informality of contact between executives and ministers during the failed bid by Murdoch’s News Corp for BSkyB in 2011.

News Corp abandoned the controversial deal when it emerged journalists at the News of the World ordered the phone of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler to be hacked.