Ofcom investigating Eamonn Holmes’ GB News show as Arlene Foster accuses regulator of ‘shutting down free speech’

It comes after former Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster accused the media regulator of trying to silence GB News after it warned the news channel it was considering whether to impose a fine or revoke its licence.

Ofcom ruled that People’s Forum: The Prime Minister, which saw Rishi Sunak take questions from the audience during a live, hour-long programme on February 12, broke broadcasting due impartiality rules.

Other GB News programmes, including Breakfast With Eamonn (Holmes) And Isabel (Webster), are being investigated under rules about due impartiality and broadcaster views/opinions, while an episode of Nigel Farage’s show is being investigated for due impartiality.

Ofcom received four complaints relating to generally accepted standards on Breakfast With Eamonn And Isabel earlier this year, but none of those complaints were pursued by the regulator after assessment.

Commenting on Ofcom’s latest decision regarding GB News’ People’s Forum: The Prime Minister, former DUP leader Ms Foster, who has presented the channel’s Twelfth of July coverage and hosted her own show, said the “ruling simply does not stand up to scrutiny”.

“Why are Ofcom so obsessed with GB News, even to the point of shutting down free speech in our country?” she asked on social media platform X.

“Everyone should be concerned about this ruling. First they came for GB News...”

On Monday, Ofcom said People’s Forum: The Prime Minister did not have an “appropriately wide range of significant viewpoints” and that compliance by GB News was “wholly insufficient”.

The regulator said it was starting the “process for consideration of a statutory sanction against GB News” following a “serious and repeated breach” of the rules.

A sanction could mean the channel being fined up to the maximum financial penalty of £250,000 or 5pc of the broadcaster’s revenue, or having its licence shortened or revoked along with having to broadcast a correction or not re-airing the programme.

Ofcom said the episode received a total of 547 complaints and was “presented in the context of the forthcoming UK general election”, but there was “no issue with this programme’s editorial format in principle”.

In a statement, GB News said: “Ofcom’s finding against GB News today is an alarming development in its attempt to silence us by standing in the way of a forum that allows the public to question politicians directly.

“The regulator’s threat to punish a news organisation with sanctions for enabling people to challenge their own prime minister strikes at the heart of democracy at a time when it could not be more vital.”

The media watchdog also said: “We recognised that this programme would focus mainly on the Conservative Party’s policies and track record on a number of specific issues, meaning that Conservative viewpoints would be prevalent.

“We are clear that this, in and of itself, did not mean the programme could not comply with due impartiality rules under the code.

“It was incumbent on GB News, however, given the major matters under discussion, to ensure that an appropriately wide range of significant views was given due weight in the programme or in other clearly linked and timely programmes.”

Ofcom said GB News should have taken “additional steps to mitigate” risks because of the “very high compliance” needed.