GB News fined $130,000 by Ofcom over Rishi Sunak live show
British media regulator Ofcom has fined right-wing broadcaster GB News £100,000 ($130,000) for “breaching impartiality rules” during Rishi Sunak’s February live show “People’s Forum: The Prime Minister.”
According to a statement released on Ofcom’s website On Thursday, an “earlier investigation found that an appropriately broad range of important views were not presented and given sufficient weight” in the special, “nor was the necessary impartiality maintained by clearly linked and timely programs.”
As a result, Ofcom concluded that then Prime Minister Sunak had “a largely unchallenged platform to promote his government’s policies and achievements in a period leading up to the UK general election”, in breach of the Broadcasting Code.
In addition to the $130,000 fine, Ofcom has asked GB News to “broadcast a statement of our findings against it, on a date and in a form determined by us.”
GB News is challenging the decision through judicial review. Ofcom is defending its decision, but sanctions will not be imposed until the procedure is completed.
In a statement obtained by VarietyGB News CEO Angelos Frangopoulos called the fine “a direct attack on freedom of expression and journalism in the UK.”
“We believe that these sanctions are unnecessary, unfair and unlawful,” the statement continued. “The plan to sanction GB News goes against Ofcom’s duty to act fairly, lawfully and proportionately to protect freedom of expression, especially political expression and on matters of public interest. We have believed from the very beginning that the ‘People’s Forum’ was an important part of public interest programming and that appropriate steps have been taken to ensure the necessary impartiality and compliance with the Broadcasting Code. It was designed to allow members of the public to ask their own questions directly to leading politicians.”
Frangopoulos added: “GB News chooses to be regulated and we understand our obligations under the Code. But Ofcom is also required by law to uphold freedom of expression and to apply the rules fairly and lawfully. At People’s Channel, we will continue to fearlessly defend freedom; for our viewers, for our listeners and for everyone in the UK. As we have all seen, this is needed more than ever.”
Sunak’s representatives did not immediately respond Variety’s request for further comment.
The fine is the latest move in a back-and-forth between Ofcom and GB News. In March, the media regulator found that five GB News programs featuring politicians as news presenters had breached impartiality rules.
