By Paul Sandle
Even if Fox's proposals (click here) satisfy Britain's government and competition regulator, however, it may still need to raise its recommended offer for Sky after US cable group Comcast Corp said it intended to make a higher counter-bid.
Sky shares rose 2.1 per cent to £13.25, the biggest gain on Britain's FTSE-100 index and above both Fox's bid and Comcast's proposed offer, signalling investors expect any suitor will have to pay more.
Money-losing Sky News is the last regulatory hurdle in 87-year-old Murdoch's long campaign to buy Sky, which has grown from its UK beginnings to become Europe's biggest pay-TV group.
"We look forward to concluding this acquisition - finally - in a timely and expeditious manner," Fox Senior Vice President Gerson Zweifach said, adding the proposed solutions addressed all concerns about the transaction.
Fox agreed in December 2016 to buy the 61 per cent of Sky it does not already own, but the deal has been repeatedly delayed by the British government and regulators, allowing Comcast to gate crash the deal in February....
