UK Delays Review of 21st Century Fox Deal for Sky

Britain postponed on its regulatory review of 21st Century Fox’s proposal to take full control of the British satellite television giant Sky until after the country’s general election in June. The delay comes amid calls for British regulators to consider Fox’s handling of sexual harassment cases in the United States, which recently led the company to dismiss Bill O’Reilly, its highest-profile news anchor.

The regulator, the Office of Communications, commonly known as Ofcom, is reviewing the potential effects of a merger on media competitiveness and is testing whether the combined company would be “fit and proper” to hold a broadcasting license. The government cited the shifting political timetable as the reason for the delay.