Ofcom has fined GB News £100,000 for breaking due impartiality rules.
It comes following an investigation into the programme, People’s Forum: The Prime Minister, which was a live, hour-long current affairs show, aired in February.
An Ofcom investigation found that “an appropriately wide range of significant viewpoints was not presented and given due weight “ in the show, “nor was due impartiality preserved through clearly linked and timely programmes.”
The watchdog concluded that the then Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, “had a mostly uncontested platform to promote the policies and performance of his Government in a period preceding a UK General Election, in breach of Rules 5.11 and 5.12 of the Broadcasting Code.”
It added that “given the seriousness and repeated nature of this breach” it had imposed a £100k penalty on GB News Ltd.
GB News has also been directed to broadcast a statement of Ofcom’s findings against it, “on a date and in a form determined by us.”
The broadcaster is challenging the original breach decision by judicial review, which Ofcom said it was going to defend. As a result the action won’t be enforced until the proceedings are concluded.
Reacting to the news today, GB News CEO Angelos Frangopoulos said:
“The announcement by Ofcom to impose sanctions upon GB News in relation to the People’s Forum is a direct attack on free speech and journalism in the United Kingdom.
“We believe these sanctions are unnecessary, unfair and unlawful.
“The High Court has already granted GB News permission to bring a judicial review to challenge Ofcom’s decision that the Programme was in breach of due impartiality requirements.
“The sanction proposed by Ofcom is therefore still subject to that legal challenge. The plan to sanction GB News flies in the face of Ofcom’s duty to act fairly, lawfully and proportionately to safeguard free speech, particularly political speech and on matters of public interest.
“We have believed from the very start the People’s Forum was an important piece of public interest programming, and that appropriate steps were taken to ensure due impartiality and compliance with the Broadcasting Code.
“It was designed to allow members of the public to put their own questions directly to leading politicians.
“GB News chooses to be regulated and we understand our obligations under the Code.
“But, equally, Ofcom is obliged by law to uphold freedom of expression and apply its rules fairly and lawfully.”
