Murdoch 直面するs 衛星 dish 税金

By SIMON FLUENDY FOR MAILONLINE
Updated: 00:00 BST, 12 May 2002

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THE 政府 is 脅すing to 非難する a 抱擁する '衛星 dish 税金' on Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB. The 過激な 計画（する） would 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 unlicensed TV companies such as Sky for 接近 to the airwaves used to beam programmes into millions of homes.

Its 輪郭（を描く） is buried in the 草案 Communications 法案 published last week. The size of the 可能性のある 徴収する on Sky, 40% owned by Murdoch's News 会社／団体, is 不明瞭な. But ana lysts 推測する that Tony Blair could use the 脅し of a 'dish 税金' to squeeze 譲歩s from Murdoch, owner of The Sun, News of the World, The Times and The Sunday Times. Any 徴収する could be made on 使用者s of the Sky service, or 課すd on the company itself.

The 草案 法案 was 最初 seen as favourable to Murdoch because it would 許す him to 拡大する his TV empire by bidding for Channel 5, though not ITV companies Carlton or Granada. But the 法案 明確に 明言する／公表するs that Sky, rather than terrestrial 放送者s, should 耐える the brunt of any new 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金s for いわゆる spectrum 接近.

At the moment, only 使用者s of terrestrial 無線で通信する frequencies have to 支払う／賃金 for 接近 to the airwaves. 衛星 放送者s - of which Murdoch's company is the only one serving the UK market - 支払う／賃金s nothing.

The 法案 says: 'There is 現在／一般に no 機械装置 to 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 for the use of the spectrum (by 衛星 操作者s) . . . Moreover, it places terrestrial 操作者s, who 支払う／賃金 licence 料金s, at a 競争の激しい disadvantage.'

接近 料金s 'would be 支配する to the 存在するing spectrum pricing 政権,' the 報告（する）／憶測 continues. ITV companies already 支払う／賃金 the 政府 £360m a year for the 権利 to use the airwaves.

To raise a 類似の 量 from Sky would cost Murdoch - or his 顧客s - the 同等（の） of £60 for every 衛星 TV 世帯.

マスコミ 専門家s said the 政府's end-game was far from （疑いを）晴らす. 'The 法案 is 明確に talking about a 税金 by any other 指名する, but the 政府 is not 説 how much or who should 始める，決める the level,' one 分析家 said.

The idea of 非難する 衛星 会社／堅いs such as Sky was first 討議するd in a 高度に technical 報告（する）／憶測 for the 政府 by Professor ツバメ 洞穴 of Warwick 商売／仕事 School, published in March.

His 報告（する）／憶測 was おもに 関心d with 許すing 動きやすい 操作者s to 貿易（する） their spectrum so that it could be used more efficiently.

But 洞穴 also considered other 可能性のある uses for the frequencies by which Sky sends TV signals to 5.9m 加入者s in the UK. The company takes an 普通の／平均（する） of £341 a year from each of them.

洞穴 （機の）カム up with no 結論s about what 政権 should be 課すd on Sky. He said: 'My remit was to cover 干渉，妨害 with other 使用者s, which is not an 問題／発行する for Sky, and 適切な時期 cost - that is, could the spectrum it uses be put to another, かもしれない better, use?'

But 洞穴 did recommend that the director-general of Ofcom, the 産業 監視者 yet to be created, should 始める，決める the level of any new spectrum 料金.

When Culture 長官 Tessa Jowell 発表するd the Communications 法案 last week, she said that the 政府 概して supported 洞穴's findings. But a Department of 貿易（する） and 産業 source said the formal 返答 to his 報告（する）／憶測 was still two months or more away.

The DTI 拒絶する／低下するd to say how many times 大臣s had met BSkyB to discuss the 関わりあい／含蓄s of the 法案. Sky did 答える／応じる to 洞穴's 報告（する）／憶測, but its reply has been kept secret at the 放送者's request. Astonishingly, Sky replied before 洞穴 had 正式に submitted his 報告（する）／憶測, によれば a source の近くに to the 政府.

Sky 公然と 解任するd the idea of a dish 税金 and has already started work on its attack. A 広報担当者 said: 'It is not as if the spectrum we are using is a 不十分な 資源 and we don't 原因（となる） 干渉，妨害.

'There is no 推論する／理由 to 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 us. And if the 政府 手配中の，お尋ね者 to 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金 the 加入者s, it would 要求する an entire new 官僚主義.'