Tory politicians CAN present current affairs TV shows, Ofcom rules
Tory politicians CAN present current affairs TV shows, Ofcom rules – after opposition MPs complained about broadcasts by the likes of Jacob Rees-Mogg and Lee Anderson
- Ofcom explainer piece laid out the rules governing politicians hosting TV shows
- READ: Nadine Dorries announces she is standing down as an MP at next election
Ofcom has said that Tory politicians are allowed to present current affairs TV shows after opposition MPs complained about the likes of Nadine Dorries, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Lee Anderson fronting their own programmes.
Last week when the media regulator’s boss, Dame Melanie Dawes, appeared in front of a parliamentary committee, Labour and SNP MPs raised concerns about Conservatives presenting shows on GB News and TalkTV.
But yesterday Kevin Bakhurst, the regulator’s group director for broadcasting and online content, wrote a piece for the Ofcom website where he explained the rules governing politicians hosting TV shows.
He wrote: ‘In general, serving politicians cannot be a newsreader, interviewer or reporter in any news programme.
‘They are allowed to present other kinds of shows, however, including current affairs.
Jacob Rees-Mogg in the studio at GB News during his new show Jacob Rees-Mogg’s State of The Nation
Ofcom has said that Tory politicians are allowed to present current affairs TV shows. Tory MP Nadine Dorries has her own slot on TalkTV
‘Sometimes those programmes may be on channels that also broadcast news; what matters here is the format of the particular show.’ He added that broadcasters ‘should be free to make editorial and creative choices’.
It is believed these MPs are allowed to present these TV shows, because they are regarded as current affairs programmes, rather than news programmes.
But the programmes still have to maintain due impartiality.
SNP MP John Nicholson last week pointed to presenters Esther McVey and Philip Davies, both Tory MPs, interviewing the Conservative chancellor Jeremy Hunt on their GB News show.
Nicholson described it as a ‘flagrant breach of Ofcom rules’, while Labour MP Clive Efford said attempts by these shows to achieve balance could be affected as left-wing politicians were likely to boycott them.
Lee Anderson, Member of Parliament for Ashfield,is the latest Tory MP to get his own show on GB News
Kevin Brennan, Labour MP, said of GB News and TalkTV: ‘Do they offer a diverse viewpoint to the public?’
Ofcom is currently assessing complaints it received about the March 11 edition of Saturday Morning with Esther and Philip on GB News.
There were 26 complaints about politicians acting as presenters.
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