FOX puts stop to 'Sky News America'

Plans to launch an American version of Sky News have been ditched following protests from its US sister station FOX News, The Observer reported today.

"For the moment, it doesn't look like it's going to happen," said Nick Pollard, head pof Sky News. "The plans were at a very early stage - nothing had been decided."

Sources told the newspaper that FOX had objected to the proposed channel fearing an "ideological clash." Domestically, FOX has been particularly popular because of its strong patriotic stance, whilst Sky News is relatively politically neutral.

The head of FOX News, Roger Ailes, is said to have told Rupert Murdoch that a US launch of Sky News could "cannibalise" FOX's success.

"This is a very sensitive area for Sky," said one 'senior' source. "Fox is ideologically slanted and has been very successful in the US. Sky News is very, very successful, but within a British model.

"Murdoch has gone on record as describing Sky News as 'BBC Lite', and it's clear he would like it to be harder-hitting. Everyone at Sky News is very opposed to the Foxification, but they don't want a pitched battle. Launching in the US would make that a possibility."