Wire reporting: (AP, via The Philadelphia Inquirer)

U.K. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy on Wednesday issued a Public Interest Intervention Notice on Sky UK’s proposed purchase of ITV’s media and entertainment business, after telling the companies last month she was minded to intervene^1,3.

Variety reported Nandy’s statement that her department wrote to Sky UK Limited and ITV plc on Oct. 15 under the Enterprise Act 2002 and, after considering their representations, decided to issue the notice¹.

CNA said she asked the Competition and Markets Authority and Ofcom to report on the deal’s impact by Jan. 27³. The Associated Press, carried by The Philadelphia Inquirer, said she may then decide whether to refer the takeover for a further CMA investigation².

The AP report put the planned deal at 1.6 billion pounds, or about $2.2 billion, between Sky — described as a U.K. television, internet and mobile provider owned by Comcast — and ITV’s media and entertainment arm². CNA used £1.6 billion, or about $2.15 billion³.

CNA said Nandy last month cited potential effects on news plurality, Sky’s influence over the media landscape and the availability of a broad range of programming³. The AP report said she will introduce legislation for a new public interest consideration for streamers so it would apply to on-demand programs as well as broadcasting².

According to the AP account, a main stated motivation of the Sky-ITV plan is to create a larger competitor to global streaming companies². That report said the June proposal covers ITV’s terrestrial channels and streaming service, while ITV Studios would remain independent².

What Nandy will do after the Jan. 27 reports, and whether the companies will proceed unchanged, was not settled in Wednesday’s coverage^1,2,3.