News Corporation’s Sky Italia Files Lawsuit Against Mediaset Companies For Antitrust Violations

News Corporation today announced its wholly-owned Sky Italia has filed a lawsuit with the Court of Milan against RTI and Publitalia, both owned by the Mediaset Group, for violation of antitrust rules under article 82 of the European Treaty and for unfair competition.

News Corporation believes these companies have violated EC rules governing free competition, as well as Italian media regulation, by refusing to allow Sky Italia to purchase advertising on leading Italian commercial networks Canale 5, Italia 1 and Rete 4.

News Corporation (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV) had total assets as of June 30, 2009 of approximately US$53 billion and total annual revenues of approximately US$30 billion. News Corporation is a diversified global media company with operations in eight industry segments: filmed entertainment; television; cable network programming; direct broadcast satellite television; magazines and inserts; newspapers and information services; book publishing; and other. The activities of News Corporation are conducted principally in the United States, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, Asia and Latin America.