Ofcom has said GB News should have taken additional measures after two sitting Conservative Party MPs interviewed the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt MP.
The regulator said GB News and its programme Saturday Morning with Esther and Phil, presented by Esther McVey and Philip Davies, had breached rules on due impartiality.
The interview focused on the Government’s approach to economic and fiscal policies ahead of the Spring Budget, which was announced four days later.
Ofcom said broadcasters were free to decide the editorial approach of the programmes, but in doing so the must observe the rules set out in the Broadcasting Code. When matters of major political controversy and current public policy are being discussed, heightened special impartiality requirements apply. Specifically, Rules 5.11 and 5.12 that require an appropriately wide range of significant views must be included and given due weight in such programmes.
GB News accepted that the programme dealt with a matter of major political controversy and current public policy and that the special impartiality rules applied.
However, Ofcom’s investigation found that in discussing these matters, the programme was overwhelmingly reflective of the viewpoints of different strands of opinion within the Conservative Party.
It’s the third breach of Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code since GB News began broadcasting in June 2021.
A further six complaints against GB News are currently being reviewed by Ofcom, all of them concerning either due impartiality or using politicians as presenters. It’s currently running research into the public’s views on politicians as presenters.
