Ofcom Accused of Withholding Data Favoring GB News Over BBC

Ofcom is facing accusations of deliberately concealing data that indicates GB News is more trusted by its viewers than the BBC. Recent figures reveal that 74 percent of GB News viewers deem the station trustworthy, surpassing Sky's 71 percent and the BBC's 66 percent. The channel also ranked jointly highest with Sky for viewer-perceived impartiality, with 63 percent, ten points ahead of the BBC.

These statistics reportedly did not appear in Ofcom's latest media consumption survey release, allegedly only being added after a request from GB News. This follows a period of contention between the channel and the regulator, including a High Court dispute over a program hosted by Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg.

A GB News spokesperson stated, "These figures prove why GB News is Britain's undisputed number one news channel. Our viewers and listeners trust us to provide them with news, and our bold and fearless journalism is connecting with communities everywhere." The survey also indicated that 72 percent of GB News viewers believed the channel presented a wide range of views, more than any other examined channel.

This data comes amidst ongoing scrutiny of GB News regarding impartiality. The channel was fined £100,000 in 2024 for impartiality breaches during a broadcast featuring Rishi Sunak, where Ofcom found that "an appropriately wide range of significant viewpoints was not presented and given due weight." A previous ruling against GB News concerning a program with Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg was later overturned by the High Court.

Ofcom has refuted the claims of a cover-up, attributing the delay to "an administrative error" that was corrected promptly. A spokesperson added that "not all of the vast amounts of data we produce can be included in the main report, which focused on our key findings."

GB News leadership is expected to leverage these survey results in their ongoing efforts to be recognized as a trusted news source. The British government is reportedly considering new measures that would mandate social media platforms to prioritize content from "trusted" news providers, raising concerns about government influence over news consumption. A government White Paper in June identified public service broadcasters like the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4 as "among the most trusted news sources," notably omitting GB News.

Station executives have formally petitioned ministers, arguing that GB News should have the opportunity to seek public funding, contending that taxpayer money should not solely benefit the BBC. According to official ratings agency Barb, GB News is currently the most-watched non-public service broadcaster, with nearly 90,000 average daily viewers.

The channel has previously faced criticism for hosting content alleged to promote conspiracy theories, and for controversial remarks made by guests, including one who compared the Pride campaign to bestiality and pedophilia.