Those of us of A Certain Age can still remember the launch of BBC
Breakfast Time, the first of the wake-up TV genre, more than 38 years ago. Put together in a matter of weeks, partly to get the jump on TV-am and its array of big-name presenters, the show worked from the word go. Set design, presenters, graphics, all went together seamlessly.
Gammon Broadcasting ...
... and its top presenter. No, don't laugh
This showed that it was not rocket science. But all those years later, and with millions thrown at it, GB News launched on Sunday evening with sets that looked dark and austere, sound quality was poor, and despite claims of audience share, it was abundantly clear that many viewers had tuned in just to see how bad it was. Some viewers were only watching with one eye on gathering enough evidence to submit a complaint to Ofcom.
The feedback was damning, with Count Binface musing “
They were so preoccupied … they didn’t stop to think whether they should make it look like the Honey Monster ranting in a shipping container”. James Mc Manus was equally unimpressed. “
[GB News] looks hilariously budget. Also why is it being broadcast from inside a giant PS4?”
Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, who you can tell as she’s a doctor, asked “
Why is #GBNews a mess? The design/audio/video are so substandard I'm quite shocked. It’s so not on par with CNN/Sky News/BBC. Granted it’s Day 1 but its technical issues are amateur hr … Don’t get me started on content … attacks on #MeghanAndHarry etc. This is News?”
And Sam Bright had something to say about the content. “
Dan Wootton has just spent five minutes on #GBNews broadcasting conspiracy theories about coronavirus being a ‘scare story’ … I’m old enough to remember an hour ago, when Andrew Neil promised that his new network wouldn’t spread baseless fake news”. He also called out the hypocrisy.
“
‘I was totally out of touch when I was based in London’, says former MP Gloria De Piero, from the #GBNews HQ in Paddington, London”. As to Wootton, Ian Fraser was not persuaded. "
Dan Wootton's opening rant was something else: I've not witnessed such a prolonged display of ignorance and bigotry on British TV before”.
Dipstick Dan then brought on Alan Sugar to pontificate, most likely believing his guest to be in tune with the Gammon Broadcasting™ zeitgeist. It did not go well. “
This Alan Sugar interview isn't going according to plan … Wootton out of his depth here” observed one Tweeter. By yesterday, there was another problem. “
Interesting spelling of freedom”.
The good news, though, is that there is
a full list of advertisers available for those who want to lobby them over being associated with GB News. Moreover, “
Kopparberg has suspended its ads with #GBNews 'pending further review of its content’”. There will be others. But a warning also needs to be sounded on how Ofcom is being played.
Sol Hughes cautioned “
GB News is likely to get round Ofcom 'Balance' rules by having a stable of 'stooge' liberals as the 4th guests on their right-dominated chat shows”,
giving a link to examples, something Dawn Foster confirmed. “
They asked me repeatedly to so a weekly slot doing precisely that”. Dan Wootton already pulled that one on Sunday.
Not since Fox News Channel (fair and balanced
my arse) made that claim has there been more transparently fraudulent pretence of impartiality.
This is hard right propaganda.
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I clicked on your link 'a full list of advertisers' and got this warning message: -
ReplyDelete"McAfee
Website status: Risky
https://boycottgbnews.org/advertisers
This site contains potentially dangerous content that could harm your PC. We blocked it so you can continue browsing worry-free."
Surprise! Surprise!....Gammon Bullshit Nerds are a coil of extruded far right turds!
ReplyDeleteAs if those home grown wannabe Nazis were ever going to be anything else.....
I haven't watched a single minute of it but from looking at all the right wing goons praising it it looks and sounds like a shit show.
ReplyDeleteA horribly familiar face popped up under the Gammon Broadcasting banner during the live coverage of yesterday’s Downing Street presser. Bog-brush haircut, satellite-dish ears, yes, it could only be former Fawkes teaboy Tom Harwood. If the likes of him and Wootton are indicative of the quality of “journalist” they’ve hired, Brillo and his backers may find themselves in need of new shirts sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteGammon folk upset that others excerise their rights to organise and campaign against those companies that choose to advertise on a Far Right propaganda channel.
ReplyDeleteFlicking through the channels at 4 o'clock this morning and saw Wootton had Megyn Kelly on doing some shit about news from America. And obviously Harry and Meghan got a slagging. So not in any way like Fox News. Wootton really does have all the charm of a burst colostomy bag. And is just as pleasant.
ReplyDelete“GB News is likely to get round Ofcom 'Balance' rules by having a stable of 'stooge' liberals as the 4th guests on their right-dominated chat shows” Queue of Guardian columnists forms...
ReplyDeleteMore seriously, the fact that it looks like it was shot on no budget or loses money hand over fist is less significant than the ability of its owners to keep throwing money at it so its right-wing agenda fills up the airwaves (see also Murdoch and TalkRadio/TimesRadio).