UK media regulator Ofcom has launched an investigation into GB News prompted by a second airing of its interview with Donald Trump. This follows complaints that the U.S. president’s comments went unchallenged during the broadcast.
The regulator said it is examining whether the repeat showing of the interview on the programme The Weekend breached rules on due impartiality and material misleadingness. The investigation focuses on the re-broadcast of the interview on November 15th, which aired the day after the original programme.
The interview, conducted by GB News presenter Bev Turner on the channel’s U.S.-based programme The Late Show Live, featured several claims by Mr Trump, including that climate change is a “hoax”, that parts of London are no-go areas for police, and that sections of the city are under “Sharia law.”
Ofcom previously decided not to investigate the original broadcast, stating it included alternative perspectives through a panel discussion. However, it has now opened a separate inquiry into the later repeat airing, noting that each programme is assessed individually and in context, including surrounding content.
The regulator has not explained why the repeat broadcast is now under review while the original was not, but said factors such as timing and audience reach are taken into account.
GB News criticised the decision, calling it a “U-turn” and questioning Ofcom’s consistency. The channel said it was “surprised and concerned” by the delayed investigation, arguing that the original decision had already found no breach of the broadcasting code.
To neutral observers, the mission-creep-prone regulator could be seen as engaging in a vendetta against the right-leaning channel, egged on by censorious left-wing snitches.
.jpg){kind=link}