GB News Dead Cat Viewer Bounce

In case the public at large had forgotten about them - which is, sadly, mainly true - the cheerleaders at Gammon Broadcasting™ News (“Bacon’s News Channel”) have this week come out fighting, with propaganda from trusted boosters, and a bold statement of their progress in, er, increasing headcount and therefore spending even more money.

The first sign of this unwanted Winter Offensive came early in the week from the perpetually thirsty Paul Staines and his rabble at the Guido Fawkes blog telling anyone not yet asleep “GB News Beats Sky’s Primetime Offer With Twice As Many Views … GB News Consistently Thrashing Sky At Prime Time”. Well, for two hours each evening.

But do go on. “Once again, it falls to Guido to set the narrative straight on GB News’ performance. Last night, according to independent BARB figures the channel pulled in double Sky News’ audience during the prime time evening spot, as well as regularly surging ahead during the breakfast show”. For some reason, no evidence is provided for the breakfast show “surging ahead”. And, overall, GB News is still bottom of the class.

We know this as Press Gazette has let slip the overall viewer numbers, albeit after recycling the GB News spin about how wonderfully the channel is doing. “With a new editorial director, new breakfast show, DAB radio launch and addition of the National Anthem to the start of each day, GB News is boasting a growing audience after a bumpy end to 2021” they tell, but note “boasting”, rather than anything factual.

REALITY

And on the subject of missing citations and deflection, we are then told “Now, however, it is boosting job numbers and celebrating overtaking rival opinion-led broadcaster LBC on Youtube [No citation]. Press Gazette understands that GB News is now employing almost 200 people, up from 140 at launch [so spraying even more money up the wall, then]”.

The online presence of the channel seems to be mostly about claimed numbers: “Despite the continuing challenge of growing linear TV viewership, GB News's digital reach is still rising in terms of both followers and engagement. At the start of February it claimed to have had 2.9bn impressions across web and social since launch”. Claimed.

But GB News does have a bigger presence on TikTok than its rivals. However, when it comes to viewers, despite the Fawkes propaganda and bullish claims about surges in audience growth, the numbers show the grim reality. GB News has still not yet returned to more than around 60% of the audience that tuned in during its first month on air.

As the PG report notes, “The TV channel continues to reach around 2m people each month according to Barb … In the four weeks to 2 January … GB News was watched by 2.2m people for an average of 19 seconds per day … This compares to 15.9m for the BBC News Channel and 10.9m for Sky News, with average daily viewing of three minutes and one minute 39 seconds respectively”. Way behind its competitors.

Although this is an improvement on the low point: “GB News was watched by 3.7m people in its first month and at its lowest Barb put it on 1.7m in the four weeks to 31 October”. And we still don’t get to know how far from profitability it is (probably a very long way).

With a 40% increase in head count, the money could run out even sooner. Sad, really.

Enjoy your visit to Zelo Street? You can help this truly independent blog carry on talking truth to power, while retaining its sense of humour, by becoming a Patron on Patreon at

https://www.patreon.com/Timfenton