GB News - Printable Version

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RE: GB News - eyeTV - 14-03-2023

John Nicholson MP challenged the Chief Exec of Ofcom today about Conservative MP's interviewing the Chancellor on GB News (and Tory MP's interviewing Tory MP's generally) and how apparently this breaks Ofcom's rules.

The relevant part of the discussion here:

https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/319c43cc-6702-44f6-9638-fc293c5ef71e?in=10:43:31 

Wasn't a great answer from Ofcom but she said she will go away and look at it basically.

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RE: GB News - London Lite - 14-03-2023

I think that issue with the Chancellor interview would count as a discussion show, so they're not under the rules of due impartiality for that show.

It's not something I'd feel comfortable watching, but that's the way it is.

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RE: GB News - eyeTV - 14-03-2023

So this section of the Ofcom Broadcasting code:

5.3 No politician may be used as a newsreader, interviewer or reporter in any news programmes unless, exceptionally, it is editorially justified. In that case, the political allegiance of that person must be made clear to the audience.

Presumably GB News gets around it by the fact that they broadcast discussion shows not news shows?

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RE: GB News - GlasgowCruiser - 14-03-2023

John Nicolson himself did a TalkRadio show for several years.

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RE: GB News - Brekkie - 15-03-2023

(14-03-2023, 07:59 PM)London Lite Wrote:  I think that issue with the Chancellor interview would count as a discussion show, so they're not under the rules of due impartiality for that show.

It's not something I'd feel comfortable watching, but that's the way it is.

At best that is a technicality, and even if a discussion show surely it's a "news discussion" show, and hence news programming.   I can't see how it is justified at all to have an MP (of any party) interviewing the Chancellor ahead of his budget.   It would only really work if you had two opposing MPs and a non-politically affiliated presenter acting as an independent moderator.


There has been much discussion in recent days about the neutrality of BBC News, but that has historically applied to ITN and Sky News too.   Indeed I wonder whether staff are permitted to belong to any party political party?

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RE: GB News - Stockland Hillman - 15-03-2023

(15-03-2023, 12:49 PM)Brekkie Wrote:  

(14-03-2023, 07:59 PM)London Lite Wrote:  I think that issue with the Chancellor interview would count as a discussion show, so they're not under the rules of due impartiality for that show.

It's not something I'd feel comfortable watching, but that's the way it is.

At best that is a technicality, and even if a discussion show surely it's a "news discussion" show, and hence news programming.   I can't see how it is justified at all to have an MP (of any party) interviewing the Chancellor ahead of his budget.   It would only really work if you had two opposing MPs and a non-politically affiliated presenter acting as an independent moderator.


There has been much discussion in recent days about the neutrality of BBC News, but that has historically applied to ITN and Sky News too.   Indeed I wonder whether staff are permitted to belong to any party political party?

It's not a 'technicality' it's the actual words in a legally binding code.

This might help,  as it's a report from a respected journalism trade journal:

https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/broadcast/ofcom-ceo-gb-news/ 

There is no such thing as a news discussion programme in broadcast law; it's simply 'news' which is mainly regulated PSB content (ie where a licence requires x minutes of news per day on TV or Radio) that content  claimed is news must adhere to the news part of the code.

The interesting thing that GB News and Talk TV have shown is the code isn't that clearly applicable to content that's not in that licenced  content quota.  Here  Ofcom are using the general signposting/separation guidelines - the way sponsored sport and weather work.

On GB News, the bulletin open and close and use of a separate presenter establish what is news content subject to news rules. EVERYTHING else is entertainment, subject to due impartiality,  fairness and general standards rules - like Loose Woman or This Morning  so no need for independent moderators etc

If confused  just compare GB News with LBC rather than trying to apply PSB traditions and ruled to these channels.

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RE: GB News - GlasgowCruiser - 15-03-2023

Wouldn't this make Mr Nicolson a bit of a hypocrite?
https://www.facebook.com/JohnNicolsonSNP/videos/495911564404602/ 

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RE: GB News - Jon - 15-03-2023

(15-03-2023, 04:40 PM)GlasgowCruiser Wrote:  Wouldn't this make Mr Nicolson a bit of a hypocrite?
https://www.facebook.com/JohnNicolsonSNP/videos/495911564404602/ 

I think it’s irrelevant to the point though. 

You’d have to think when these rules were written the likes of Esther McVey and Phillip Davies interviewing a senior member of their party, on a news branded channel would be exactly the sort of thing they were thinking of shouldn’t happen. 

Anyway, this is probably the most relevant rule, I really do wonder if all programmes pass the due impartiality rules. 

[color=#333333][font='Titillium Web', Calibri, Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, sans-serif]5.8: Any personal interest of a reporter or presenter, which would call into question the due impartiality of the programme, must be made clear to the audience.[/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font='Titillium Web', Calibri, Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, sans-serif]5.9: Presenters and reporters (with the exception of news presenters and reporters in news programmes), presenters of “personal view” or “authored” programmes or items, and chairs of discussion programmes may express their own views on matters of political or industrial controversy or matters relating to current public policy. However, alternative viewpoints must be adequately represented either in the programme, or in a series of programmes taken as a whole. Additionally, presenters must not use the advantage of regular appearances to promote their views in a way that compromises the requirement for due impartiality. Presenter phone-ins must encourage and must not exclude alternative views.[/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font='Titillium Web', Calibri, Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, sans-serif]5.10: A personal view or authored programme or item must be clearly signalled to the audience at the outset. This is a minimum requirement and may not be sufficient in all circumstances. (Personality phone-in hosts on radio are exempted from this provision unless their personal view status is unclear.)[/font][/color]


[color=#333333][font='Titillium Web', Calibri, Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, sans-serif]Some programmes have alternative views represented which are generally shut down by other panelists or presenters, so programmes don’t bother at all. [/font][/color]

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RE: GB News - Stockland Hillman - 15-03-2023

(15-03-2023, 05:01 PM)Jon Wrote:  

(15-03-2023, 04:40 PM)GlasgowCruiser Wrote:  Wouldn't this make Mr Nicolson a bit of a hypocrite?
https://www.facebook.com/JohnNicolsonSNP/videos/495911564404602/ 

I think it’s irrelevant to the point though. 

You’d have to think when these rules were written the likes of Esther McVey and Phillip Davies interviewing a senior member of their party, on a news branded channel would be exactly the sort of thing they were thinking of shouldn’t happen. 

Anyway, this is probably the most relevant rule, I really do wonder if all programmes pass the due impartiality rules. 

[color=#333333][font='Titillium Web', Calibri, Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, sans-serif]5.8: Any personal interest of a reporter or presenter, which would call into question the due impartiality of the programme, must be made clear to the audience.[/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font='Titillium Web', Calibri, Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, sans-serif]5.9: Presenters and reporters (with the exception of news presenters and reporters in news programmes), presenters of “personal view” or “authored” programmes or items, and chairs of discussion programmes may express their own views on matters of political or industrial controversy or matters relating to current public policy. However, alternative viewpoints must be adequately represented either in the programme, or in a series of programmes taken as a whole. Additionally, presenters must not use the advantage of regular appearances to promote their views in a way that compromises the requirement for due impartiality. Presenter phone-ins must encourage and must not exclude alternative views.[/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font='Titillium Web', Calibri, Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, sans-serif]5.10: A personal view or authored programme or item must be clearly signalled to the audience at the outset. This is a minimum requirement and may not be sufficient in all circumstances. (Personality phone-in hosts on radio are exempted from this provision unless their personal view status is unclear.)[/font][/color]


[color=#333333][font='Titillium Web', Calibri, Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, sans-serif]Some programmes have alternative views represented which are generally shut down by other panelists or presenters, so programmes don’t bother at all. [/font][/color]

So this category of 'news branded channel',  where can I find it in the Ofcom Code, Communications Act or Broadcasting Act?

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RE: GB News - Jon - 15-03-2023

(15-03-2023, 05:54 PM)Stockland Hillman Wrote:  

(15-03-2023, 05:01 PM)Jon Wrote:  I think it’s irrelevant to the point though. 

You’d have to think when these rules were written the likes of Esther McVey and Phillip Davies interviewing a senior member of their party, on a news branded channel would be exactly the sort of thing they were thinking of shouldn’t happen. 

Anyway, this is probably the most relevant rule, I really do wonder if all programmes pass the due impartiality rules. 

[color=#333333][font='Titillium Web', Calibri, Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, sans-serif]5.8: Any personal interest of a reporter or presenter, which would call into question the due impartiality of the programme, must be made clear to the audience.[/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font='Titillium Web', Calibri, Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, sans-serif]5.9: Presenters and reporters (with the exception of news presenters and reporters in news programmes), presenters of “personal view” or “authored” programmes or items, and chairs of discussion programmes may express their own views on matters of political or industrial controversy or matters relating to current public policy. However, alternative viewpoints must be adequately represented either in the programme, or in a series of programmes taken as a whole. Additionally, presenters must not use the advantage of regular appearances to promote their views in a way that compromises the requirement for due impartiality. Presenter phone-ins must encourage and must not exclude alternative views.[/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font='Titillium Web', Calibri, Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, sans-serif]5.10: A personal view or authored programme or item must be clearly signalled to the audience at the outset. This is a minimum requirement and may not be sufficient in all circumstances. (Personality phone-in hosts on radio are exempted from this provision unless their personal view status is unclear.)[/font][/color]


[color=#333333][font='Titillium Web', Calibri, Arial, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, sans-serif]Some programmes have alternative views represented which are generally shut down by other panelists or presenters, so programmes don’t bother at all. [/font][/color]

So this category of 'news branded channel',  where can I find it in the Ofcom Code, Communications Act or Broadcasting Act?

Where did I say it did exist in Ofcom definitions, that doesn’t mean it’s not a channel branding itself and News. I accept that Ofcom would class it as discussion.

However that due impartiality bit is about programmes in general. I think it’s certainly open to interpretation. 

For the record, I have no problem with there being a right leaning channel. I’m interesting in the question of whether it is complying and I would personally find it a more entertaining watch if there was more debate and less agreement on the channel in general. But I accept that’s not what works for them or what they want to do.

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