UK happy with Murdoch's Sky News commitments in relation to Sky bid

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said Rupert Murdoch's Twenty-First Century Fox had answered its remaining doubts about the independence of Sky News if it buys all of its parent Sky, paving the way for a takeover battle over the pay-TV group.

Media Secretary Matt Hancock said Fox had secured a commitment from Disney to operate Sky News for 15 years rather than 10 years, an increase in the funds available for the channel to at least 100 million pounds ($132 million) a year, and a pledge to retain its editorial independence.

He said on Tuesday that the revised undertakings would "help to ensure that Sky News remains financially viable over the long term, free from any potential outside influence".

(Reporting by Paul Sandle. Editing by Jane Merriman)