GB News has been fined £100,000 for breaking impartiality rules over a programme featuring Rishi Sunak, Ofcom has said.
The regulator announced in May that the show called People’s Forum: The Prime Minister was found to have broken broadcasting rules.
In response, GB News chief executive Angelos Frangopoulos said the fine was a “direct attack on free speech and journalism in the United Kingdom”.
“We believe these sanctions are unnecessary, unfair and unlawful,” he added.
The hour-long show, which aired on 12 February, saw members of the public put questions to the then-prime minister. However, it received more than 500 complaints.
Ofcom found earlier this year that while featuring Mr Sunak was fine in principle, “due weight” should have been given to an “appropriately wide range of significant views” other than the Conservatives.
It said the then-prime minister “had a mostly uncontested platform to promote the policies and performance of his Government in a period preceding a UK General Election,” which it recorded as a breach of impartiality rules.
On Thursday, the regulator said “given the seriousness and repeated nature of this breach,” it has imposed a £100,000 financial penalty on GB News.
The channel was also directed to “broadcast a statement of our findings against it, on a date and in a form determined by us”.
The broadcaster is challenging the breach decision by judicial review and Ofcom will not enforce the sanction decision until those proceedings are concluded.
In a separate statement, Mr Frangopoulos said Thursday that the programme “was an important piece of public interest programming” and said “appropriate steps” were taken to ensure due impartiality and compliance with the Ofcom broadcasting code.
He added: “It was designed to allow members of the public to put their own questions directly to leading politicians.
“GB News chooses to be regulated and we understand our obligations under the Code. But, equally, Ofcom is obliged by law to uphold freedom of expression and apply its rules fairly and lawfully.”
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
