Ofcom To Investigate Shows On GB News & TalkTV Helmed By Politicians

UK regulator Ofcom has launched investigations into shows hosted by politicians on GB News and TalkTV, including one featuring a segment on Donald Trump’s civil trial.

The first investigation concerns former cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of the Nation for right-leaning GB News in which the recently-knighted Boris Johnson supporter covered a breaking news story about the verdict involving the former POTUS.

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State of the Nation received 40 Ofcom complaints. Both GB News and TalkTV have of late been using politicians to host topical shows but they have consistently stayed within the realms of the regulator’s Broadcasting Code as they are allowed to interview other politicians and discuss topical issues as long as due impartiality is met. Rees-Mogg’s show may have strayed as politicians are not allowed to act as newsreaders unless under “exceptional circumstances.”

The regulator will also investigate an episode of Talk TV’s Richard Tice show presented by former Scottish- National-Party-leader-turned-Alba-Party head Alex Salmond, which attracted two complaints about the due impartiality of the program, specifically in relation to a discussion on whether the Scottish National Party was “hold[ing] back the course of independence.”

The issue of politicians hosting shows has been a hot button topic of late and Ofcom is already investigating an episode of GB News’ Saturday Morning with Esther and Philip in which husband-and-wife politician duo Esther McVey and Philip Davies interviewed the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt about his budget.

The likes of former cabinet minister Nadine Dorries have also been hosting talk shows recently.

Speaking in March just prior to GB News’ Saturday Morning show airing, Ofcom CEO Melanie Dawes  stressed that politicians can interview politicians on non-news shows as long as due impartiality is met.

She had been responding to committee member John Nicolson’s claim that “we are seeing a creeping politicization and ‘Americanization’ of news.”

Of the first investigation announced today, Ofcom said: “We are investigating whether this programme broke our rules, which prevent politicians from acting as newsreaders, unless exceptionally, it is editorially justified,” while the second is being investigated as to “whether this programme broke our rules requiring news and current affairs to be presented with due impartiality.”

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