Ofcom has launched an investigation into People’s Forum: The Prime Minister on GB News under due impartiality rules after it received around 500 complaints.
The programme aired on February 12 and saw Sunak take questions from the public in a live Q&A from County Durham. The channel claimed that the questions were being asked by undecided voters and had not been seen in advance by Sunak or by GB News.
Ofcom is investigating under Rules 5.11 and 5.12 of the Broadcasting Code which provide additional due impartiality requirements for programmes dealing with matters of major political controversy and major matters relating to current public policy.
Specifically, Rules 5.11 and 5.12 require that an appropriately wide range of significant views must be included and given due weight in such programmes, or in clearly linked and timely programmes.
GB News is no stranger to Ofcom’s investigators. At one stage last year the channel had at least 13 investigations underway, largely under impartiality rules, including programmes hosted by Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, West Yorkshire MP Philip Davies and his Cheshire MP wife and co-presenter Esther McVey, the high-profile Dan Wooton show probe that saw Lawrence Fox departing the channel, and a guest appearance from Richard Tice, leader of the hard-right Reform Party.
