Lawrence Fox's recent on-air comments have led to calls for GB News to lose its broadcast license. Photo: Peter Summers/Getty Images
A firing squad assembled at GB News. “There are a lot of good, talented, nice people out there who strive for balance and fairness in their reporting and presentation,” Jeff Moody, one of the network's reporters, wrote on social media this week.
“But there are the ones who put out clickbait sound bites for shit and laughs and make life so much harder for the rest of us.»
Moody's view reflects a significant faction within GB News. which comes after misogynistic comments made by presenter Lawrence Fox earlier this week.
The channel's problems are not just internal, however. Mr Fox's diatribe has reignited controversy surrounding the rebel broadcaster, prompting calls for tighter regulation or even a ban.
With a relatively tight budget, controversy became the lifeblood of GB News. It calls itself the «home of free speech» and is widely seen as Britain's answer to Fox News. However, the latest scandal has fueled accusations that the channel has gone too far and risks alienating advertisers and regulators once and for all.
GB News controversy
“This issue is back on the agenda… I think it will have an impact on them,” says one senior media analyst.
Even before its launch, GB News was the target of an advertising boycott as better brands said they would not work with the outspoken broadcaster.
Campaign group Stop Funding Hate spearheaded the campaign, leading to the abandonment of brands such as Ikea and Moneysupermarket, as well as the charity WWF. London coffee chain Grind stopped advertising in July after it was criticized by green activists.
Angelos Frangopoulos, the broadcaster's chief executive, condemned the boycott, calling it «dangerous for public debate and freedom of expression.» In an open letter published earlier this year, he wrote: “Attacking GB News has become an acceptable form of hatred.”
John Riley, the former head of Sky News, called the boycott “an insult to the British people”, adding: “ The British public has a right to hear the full range of political views.»
In recent months the noise has begun to die down as GB News begins to find its feet. Viewing figures also far exceeded those of Murdoch-owned rival TalkTV, while GB News had a larger average audience than BBC News and Sky News for a full day last week.
Broadcaster attracts predominantly male audience. , while the majority of its viewers are ABC1's middle class, a desirable target for advertisers. However, GB News is aimed at older age groups, whose attention is not typical for brands.
Industry sources said channel bosses had recently launched a charm campaign, meeting with brands and advertising agencies to ease concerns and boost revenue.
But Mr Fox's comments have thrust GB News back into the spotlight. and risk undoing the hard-won détente with media chiefs in London's Soho.
“I don’t know of any self-respecting brand that would want to advertise in a toxic wasteland, and I don’t know of any self-respecting agency that would recommend it to their clients,” says Ajaz Ahmed, the company’s chief executive. advertising agency AKQA.
“The media’s responsibility is to expose injustice, not cause it, and to hold power accountable, not abuse it.”
Media analysts agree that The surge in misogyny (and the channel's failure to stop it) is likely to unsettle advertisers, not least brands targeting women.
Sources said advertising agencies were mulling a response to the latest crisis, although none had yet gone off air.
GB News defended its actions, saying it quickly suspended both Mr Fox and presenter Dan Wootton. who laughed at the comments.
A third host, Calvin Robinson, was also suspended after he expressed support for the couple on social media.
Mr Frangopoulos told the BBC he was «appalled» by the remarks, adding that they «went beyond the pale».
One TV veteran defended the channel, saying mistakes were inevitable in such a young business.< /p>
“This is a startup, and all startups have their successes and failures,” says the manager. «And I'm afraid that what's happened in the last 36 hours or so is one of the downsides of startups: they can go horribly wrong.»
Another industry source went further, arguing that Brand outrage over GB News is misplaced.
“There is no reason why you should advertise in The Mail but not in GB News… there is no intellectual consistency.”
However, there is a feeling among some in the industry that the latest breach has crossed a line.
Conservative MP Caroline Noakes backs calls for GB News to be taken off air Photo: JULIAN SIMMONDS
Conservative MP Caroline Noakes has called for GB News to be taken off air, breaking ranks with other Tories who have previously defended the channel.
Even GB News presenters criticized Mr Fox's comments, with Jacob Rees-Mogg calling them «incredibly disgraceful».
However, right-wing voices argue that calls for the channel to be banned are evidence of leftist views. bias among existing broadcasters.
A debate on BBC Newsnight this week included Noakes, former Sun editor David Yelland and former Sky News presenter Adam Boulton, who called for it to be taken off air.
>For a television executive, the saga highlights his lack of experience in the workplace. broadcasters.
“Journalism should challenge conventions and question the status quo — I'm a big supporter of free speech,” says the executive. “But this reflects a lack of editorial control over some of the presenters.”
More importantly, however, the latest scandal raises serious questions about whether GB News can succeed in the UK broadcast market.
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Ofcom, which received 7,300 complaints about the show, has launched an investigation. But this is just the tip of the iceberg.
The regulator carried out a total of 12 investigations into GB News, related, among other things, to a failure to ensure balance and the use of sitting MPs as presenters.
The regulator was found to be in violation of broadcasting rules three times. already this year he faces a fine or, as a last resort, revocation of his license.
The incidents have prompted calls for Ofcom to review its impartiality rules amid fears the scandal-prone channel is slipping through the cracks.
The regulator is expected to name a replacement for Kevin Bahurst, the former head of broadcasting, next week. Managing the response to GB News — and a potential regulatory overhaul — is likely to be a top priority on his successor's agenda.
As advertisers reconsider their relationships and the threat of increased regulation looms, GB News faces fundamental challenges. questions about his future direction.
GB News has suspended three contributors, including presenter Dan Wooton, following the latest scandal
Earlier this month it emerged that management was considering moving some of its most controversial presenters to streaming on the basis of Ofcom's oversight of online material. less strict than traditional television.
The plans, first reported by Bloomberg, show that show executives were aware of the impact of controversial hosts on ad sales and regulators even before the latest scandal broke.
< p>The move will also support expansion in the US, where audiences are more accustomed to opinionated broadcasting, under the recently launched GBN America brand.
These measures can be critical to maintaining balance. after the company collapsed and made losses of £30 million in its first year on air.
But the backlash against Mr Fox highlights the dilemma facing GB News. While the channel relies on controversy to grow its audience, it is precisely this controversy that risks alienating advertisers and regulators.
As a result, the channel faces an almost impossible task: presenting itself to viewers as an antidote to the «groupthink» of the mainstream media, while reassuring advertisers that it is an ordinary channel, no different from traditional competitors.
GB News' immediate future was secured last summer when Sir Paul Marshall — a potential bidder for The Telegraph — and Dubai-based investment firm The Legatum Group invested an additional £60 million in a buyout of Warner Bros Discovery and the joint venture. founders Andrew Cole and Mark Schneider.
But the huge cost of running a full-time news channel means the business is likely burning through that cash.
One insider insisted that sponsors » very strong desire» to continue investing in the channel, indicating that there were both ideological and financial reasons behind the investment.
Still, as regulators sharpen their claws and existing advertisers hesitate, executives GB News faces a greater challenge than ever in turning controversy into money.
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