(Reuters) - James Murdoch, chief executive of Twenty-First Century Fox Inc (O:FOXA), said on Wednesday he expects its bid to acquire Sky PLC (L:SKYB) to be approved by British regulators in the first half of 2018 despite fallout from a sexual harassment settlement involving former Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly.
Reports recently surfaced that O'Reilly reached a $32 million (£24.1 million) settlement with a woman before Fox News renewed his contract earlier this year. O'Reilly was fired in April.
Murdoch spoke of Twenty-First Century Fox's $15 billion bid to acquire the remaining 61 percent it does not own of Sky PLC (L:SKYB) while appearing at the Paley International Council Summit in New York.