Ofcom imposes £100,000 fine on GB News in landmark financial penalty

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Ofcom has imposed a £100,000 fine against the struggling British broadcaster GB News for violating the UK broadcasting code with a program featuring former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

An inquiry by the UK media regulator found that a live, hour-long show in February where viewers questioned Sunak did not meet the impartiality requirements for a current affairs program, Ofcom stated on Thursday.

GB News CEO Angelos Frangopoulos criticized the decision as a “direct attack on free speech and journalism in the UK,” and claimed that the sanctions were “unnecessary, unfair, and unlawful.”

This fine marks the first instance where Ofcom has taken further action beyond issuing warnings to the broadcaster for repeated breaches of broadcasting rules, prompting some to criticize the regulator for being lenient in its response to the media platform backed by Sir Paul Marshall.

Previously, Ofcom fined Russian broadcaster RT £200,000 for impartiality breaches before revoking its license in 2023 due to coverage of the Ukrainian invasion. The international division of Chinese state broadcaster China Global Television Network was also fined £125,000.

Ofcom has initiated 19 investigations against GB News, finding the group in violation 12 times. The regulator deemed the “seriousness and frequency” of the breaches deserving of a £100,000 financial penalty.

In its review of the show, Ofcom concluded that a wide range of significant viewpoints had not been adequately presented and given proper weight in “People’s Forum: The Prime Minister.”

Ofcom determined that Sunak “had an essentially unopposed platform to advocate for the policies and performance of his government in the lead-up to a UK general election.”

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GB News recently failed in its legal efforts to halt the sanctions process but has been granted a judicial review to challenge Ofcom’s decision. The fine will only be enforced after the review process concludes.

Frangopoulos vowed, “At the ‘People’s Channel,’ we will continue to courageously defend freedom; for our viewers, for our listeners, and for everyone in the UK. As we have all witnessed, this is more crucial than ever.”

GB News, co-owned by hedge fund manager Marshall and Dubai-based Legatum Ventures, receives funding through shareholder loans that can be utilized as needed.

The channel’s owners injected an additional £41 million in funding to cover operational expenses at the struggling broadcaster last year. The media group’s 2022-23 accounts indicated a pre-tax loss of £42.4 million, up from £30.8 million the previous year.

GB News has been implementing cost-cutting measures in its operations over the past year.