'Ofcom has shown its own BIAS - old media is frightened!' Opik's blistering take on GB News ruling

'Ofcom has shown its own BIAS - old media is frightened!' Opik's blistering take on GB News ruling

WATCH HERE: GB News' response to Ofcom's ruling on the People's Forum

GB NEWS
Alex Davies

By Alex Davies


Published: 24/05/2024

- 13:30

Updated: 03/06/2024

- 11:05

The former Lib Dem MP exclusively shared his verdict on Ofcom with GBN members

Earlier this week, Ofcom decided to pursue its latest avenue to try and silence the People's Channel.

The media regulator deemed GB News' February 12 debate show with Rishi Sunak, titled People's Forum: The Prime Minister, had broken its broadcasting rules.


The regulator even stated it was considering a statutory sanction against us, something the People's Channel has decided to hit back against with legal proceedings.

"Ofcom is obliged by law to uphold freedom of expression. Ofcom is also obliged to apply its rules fairly and lawfully," a GB News spokesperson said.

"We believe that, for some time now, Ofcom has been operating in the exact opposite manner."

Ofcom has since defended its decision but it's safe to say that GB News with the help of you, the British public, won't be silenced.

DON'T LET THEM SILENCE YOU - GB NEWS IS UNDER THREAT - SUPPORT US HERE

GB News' Ofcom Lembit Opik

Lembit Opik has backed the People's Channel amid the latest Ofcom ruling

PA/GB NEWS

And it isn't just GB News viewers who've grown tired with Ofcom's overseeing of free speech on the nation's TV screens.

Speaking to GB News, former Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik shared his thoughts on the verdict.

In an exclusive interview for GBN Members, Opik said on behalf of Instant Casinos: "Ofcom has shown the inadequacies of its own performance.

"Let me put it a different way; Ofcom in accusing GB news and others being overly political has proved that it's political. It's revealed its own bias.

WATCH HERE: 'We will NOT back down': Rees-Mogg rejects Ofcom's 'SINISTER' ruling on People's Channel

"The whole thing's a mess because the online world can do what it likes.

"Just because you got a mast instead of an Ethernet cable, completely different rules seem to apply.

"The people I trust are the public, if they don't like the way a station does it, they don't have to watch.

"This is the old media ganging up because they're frightened of what's coming down the line - and what's coming down the line is not good for the old legacy media.

"So that's what I think is happening here. We're seeing a reset, which has been resisted by the past and Ofcom, I think, is part of the past."

It isn't just Ofcom who came under criticism by Opik as he waded in on ITV's reported decision to ban politicians from appearing on the long-running reality show, I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

DON'T LET THEM SILENCE YOU - GB NEWS IS UNDER THREAT - SUPPORT US HERE

Lembit Opik

Lembit Opik has regularly shown his support for the People's Channel

GB NEWS

With a snap election penned in for July, Opik explained: "I think ITV got caught short, like the rest of us in terms of the election timing.

"If the election had been in November, you couldn't have had a politician there without getting all kinds of problems in terms of balance, because then you'd have had to have them all in.

"But I think from a TV point of view, it's a mistake. I was just about the only person in Britain defending Matt Hancock's choice to go into the jungle but the public agreed with me and he came third.

"Farage was lambasted for going into the jungle... once again, he came out smelling of roses.

"It did me a lot of good. I was actually a very unpopular person in the country after losing my seat, I came out (of the jungle) and improved my reputation.

"So for the politicians, it makes sense (to go in). But for ratings, it makes sense too. I'm sure people turned on to watch me, to watch Hancock, to watch Farage. This is a decision I think they'll regret if they stick with it."

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