According to Ofcom, GB News has been slapped with a £100,000 fine for violating due impartiality rules during an interview with former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier this year. The media watchdog launched an investigation into the channel three days after the airing of the program “People’s Forum: The Prime Minister” on February 12th, which featured Mr. Sunak answering questions from a studio audience and a presenter. Ofcom concluded that the program breached rules 5.11 and 5.12 of the Broadcasting Code, which state that due impartiality must be preserved on matters of major political and industrial controversy, and that an appropriately wide range of significant views should be included.
Ofcom’s decision is based on the fact that the program gave Mr. Sunak a mostly uncontested platform to promote the policies and performance of his government, which was preparing for a general election. The watchdog argues that this breach was serious and repeated, and that the £100,000 fine is a suitable punishment. However, GB News chief executive Angelos Frangopoulos has hit back at the decision, calling it “unnecessary, unfair, and unlawful.” Frangopoulos stated that the channel will challenge Ofcom’s ruling in the courts and claimed that the decision is a direct attack on free speech and journalism in the United Kingdom.
GB News Fined £100,000 for Lack of Impartiality (Image via Getty)
GB News has previously lost a High Court challenge to temporary block Ofcom from sanctioning it, with the channel’s lawyers arguing that it would cause “irreparable damage” to its reputation. Despite this, the channel is still challenging Ofcom’s finding that it breached the broadcasting code in the High Court. Frangopoulos has also stated that the channel believes Ofcom is obligated by law to uphold freedom of expression and apply its rules fairly and lawfully.
The controversy surrounding GB News’ interview with Rishi Sunak is the latest in a series of disputes between the channel and Ofcom, which has previously found that other programs featuring then-sitting MPs, and a Conservative minister breaking rules on politicians “acting as newsreaders.” In October, Ofcom put GB News on notice that more breaches of due impartiality rules “may result in the imposition of a statutory sanction.”
Ofcom’s decision has sparked debate about the importance of upholding impartiality in broadcasting, particularly in the lead-up to a general election. Critics argue that GB News’ program was a clear example of the channel’s biases and lack of impartiality, while supporters claim that the channel has a right to free speech and should be able to present its own opinions and views. The outcome of GB News’ judicial review and the enforcement of the fine remain to be seen, but the controversy highlights the importance of maintaining high standards in broadcasting and upholding the principles of impartiality and fairness.
