Competition watchdog to probe Murdoch's £11.7bn Sky bid

Rupert Murdoch's £11.7 billion bid to take full control of Sky through 21st Century Fox will be referred to the competition watchdog for an in-depth probe, the culture secretary has confirmed.

Earlier this week Karen Bradley told MPs she was likely to refer the deal to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for a full blown investigation.

On Thursday, she said that after receiving letters from both Fox and Sky voicing their disagreement with the decision, they would not be making substantive representations in relation to it.

The CMA has around six months to investigate the merger and provide Bradley with advice, after which she must then come to a final decision on whether or not the merger can proceed, including any conditions that will apply in order to do so.

Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox is attempting to acquire the 61% of Sky it does not already own.

The CMA faces the task of delving into claims of misconduct at Fox, which have ranged from alleged racial and sexual harassment to making up quotes.

Murdoch's latest approach comes after his last attempt at taking over the business through News Corporation in 2011.

The tilt faced opposition from media industry rivals and politicians before it was scuppered by acute pressure on the company, brought about by the phone-hacking scandal.

Sky said that it notes the swift decision to refer this to the CMA and will "continue to engage constructively in this process".