Following a High Court defeat, GB News is set to be fined by Ofcom for breaching impartiality regulations.
- The contentious issue arose from a live debate featuring Rishi Sunak, leading to over 500 public complaints.
- Ofcom determined that GB News did not provide balanced viewpoints in its programming.
- A judge ruled that the public interest demands continuation of the regulatory process, dismissing GB News’s reputational concerns.
- This ruling sets a potential new precedent for future regulatory actions against UK broadcasters.
GB News is poised to face a substantial fine after losing a High Court battle with Ofcom concerning breaches of impartiality rules. This legal setback follows a live debate program featuring former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, aired in February, which attracted more than 500 complaints from the public. Ofcom concluded that GB News failed to offer a balanced presentation of perspectives during the broadcast, failing to give equal weight to opposing viewpoints, both in the debate itself and in a subsequent related program.
The court case revolved around GB News’s attempt to halt Ofcom’s sanctions process. The broadcaster argued that publication of the sanctions would inflict “irreparable damage” to its reputation. However, Mr. Justice Chamberlain rejected this line of reasoning and underscored the significance of Ofcom’s role in upholding public trust and ensuring broadcaster compliance. The court decided that the public interest in proceeding with the sanctions far outweighed any potential harm to GB News.
With the High Court’s decision, Ofcom is set to advance its enforcement actions, potentially imposing a significant statutory fine on GB News. While the channel has been granted the opportunity to pursue a judicial review of the breach decision, challenging Ofcom’s conclusions, this case marks a critical juncture for the network. GB News has previously been found in violation of Ofcom’s regulations on multiple occasions, including impartiality breaches and the employment of politicians as presenters—such as Jacob Rees-Mogg—whose programs were recently cited for regulatory infringements.
Ofcom has indicated its approval of the court’s ruling, highlighting the public interest in maintaining broadcasting standards. Yet, GB News’s Chief Executive, Angelos Frangopoulos, expressed relief that the court allowed for a challenge to some of Ofcom’s findings, which he described as “neither fair nor lawful.”
The outcome of this legal matter is anticipated to set a precedent for the treatment of political content across UK news channels, as GB News maneuvers through the complexities of its broadcasting approach.
The ruling against GB News may reshape future regulatory frameworks for UK broadcasters.
