James Murdoch defends speech attacking BBC, U.K. regulation

James Murdoch, chief executive officer of News Corp.’s European and Asian division, defended his attack on the British Broadcasting Corp. and regulator Ofcom, which he said stifled independence and wasted money.

Speaking at the Edinburgh International Television Festival, Murdoch said the state-funded BBC should compete less with private companies in providing news and buying shows. News Corp.-controlled British Sky Broadcasting Plc, the U.K.’s biggest pay-TV provider, competes for viewers with the BBC. “We can either have perpetual growth of the state sector or we can have a flourishing independent news media and allow enterprise to really be the center of driving good things in the market place for people,” he said. “But you can’t have both.”