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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/media/2024/oct/31/ofcom-fines-gb-news-breach-impartiality-rules-sunak-interview
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| Ofcom fines GB News £100,000 for breach of impartiality rules over Sunak interview | Ofcom fines GB News £100,000 for breach of impartiality rules over Sunak interview |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| GB News to challenge decision and watchdog will not enforce sanction until proceedings are concluded | GB News to challenge decision and watchdog will not enforce sanction until proceedings are concluded |
| Ofcom has imposed a £100,000 fine on GB News for “breaking due impartiality rules” after an interview with the former prime minister Rishi Sunak earlier this year. | Ofcom has imposed a £100,000 fine on GB News for “breaking due impartiality rules” after an interview with the former prime minister Rishi Sunak earlier this year. |
| The watchdog said due impartiality “was not preserved” in the programme People’s Forum: The Prime Minister, broadcast on 12 February 2024. | The watchdog said due impartiality “was not preserved” in the programme People’s Forum: The Prime Minister, broadcast on 12 February 2024. |
| The communications regulator has directed the licensee to broadcast a statement of their findings in this case, on a date and in a form to be determined by Ofcom. | The communications regulator has directed the licensee to broadcast a statement of their findings in this case, on a date and in a form to be determined by Ofcom. |
| GB News is challenging the breach decision by judicial review and Ofcom will not enforce the sanction decision until those proceedings are concluded. | GB News is challenging the breach decision by judicial review and Ofcom will not enforce the sanction decision until those proceedings are concluded. |
| In a statement, Ofcom said: “We concluded that the then prime minister, Rishi Sunak, had a mostly uncontested platform to promote the policies and performance of his government in a period preceding a UK general election, in breach of rules 5.11 and 5.12 of the broadcasting code. | In a statement, Ofcom said: “We concluded that the then prime minister, Rishi Sunak, had a mostly uncontested platform to promote the policies and performance of his government in a period preceding a UK general election, in breach of rules 5.11 and 5.12 of the broadcasting code. |
| “Given the seriousness and repeated nature of this breach, Ofcom has imposed a financial penalty of £100,000 on GB News Limited. We have also directed GB News to broadcast a statement of our findings against it, on a date and in a form determined by us. | “Given the seriousness and repeated nature of this breach, Ofcom has imposed a financial penalty of £100,000 on GB News Limited. We have also directed GB News to broadcast a statement of our findings against it, on a date and in a form determined by us. |
| “GB News is challenging our original breach decision, in this case by judicial review, which we are defending. Ofcom will not enforce this sanction decision until those proceedings are concluded.” | “GB News is challenging our original breach decision, in this case by judicial review, which we are defending. Ofcom will not enforce this sanction decision until those proceedings are concluded.” |
| GB News previously lost a high court challenge to temporarily block Ofcom from imposiing sanctions on the channel, with its lawyers arguing that it would cause “irreparable damage” to its reputation. | |
| GB News’s chief executive, Angelos Frangopoulos, said the decision was “a direct attack on free speech and journalism in the United Kingdom”. | |
| He said: “We believe these sanctions are unnecessary, unfair and unlawful. The high court has already granted GB News permission to bring a judicial review to challenge Ofcom’s decision that the programme was in breach of due impartiality requirements. | He said: “We believe these sanctions are unnecessary, unfair and unlawful. The high court has already granted GB News permission to bring a judicial review to challenge Ofcom’s decision that the programme was in breach of due impartiality requirements. |
| “The sanction proposed by Ofcom is therefore still subject to that legal challenge. The plan to sanction GB News flies in the face of Ofcom’s duty to act fairly, lawfully and proportionately to safeguard free speech, particularly political speech and on matters of public interest. | “The sanction proposed by Ofcom is therefore still subject to that legal challenge. The plan to sanction GB News flies in the face of Ofcom’s duty to act fairly, lawfully and proportionately to safeguard free speech, particularly political speech and on matters of public interest. |
| “At the people’s channel we will continue to fearlessly champion freedom, for our viewers, for our listeners and for everyone in the United Kingdom. As we have all seen, this is needed more than ever.” | “At the people’s channel we will continue to fearlessly champion freedom, for our viewers, for our listeners and for everyone in the United Kingdom. As we have all seen, this is needed more than ever.” |