[Matrix]

Looks like the channel is in the naughty step again...
Ofcom considering sanction against GB News
Ofcom has said it is starting the process of considering a statutory sanction against GB News after the channel was found to have broken due impartiality rules.
Article: www.bbc.co.uk 

I seem to recall at the time GB News stated the offer was open to Labour to have a people's forum edition. This was presumably the channel's get out clause, and why Ofcom stated they had "no issue with this programme's editorial format in principle".

I read the statement as more a criticism (which will hopefully now lead to a significant sanction given the repeated nature of these breaches) around not presenting the alternative case at set points. I can think, for example, of plenty of Leaders' Question type events but the presenter always put the alternative case and challenges, where appropriate, views.

My recollection of this incident was that it was more an introduction from Steve Dixon who then left Rishi for an hour with the audience and only intervened to keep the conversation on the tracks when it was interrupted by an animated audience member.

From a presentational perspective, this is hardly a good moment. In the lead up to GE coverage, the lesser of Ofcom's sanctions would seemingly be an on-air summary of the case and rebuke (all the way through to suspending or withdrawing their license), all of which hardly fills one with confidence in their coverage; interesting to see how they handle it.

[Technologist]

Can I just point everyone at OFCOM decision
www.ofcom.org.uk 

That very clearly show why the breach was serious
and the things that could have been done to ensure due impartiality …
…….and were not done ….
Given GBN compliance record it is not surprising OFCOM is getting a lot tougher ..

I would suggest that GBNews will be considering whether to continue to emit …
As it is very clear they do not comply with the Broadcasting Code.

[Stooky Bill]

I seem to recall at the time GB News stated the offer was open to Labour to have a people's forum edition. This was presumably the channel's get out clause, and why Ofcom stated they had "no issue with this programme's editorial format in principle".

Well yes there is no issue with the format, and it's something that other broadcasters have done in the lead up to other elections.

But... it's never a case of 'we might do another at some point in the future', they're always planned as a series of programmes and promoted as such.

Also of course it's all very well saying that they would do another episode with Kier Starmer, but that doesn't mean it's necessarily going to be fair and something that they'd agree to . Also there's more than two parties, why just two?

FWIW the programme seemed to me to be more of a set up for Sunack, if the aim was to help then it failed. Seemed to me like it did better business for Reform.

[Stooky Bill]

Can I just point everyone at OFCOM decision
www.ofcom.org.uk 

That very clearly show why the breach was serious
and the things that could have been done to ensure due impartiality …
…….and were not done ….
Given GBN compliance record it is not surprising OFCOM is getting a lot tougher ..

I would suggest that GBNews will be considering whether to continue to emit …
As it is very clear they do not comply with the Broadcasting Code.

I imagine that they are watching what happens with Talk TV's move to online closely. What's the point of them having to have the fuss of sticking to the rules when it's the wild west online?

Ironically this issue is one that probably would have not been so if Andrew Neill was still involved, having presented similar programmes elsewhere

[agemame]

As I've said before, unlike Talk, the GB News business model needs them to be in the mainstream (or adjacent). You can push the less compliant material online, but it won't get the eyeballs.

[derek500]

I imagine that they are watching what happens with Talk TV's move to online closely. What's the point of them having to have the fuss of sticking to the rules when it's the wild west online?

Ironically this issue is one that probably would have not been so if Andrew Neill was still involved, having presented similar programmes elsewhere

TalkTV is back to what it was before it was launched as a linear channel, an online simulcast of TalkRadio. TalkRadio is regulated by Ofcom.

[Brekkie]

FWIW the programme seemed to me to be more of a set up for Sunack, if the aim was to help then it failed. Seemed to me like it did better business for Reform.

Although given their flagship presenter and a couple of others on the books are highly associated with Reform that raises other questions.

It's quite odd OFCOM have not issued the sanction at the time of announcing the breach - perhaps it's common now to permit the broadcaster to present further mitigation or perhaps they are considering it warrants more than the requirement to broadcast the verdict. It's surprising previous breaches didn't warrant that but I'm struggling to think of the last time I saw such an OFCOM statement on any channel. Back in the noughties and earlier they were relatively common.

[Stooky Bill]

TalkTV is back to what it was before it was launched as a linear channel, an online simulcast of TalkRadio. TalkRadio is regulated by Ofcom.

It's not exactly the same as it was pre-Talk TV, they are producing more online only content, Piers Morgan for example

[Keith]

Although given their flagship presenter and a couple of others on the books are highly associated with Reform that raises other questions.

It's quite odd OFCOM have not issued the sanction at the time of announcing the breach - perhaps it's common now to permit the broadcaster to present further mitigation or perhaps they are considering it warrants more than the requirement to broadcast the verdict. It's surprising previous breaches didn't warrant that but I'm struggling to think of the last time I saw such an OFCOM statement on any channel.

I wonder if a factor in OFCOM responding this way now is due to them having to recently clarify that "the same rules and assessment process apply to all broadcasters".

As reported by Byline Times the Good Law Project had notified Ofcom that they...

intended to apply for a judicial review of its approach to GB News unless it made clear that it had not changed its policy on due impartiality in the case of smaller, non-public service, broadcasters

Full article: bylinetimes.com 

Ofcom Confirms GB News Is Not Being Held to Different Rules on Impartiality R…
Julian Petley and the Good Law Project informed the broadcast regulator that it …
  Source: bylinetimes.com

One could suggest they now feel the need to be actively be seen to be taking action. Also, with the election on the horizon they may be keen to prevent similar incidents reoccurring.

[matthieu1221]

I read the statement as more a criticism (which will hopefully now lead to a significant sanction given the repeated nature of these breaches) around not presenting the alternative case at set points. I can think, for example, of plenty of Leaders' Question type events but the presenter always put the alternative case and challenges, where appropriate, views.

My recollection of this incident was that it was more an introduction from Steve Dixon who then left Rishi for an hour with the audience and only intervened to keep the conversation on the tracks when it was interrupted by an animated audience member.

From a presentational perspective, this is hardly a good moment. In the lead up to GE coverage, the lesser of Ofcom's sanctions would seemingly be an on-air summary of the case and rebuke (all the way through to suspending or withdrawing their license), all of which hardly fills one with confidence in their coverage; interesting to see how they handle it.

Another aspect of it I recall was that Sunak was supposed to draw questions at random but refused and just demanded questions on topics he wanted, which GBNews went along with. So even if Ofcom had no issue in principle with the format, it was not the format that ended up materialising.