Ofcom said it has imposed a £100,000 fine on GB News for “breaking due impartiality rules” following an interview with the former prime minister Rishi Sunak earlier this year.
The media watchdog began an investigation into GB News three days after the airing of a programme on February 12 titled People’s Forum: The Prime Minister, which saw Mr Sunak answer questions from a studio audience and a presenter.
Ofcom ruled that the programme, People’s Forum: The Prime Minister, broke ‘due impartiality rules’ by giving the then prime minister a ‘mostly uncontested platform’ (GB News/Matt Pover/PA)
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.
“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.”
The channel previously lost a High Court challenge to temporarily block Ofcom from sanctioning it, with GB News’ lawyers arguing that it would cause “irreparable damage” to its reputation.