Ofcom Imposes £100,000 Fine on GB News for Sunak Appearance
The channel is appealing the regulator’s finding that it breached impartiality rules in questioning the then-prime minister in its ‘People’s Forum’ in February.
Broadcast regulator Ofcom has imposed a £100,000 fine on GB News for “breaking due impartiality rules” following a question and answer-style debate with former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier this year.
The media watchdog began an investigation into the channel three days after the airing of a programme on Feb. 12 entitled “People’s Forum: The Prime Minister,” which saw Sunak facing questions from a studio audience and presenter Stephen Dixon.
The segment was a solo spot, meaning no political parties other than the Conservatives were represented.
The live studio audience was said to consist of “floating voters”—people who had either not decided who they would vote for at the anticipated general election, or who said they were open to having their minds changed.
Sunak was grilled on a variety of issues including the NHS, the economy, and immigration, and faced difficult questions from Scotsman John Watt, who was left severely damaged after taking the COVID-19 vaccine.
The confrontation between Watt and Sunak made headlines at the time, but Ofcom said it received more than 500 complaints about the programme itself.
‘Mostly Uncontested Platform’
GB News Chief Executive Angelos Frangopoulos said the channel is challenging the “unnecessary, unfair and unlawful” ruling in the courts.
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In a statement, Ofcom said that 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.”
“Given the seriousness and repeated nature of this breach, Ofcom has imposed a financial penalty of £100,000 on GB News Limited,” the watchdog added.
“We have also directed 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 our original breach decision in this case by judicial review, which we are defending. Ofcom will not enforce this sanction decision until those proceedings are concluded.”
The rules state that “due impartiality must be preserved on matters of major political and industrial controversy” and “an appropriately wide range of significant views” should be included.
‘Irreparable Damage’
The channel previously lost a High Court challenge to temporarily block Ofcom from sanctioning it, with GB News lawyers arguing that it would cause “irreparable damage” to its reputation.
In October, Mr. Justice Chamberlain said the “likely impact” on the channel had been “overstated,” but gave it the go-ahead to challenge the finding that it had breached Ofcom’s rules in the High Court.
