GB News hits back at Ofcom after five shows found to have 'broken rules'
Jacob Rees-Mogg in the Westminster studio
GB NEWS
GB News has hit back against Ofcom's decision to uphold complaints about shows hosted by Tory MPs Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Esther McVey and Phillip Davies after the media regulator found five episodes breached broadcasting rules.
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Ofcom announced the five episodes broke set rules due to politicians "acting as news presenters".
However, GB News stressed the media watchdog's ruling is based on arbitrary changes to how Ofcom determines impartiality.
A GB News spokesman said: "We are deeply concerned by the decisions Ofcom has made today.
Ofcom upheld complaints about Jacob Rees-Mogg's State of the Nation
PA
"We will raise this directly with the regulator in the strongest possible terms.
"Ofcom is obliged by law to promote free speech and media plurality, and to ensure that alternative voices are heard.
"Its latest decisions, in some cases a year after the programme aired, contravene those duties.
"Extraordinarily, Ofcom has determined that a programme which it acknowledges was impartial and lacking in any expression of opinion, still somehow breaches its impartiality rules just because an imaginary viewer might think otherwise.
"Ofcom has now arbitrarily changed the test so that it is no longer ‘Was it impartial?’ but ‘Could someone think it might not be?’
"This is a chilling development for all broadcasters, for freedom of speech, and for everyone in the United Kingdom.
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Esther McVey (left) and Phillip Davies (right)GB News"These decisions go against established precedent and raises serious questions about Ofcom’s oversight over its own regulations.
"It appears that Ofcom is trying to extend the regulations, rather than enforcing definitions which have been settled for many years."
They added: "GB News is a regulated broadcast channel and takes its obligations very seriously.
"We are committed to continuing to feature serving politicians hosting programmes and will continue to do so – just as other Ofcom regulated services have in the past and still do."
Ofcom's decision was centred around episodes broadcast in May and June 2023.
The episodes were claimed to have included a mix of news and current affairs.
Jacob Rees-Mogg hosts his show State of the Nation on GB News
GB NewsPoliticians can host current affairs shows but are not allowed to host news programmes.
Ofcom concluded: "News was, therefore, not presented with due impartiality."
In a statement, the media watchdog added: "Politicians have an inherently partial role in society, and news content presented by them is likely to be viewed by audiences in light of that perceived bias.
"In our view, the use of politicians to present the news risks undermining the integrity and credibility of regulated broadcast news."
GB News, which has been targeted by a far-left advertising boycott since before it even launched, recently announced a membership scheme to allow viewers who want to support the channel to do so directly.