The Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer has defended GB News claiming the channel "does a fantastic job" after the Ofcom ruling yesterday made headlines.
The broadcast regulator Ofcom decided to uphold complaints about shows hosted by Tory MPs Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Esther McVey and Phillip Davies after they found five episodes of GB News breached broadcasting rules.
DON'T LET THEM SILENCE US OR YOU: SUPPORT GB NEWS HERE
Ofcom announced the five episodes broke set rules due to politicians "acting as news presenters".
However, GB News stressed the media watchdog's ruling is based on arbitrary changes to how Ofcom determines impartiality.
The Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said that GB News "does a fantastic job"
GB News
Speaking to Eamonn and Isabel on GB News Breakfast, The Culture Secretary said: "I think the GB News does a fantastic job. I'm in favour of media plurality.
"You have a lot of viewers who are very interested in the output that that you have, as indeed other channels do as well.
"GB News has decided to be regulated by Ofcom, it's very clear that there's a rule that doesn't allow sitting MPs to present news, but does allow them to present current affairs programmes.
"That is, as I understand it, what presenters are doing at the moment in GB News."
Ofcom has put GB News on notice PAIsabel asked her whether she agreed with the ruling from the broadcast regulator.
The GB News host added: "Because GB News has said that they feel as if the goalposts have been moved, specifically because the programme was found to be impartial and that there wasn't a problem with the programme itself, it was just that somebody could have found it to be impartial."
Frazer said: "There were two decisions that Ofcom came to in relation to GB news. One was about impartiality and that's a question for them. They are the regulator.
"The other was whether there was a breach of the broadcasting code because the broadcasting code says that a sitting MP cannot present news, live news that is happening, but they can present current affairs programmes. That was the second part of the Ofcom ruling."
Isabel asked her if she agreed with the ruling
GB News
Ofcom's decision was centred around episodes broadcast in May and June 2023. The episodes were claimed to have included a mix of news and current affairs. Ofcom concluded: "News was, therefore, not presented with due impartiality."
In a statement, the media watchdog added: "Politicians have an inherently partial role in society, and news content presented by them is likely to be viewed by audiences in light of that perceived bias.
"In our view, the use of politicians to present the news risks undermining the integrity and credibility of regulated broadcast news."
GB News, which has been targeted by a far-left advertising boycott since before it even launched, recently announced a membership scheme to allow viewers who want to support the channel to do so directly.
