BRITISH CABINET MINISTER DECLARES WAR ON MURDOCH, RETREATS

Britain’s business secretary Vince Cable was under fire today (Wednesday) after he reportedly told two newspaper reporters posing as constituents that he had “declared war on [News Corp chairman Rupert] Murdoch and intended to block him from acquiring complete ownership of satellite operator BSkyB. Cable, the British cabinet officer who oversees broadcast watchdog OFCOM, told the Telegraph reporters that he had been able to block News Corp’s bid by “using the powers that I have got. … I can’t politicize it but from the people that know what is happening this is a big, big, big thing. His whole empire is under attack.” News Corp released a statement that it was “shocked and dismayed by reports of Mr. Cable’s comments. They raise serious questions about fairness and due process.” Late this afternoon, Prime Minister David Cameron removed Cable overseeing the regulatory process connected with the BSkyB deal and gave British Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt authority to do so. The Dow Jones News Service, which is owned by News Corp, reported that Hunt is “typically seen as being more sympathetic” to Murdoch.