Hunt suggests politicians should be barred from ruling on media mergers
Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt, has suggested that politicians should be blocked from passing judgement on media mergers in a bid to head off future controversies over their motives.
Speaking to the Royal television Society Hunt said such a measure could be introduced in a new communications bill.
It follows criticisms of the way in which Hunt handled News Corporation's bid for BSkyB back in July.
Hunt said: “I tried to deal with this by seeking and publishing independent advice at every stage of the process. But in competition law, we deal with this more robustly by removing politicians from the process altogether.
"This ensures justice is seen to be done as well as actually being done. We should ask whether the same should apply for the protection of media plurality."
On the issue of media plurality Hunt also suggested that regulators should have the power to intervene in future without the need for a takeover to instigate it.