U.K. media regulator Ofcom has launched broadcast standards investigations into TalkTV, owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and GB News after receiving complaints.
The issue of politicians who also serve as newsreaders being in potential breach of Ofcoms impartiality rules has cropped up in recent months. In April, Ofcom launched an investigation into GB News over an interview given by chancellor of the exchequer Jeremy Hunt to Esther McVey and Philip Davies on March 11 on the Saturday Morning with Esther and Philip news program. All three politicians are members of parliament representing the ruling Conservative party. The investigation is ongoing.
On Monday, Ofcom revealed that it is investigating an episode of State of the Nation on GB News, which aired on May 9, after receiving 40 complaints. Presented by Conservative member of parliament Jacob Rees-Mogg, the episode covered a breaking news story about a civil trial verdict involving former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Our investigation will look at the programs compliance with our rules which prevent politicians from acting as newsreaders in any news programs, unless exceptionally, it is editorially justified, Ofcom said.
Ofcom has also launched an investigation on the Richard Tice program on Talk TV, presented by Alba party leader and former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond on April 2, to see if the show broke Ofcoms rules requiring news and current affairs to be presented with due impartiality. Ofcom received two complaints about this program, specifically in relation to a discussion on the Scottish National Party. Tice is the leader of the Reform U.K. party.
The rules around politicians presenting programs were first introduced in 2005. Given the rise in the number of current affairs programs presented by sitting politicians and recent public interest in this issue, we are conducting new research to gauge current audience attitudes towards these programs. This will be carried out by an expert research agency and we aim to publish the findings later this year, Ofcom said.