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Article: Trying to use ITV Digital to break BSkyB's monopoly has only strengthened Murdoch; Analysis
- Article from:
- The Independent (London, England)
- Article date:
- May 1, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2002 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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WHEN ITV Digital was formed, Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB was meant to
be a part of it. But after objections from both the European
Commission and the UK regulator, the Independent Television
Commission (ITC), Sky was forced out and the business was left to the
two ITV companies, Carlton and Granada. Without Sky - and with
hindsight - ITV Digital was doomed from then on.
The new service was launched as ONdigital at the end of 1998 (it
was rebranded ITV Digital last year). However, from the moment Sky
was excluded, digital terrestrial TV became one of its rivals and,
true to form, the highly aggressive Sky moved to kill it.
Paul Richards, an analyst at the stockbrokers Numis, said: "The
only ...