GB News

{{media}}{{cquote|But GB News was playing for real; breakfast time is the battleground on which any new station must fight for ratings and we were assured it would be appointment television. Truthfully the only less palatable appointment I can imagine would be a root canal. Regardless of where you sat on the political spectrum this was unutterably awful; boring, repetitive and cheapskate.|||Judith Woods and Chris Bennion<ref name=woods>Judith Woods and Chris Bennion, [https://archive.is/it5ak GB News launch, review: message comes through loud and clear – but the breakfast show bombs]. Archived from ''The Telegraph,'' 14 June 2021.</ref>}}
'''GB News''' is a [[United Kingdom|British]] television news channel which launched on 13 June 2021.

In its presenter roster, it leans heavily into [[culture war|culture wars]] and attack anything liberal or [[political correctness|politically correct]], and has been dubbed "anti-[[woke]]" by British media.<ref>[https://inews.co.uk/news/media/gb-news-presenters-new-anti-woke-tv-channel-andrew-neil-927718 GB News: Runners and riders to become faces of new ‘anti-woke’ TV channel, from Dan Wootton to Rosie Wright], ''i'' News, April 27, 2021</ref> While initially promising to conform to British television rules on impartiality, it nonetheless offers some partisan right-wing programming.<ref name=pg>[https://pressgazette.co.uk/what-is-gb-news-everything-you-need-to-know/ GB News in-depth briefing: International expansion and DAB radio launch planned], Press Gazette</ref> It has been mockingly referred to by the left as "GBeebies" (a pun on the [[BBC]]-owned children's channel CBeebies).<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/gbeebies-gb-news-andrew-neil-twitter-b1866111.html GBeebies trends after GB News viewers give show a nickname], The Independent, 15 June 2021</ref>

In April 2022, [[Rupert Murdoch]]'s British news operation News UK launched a rival channel, [[TalkTV]], after many delays. It also offers populist news produced from a right-wing perspective, prompting suspicions that the market for televised hate might be oversaturated and only one (at most) would survive.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/dec/01/rupert-murdochs-news-uk-tv-channel-given-approval-to-launch Rupert Murdoch's News UK TV channel given approval to launch], The Guardian, 1 Dec 2020</ref><ref name=indy20220504>[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/talktv-piers-morgan-rupert-murdoch-b2071417.html 'Staggering levels of deference': What I learnt from watching TalkTV for a week], The Independent, 4 May 2022</ref>

Note: the phrase GB (for Great Britain) traditionally refers to the island divided into [[Scotland]], [[England]], and [[Wales]], but not to [[Northern Ireland]], which is geographically part of the island of Ireland but politically part of the UK (United Kingdom).<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/story/whats-the-difference-between-great-britain-and-the-united-kingdom What’s the Difference Between Great Britain and the United Kingdom?], John M Cunningham, Britannica online</ref> Nonetheless, GB News appears to aim to provide the full range of UK coverage.

==Ownership and management==
GB News was founded by Andrew Cole and Mark Schneider, businessmen who have close links to {{wpl|John C. Malone|John C. Malone's}} Liberty media empire (which in the UK also owns Virgin Media and 9.9% of ITV); Cole is a director of and on the board of Liberty Global.<ref name=byline2020>[https://bylinetimes.com/2020/09/28/owner-andrew-neil-gb-news-itv-conflict-of-interest/ Owner of Andrew Neil’s GB News in Awkward Conflict of Interest], Byline Times, 28 September 2020</ref> The [[libertarian]] Malone is known for his support of right wing causes, including [[Donald Trump]], to whom he donated in 2017, and the [[Cato Institute]], whose board he has served on.<ref>[https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2017/04/19/john-malone-greg-maffeiliberty-media-among-big.html Here are Colorado's biggest donors to Trump's inauguration], BizJournals, 19 April 2017</ref><ref>[https://www.cablecenter.org/about-us/honorary-board-of-directors/john-malone.html About Us], Cable Center</ref>

Those investing money include:
* [[Discovery Channel|Discovery]], the TV group with links to Malone and Liberty.<ref name=guardianratings/> (Now part of merged media group Warner Bros Discovery and reportedly planning to sell its stake.<ref name=guardian20220818/>)
* [[Legatum]], a private equity firm based in Dubai.<ref name=guardianratings/> It has links to Legatum Institute, a right-wing think-tank based in Mayfair, London, which was a prominent advocate for a hard Brexit.<ref name=es20210608/>
* {{wpl|Paul Marshall (investor)|Paul Marshall|,}} a hedge fund manager who formerly had links to the Lib Dems (in the right-wing, ''Orange Book'' faction), but supported Brexit and donated to [[Michael Gove]]'s Conservative party leadership bid.<ref>[https://www.vice.com/en/article/paq99k/a-millionaire-who-funded-brexit-made-a-killing-as-carillion-crashed A Millionaire Who Funded Brexit Made a Killing as Carillion Crashed], Vice, 24 Jan 2018</ref><ref name=guardianratings>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jun/14/gb-news-launch-gains-more-viewers-than-bbc-or-sky-news-channels GB News launch gains more viewers than BBC or Sky news channels], The Guardian, 14 June 2021</ref> He also created right-wing opinion website UnHerd.<ref name=es20210608/>
* {{wpl|Michael Farmer, Baron Farmer|Michael Farmer|,}} a commodities dealer and hedge fund manager who became a Tory peer and former Conservative party treasurer.<ref name=guardianratings/>
* {{wpl|Michael Spencer||,}} a City trader and another former Tory treasurer.<ref name=guardianratings/>

Executives include the CEO Angelos Frangopoulos, formerly of [[Sky News Australia]], and John McAndrew of the local Sky News.<ref name=byline2020/> McAndrew, the director of programming, had a long career in mainstream TV reporting including for Sky News and Euronews, but quit GB News in July 2021 after reported differences over editorial direction.<ref name=guardianharritakesknee/>

It is headquartered in Paddington, London.<ref name=pg/>

In August 2022, Discovery announced that it was planning to sell its stake in GB News, as part of a series of divestments following Discovery's merger with Warner Media.<ref name=guardian20220818>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/aug/18/discovery-sells-gb-news-stake-as-directors-resign-in-shake-up Discovery sells GB News stake as directors resign in shake-up], ''The Guardian'', 18 August 2022</ref>

According to ''Byline Times'', "all of GB News' major shareholders are based outside of the UK".<ref name=bright/> It's unclear how its international ownership and London HQ square with promises to report on the whole of the UK and focus on British people's interests.<ref name=guardianjeffries/>

==Presenters==
* {{wpl|Andrew Neil||.}} Hired to be the central figure on-screen, until recently a [[BBC]] presenter, and formerly editor of the ''Sunday Times'' and editor-in-chief of ''The European'' (RIP) and ''The Scotsman''. He presented 8 episodes of a nightly news program, with trolling segments entitled Wokewatch and Mediawatch.<ref name=pg/> He then quit, blamed on a combination of technical issues and disputes behind the scenes.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/sep/24/andrew-neil-almost-had-breakdown-at-gb-news Andrew Neil ‘almost had breakdown’ at GB News], ''The Guardian'', 24 Sep 2021</ref> Despite claims to be standing up for Britishness, Neil's primary residence is in [[France]].<ref name=guardianratings/><ref name=es20210608/>
* {{wpl|Colin Brazier||,}} former Sky News presenter.<ref name=pg/>
* {{wpl|Michelle Dewberry||,}} former contestant on TV program ''The Apprentice''.<ref name=pg/>
* {{wpl|Andrew Doyle (comedian)|Andrew Doyle|,}} best known as satirical character Titania McGrath, is presenting a show.<ref name=guardianjeffries/>
* {{wpl|Simon McCoy||,}} former BBC newsreader with apparently a cult following for his sense of humour; he presents features including a token "good news" story.<ref>[https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/gb-news-whats-on-anti-woke-tv-full-launch-schedule-presenters-andrew-neil-new-channel-1049558 GB News: What’s on ‘anti-woke TV’? Full launch schedule and presenters for Andrew Neil’s new channel], i News, June 13, 2021 </ref>
* {{wpl|Neil Oliver||,}} TV historian.<ref name=pg/> He has attracted controversy for his defence of historian [[David Starkey]] who has made a series of dubious comments about black people and British history that could be taken as racist, as well as Oliver's own opposition to [[Black Lives Matter]] protests.<ref>[https://www.thenational.scot/news/18557601.neil-oliver-declares-love-racist-historian-david-starkey/ Neil Oliver declares love for 'racist' historian David Starkey], ''The National'', 2 July 2020</ref><ref>[https://www.thenational.scot/news/18515664.bbcs-neil-oliver-interview-racist-statues-draws-criticism/ BBC's Neil Oliver interview on racist statues draws criticism], ''The National'', 13 June 2020</ref>
* {{wpl|Gloria De Piero||,}} former [[Labour Party|Labour]] MP.<ref name=pg/>
* {{wpl|Alastair Stewart||,}} veteran newscaster with a long history on ITV.<ref name=pg/>
* {{wpl|Alan Sugar||,}} British businessman, TV presenter, and member of the House of Lords, who presented a show answering viewers' questions from a tent in his garden; ''The Guardian'''s TV reviewer noted that he "had nothing to declare but his ignorance".<ref name=guardianjeffries/>
* {{wpl|Dan Wootton||,}} former ''[[The Sun|Sun]]'' showbiz editor.<ref name=pg/>
* {{wpl|Guto Harri||,}} a journalist who later became [[Boris Johnson]]'s spokesman as mayor of London and worked for [[Rupert Murdoch]]'s News UK (owner of the ''Times'' and the ''Sun''). He was taken off air on 16 July 2021 after expressing opposition to the racist abuse of black English footballers; he "took the knee" in solidarity and was vilified by viewers.<ref name=guardianharritakesknee>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jul/16/gb-news-pulls-guto-harri-off-air-taking-the-knee-row GB News in crisis as exec quits and presenter is pulled for ‘taking the knee’], The Guardian, 16 July 2021</ref>
*[[Nigel Farage]], the right-wing anti-immigrant politician, who was hired to try and bolster ratings and give the channel a more hate-filled direction.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/jul/17/gb-news-turns-to-nigel-farage-as-its-saviour-after-ratings-freefall GB News turns to Nigel Farage as its saviour after ratings freefall] ''The Guardian'' 17 July 2021</ref><ref>[https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-business-government-and-politics-europe-tv-news-82c8f1b0d593cd5dfa1b0f88f5c4f2fe Struggling channel GB News hires Nigel Farage to host show] ''Associated Press News'' 17 July 2021</ref>
*{{wpl|Eamonn Holmes||,}} a presenter better known for cosy daytime TV, hired as a morning-show replacement for ex-newsreader Simon McCoy who quit in December 2021.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/dec/10/simon-mccoy-becomes-latest-departure-from-gb-news Simon McCoy becomes latest presenter to depart GB News], ''The Guardian'', 10 Dec 2021</ref>

It has reportedly tried and failed to hire {{wpl|Nick Ferrari||,}} a broadcaster and journalist best known for his controversial show on LBC radio in London on which he has interviewed many senior politicians.<ref name=guardianjeffries/>

Two weeks after the channel launched, Neil announced he would step down from the main evening bulletin and be replaced by Colin Brazier.<ref>[https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/gb-news-boss-andrew-neil-24394312 GB News boss Andrew Neil takes leave from channel just two weeks after launch], The Mirror, 24 Jun 2021</ref>

==Themes==
===Anti-lockdown===
Several presenters were critical of the lockdown against [[COVID-19]], including Dan Wootton accusing Britain of being a "bio-security state copying [[China]]".<ref name=guardianjeffries>[https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/jun/13/gb-news-review-andrew-neils-alternative-bbc-utterly-deadly-stuff GB News review – Andrew Neil’s alternative BBC? Utterly deadly stuff], Stuart Jeffries, The Guardian, 13 June 2021</ref> Wootton claimed lockdowns "have caused far more deaths and devastation than the government has ever admitted", although opinion polls show the British public generally supports lockdowns.<ref>[https://metro.co.uk/2021/06/14/susanna-reid-questions-gb-news-stance-on-lockdown-as-channel-launches-14766908/ Susanna Reid questions GB News’ stance after show brands lockdowns a ‘crude measure’], The Metro, 14 June 2021</ref>

===Defence of people who have sex with underage girls===
Lady Colin Campbell (a posh British woman who has made a career as an expert on posh people) appeared on the channel to discuss Prince Andrew and his friendship with sex-trafficker [[Jeffrey Epstein]]. She sophistically argued that Epstein wasn't a paedophile but an ephebophile and claimed that Andrew was scapegoated to protect other clients with friends in higher places (higher than Buckingham Palace).<ref>[https://www.thedailybeast.com/gb-news-has-disaster-launch-as-guest-argues-jeffrey-epstein-wasnt-a-pedophile ‘Epstein Wasn’t a Pedophile:’ How British Fox News Copycat’s Launch Turned Into a Disaster], The Daily Beast, 16 June 2021</ref>

===Opposition to wokeness and political correctness===
It has from the start made its enemy the forces of wokeness, formerly known as political correctness, with features such as Neil's Wokewatch.<ref name=es20210608>[https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/andrew-neil-gb-news-launch-piers-morgan-b939419.html Andrew Neil: GB News, my war on woke and the problem with Piers Morgan], ''Evening Standard'', 8 June 2021</ref> had a focus on the idea that the police are more occupied in arresting people on Twitter and policing language than they are in tackling other crime.<ref name=malik/> One example is the criticism of sportspeople "taking the knee" as a protest against racism; this is part of a wider attempt to paint [[Black Lives Matter]] as dangerous extremists, but ignores the generally positive public sentiment towards Black Lives Matter.<ref name=bright>[https://bylinetimes.com/2021/06/14/gb-news-andrew-neil-should-we-ignore-them/ When Truth Matters More: The Case for Scrutinising GB News], Sam Bright, Byline Times, 14 June 2021</ref> This reached a new crisis in July 2021 after England's association football team lost the European Cup final and several black players were subject to racial abuse. Some on the station, notably Guto Harri, supported the players, but after Harri "took the knee" in solidarity, he was abused online by viewers and the station denounced his action as "unacceptable", with Harri being taken off air in response to the uproar from racist viewers.<ref name=guardianharritakesknee/>

===Climate change "skepticism"===
Although it doesn't seem to have launched into all-out [[climate change]] denialism, GB News has suggested that the COVID lockdown was the result of secret environmentalist conspiracy by the British government to try and reduce emissions.<ref name=malik>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jun/21/gb-news-andrew-neil-grievance-politics-left GB News is no joke, despite the risible start], Nesrine Malik, ''The Guardian'', 21 June 2021</ref> This ties in with a common right-wing conspiracy theory that environmentalism is all about the government imposing arbitrary controls on the population, because that's what evil big government does.

==Criticism==
===Stop Funding Hate===
Anti-racism group Stop Funding Hate (no relation of [[Hope not Hate]]) has been campaigning to try and stop companies advertising with GB News, after previous campaigns against newspapers publishing lies about immigrants and refugees.<ref>[https://pressgazette.co.uk/gb-news-advertising-boycott/ Andrew Neil sets out anti 'woke' vision for GB News as channel faces campaign for advertising boycott], ''Press Gazette'', 8 Feb 2021</ref>

===TV critics===
''[[The Guardian]]'' was critical of the quality of the programs, noting that its supposed commitment to covering all Britain's regions was limited to some PR puffery about regional airports. Their critic judged that it lacked the personnel to generate sufficient controversy to attract viewers, as well as being frequently rather dull.<ref name=guardianjeffries/>

In contrast, the ''[[Daily Telegraph]]'' praised its first night, despite noting that the "sound was often out of sync, one presenter suffered a microphone failure, Sir Alan Sugar disappeared one word into his interview and the sets looked as if they had been hastily cobbled together", calling the opening segment "vaguely [[North Korea]]n", and criticising Wootton's lack of authority and trustworthiness. That was night one; the breakfast show was "unutterably awful; boring, repetitive and cheapskate."<ref name=woods />

Its first night ratings peaked at 336,000, a lot more than other rolling news channels, but much lower than the main channels and their news broadcasts.<ref name=guardianratings/> 52% of viewers were aged 65 or over, and 82% were from the ABC1 socio-economic groups (white-collar and professional).<ref name=guardianratings/>

However, after only a few weeks by the end of June, the viewing figures have completely fallen off with the average viewership reaching 25 000, which in television circles is virtually zero.

===Paul Marshall investigation===

In February 2024, [[Hope not Hate]] alongside Lewis Goodall and Emily Maitlis of ''The News Agents'' revealed the details of a joint investigation into {{wpl|Paul Marshall (investor)|Paul Marshall's}} social media activity due to his rumoured bid to acquire ''[[The Spectator]]'' and ''[[The Telegraph]]'', two giants of British media.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eci8a1ChXUMIf EXCLUSIVE: Could The Telegraph be bought by a political extremist? | The News Agents]. youtube.com.</ref> If successful, this acquisition would position Marshall as one of the most influential media owners in the country. The investigation uncovered disturbing patterns in Marshall's social media behaviour. Despite setting his [[Twitter]] account to 'Protected' mode in September 2023 and altering identifying information, Marshall continued to endorse and engage with far-right extremist content. The investigation revealed that Marshall had liked and retweeted content from far-right and conspiracy theorist accounts, endorsing sentiments such as calls for mass deportations and predictions of a looming civil war between "native Europeans" and "fake refugee invaders."<ref name="Hope Not Hate">[https://hopenothate.org.uk/2024/02/22/revealed-the-shocking-tweets-of-gb-news-co-owner-sir-paul-marshall/ Revealed: The Shocking Tweets of GB News Co-owner Sir Paul Marshall]. hopenothate.org.uk.</ref>

Marshall's online activity included interactions with accounts known for promoting Islamophobia, anti-migrant rhetoric, and conspiracy theories. Notable among these were accounts like [[Britain First]] Deputy Leader Ashlea Simon, American anti-Muslim campaigner Amy Mek, and the Kremlin-aligned Italian anti-migration account RadioGenoa. Marshall's endorsements ranged from Islamophobic predictions of a European civil war to praising anti-Muslim figures like [[Geert Wilders]] and disseminating content demonising Muslim and migrant communities.<ref name="Hope Not Hate"/>

Following the investigation's inquiries, Marshall removed nearly 300 likes and issued a statement through a representative. Marshall asserted that his account's contents were not reflective of his views and were merely a small sample of his overall social media activity. However, questions persist regarding his repeated endorsement of divisive and hateful content, especially considering his potential influence over significant media outlets.<ref name="Hope Not Hate"/>

==Not to be confused with...==
[[Henry Bolton]] of [[UKIP]] founded an online thing called GB TV, but it has only put 3 videos online; this has nothing to do with GB News.<ref name=byline2020/>
==See also==
*[[Fox News]] Which they deny being the British version of
*[[News_UK#TalkTV|TalkTV]], a British rival
*[[RT]], where you could find the same talking points, just with fewer Union Jacks

==External links==
*[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jun/20/is-gb-news-a-threat-to-democracy-thats-the-million-dollar-oesion Is GB News a threat to democracy? That’s the million-dollar oesion]

==References==
{{Reflist|2|90%}}

[[Category:British media]]
[[Category:British politics]]
[[Category:British right wing]]

Categories: British media, British politics, British right wing