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GB News

Gloster

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An item on the station in today’s Grauniad: Farage, Fox and rolling outrage: the..

It comments that it made ‘a loss of more than £30 m on £3.6 m turnover’ and that the owners may not be worried as they are more interested in moving public attitudes to the right.

(Mods: I carefully followed the instructions in the website you sent me to in order to copy the item, but (as before) as soon as I go to the forum, I lose what I had selected on the original site.)
 
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Typhoon

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An item on the station in today’s Grauniad: Farage, Fox and rolling outrage: the..

It comments that it made ‘a loss of more than £30 m on £3.6 m turnover’ and that the owners may not be worried as they are more interested in moving public attitudes to the right.

(Mods: I carefully followed the instructions in the website you sent me to in order to copy the item, but (as before) as soon as I go to the forum, I lose what I had selected on the original site.)
Is this what you want https://www.theguardian.com/media/2...d-rolling-outrage-the-inside-story-of-gb-news

A quote connected to your theme might be:
The second news item was perhaps more concerning for the channel’s future. Its published accounts for the year ending May 2022 revealed a loss of more than £30m on only £3.6m turnover (£3m from advertising and £550,000 in digital revenue). Staff costs, well before the expensive hires of Rees-Mogg and co, stood at £12.75m. The company’s backers, Sir Paul Marshall, the Brexit-supporting hedge fund tycoon, and Legatum, the Dubai-based investment vehicle of New Zealand billionaire Christopher Chandler, reportedly remained supportive.

The losses – and the nature of recent appointments – point to the idea that the owners are measuring the progress of the channel not by its bottom line but by its influence in shifting debate to the right – more as a political than a media organisation.

Addressing the channel’s precarious finances, Frangopoulos points to the growth in audiences since last spring (GB News claims 2.8 million viewers a month, a 22% increase year on year) along with encouraging data from other platforms (it has more than 700,000 YouTube subscribers). He also suggests that the competition provided by Rupert Murdoch’s TalkTV can only expand the audience and has no regrets in failing to hire Piers Morgan (GB News’s offer, he has joked, was a zero short of Murdoch’s).
 

MikeWM

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Looks like they're cutting Neil Oliver to an hour from next Saturday, to accommodate Calvin Robinson's show that moves from Sunday afternoon (itself cut down from two hours to one since the start of the year).

No doubt they'll be cutting his show entirely soon enough, probably to put on another show with some sitting Tory MP or other. Fortunately he can still be found elsewhere on the internet - I found his interview last week with George Galloway very interesting, for example.

I can't help but increasingly feel that GBNews, at least as far as I'm concerned, has served its purpose and it is almost time to move on.

I'm finding Mark Steyn rather better on his own site too - the content is very similar to when he was on GBNews, as are the guests, but the lack of adverts and longer time he gets to devote to each topic works very well.
 

365 Networker

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No doubt they'll be cutting his show entirely soon enough, probably to put on another show with some sitting Tory MP or other.
According to the schedule, the new show after Neil Oliver - “The Saturday Five” will be a “provocative panel“ based show. According to Calvin’s Twitter page, the host will be Darren Grimes - someone who did have a show on the channel previously, but disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Whether they will touch on subjects such as vaccine harms or the WEF remains to be seen!

Calvin's Common Sense Crusade

Presenter: Calvin Robinson
Join Calvin Robinson and guests as they analyse current events from a faith perspective.
18:00
Neil

Neil Oliver - Live

Presenter: Neil Oliver
Celebrating the best of Britain – but also getting Neil’s unique perspective on the major stories. He adds context and lessons from history as he articulates life in Britain today.
19:00
The

The Saturday Five​

Join our provocative panel to discuss and debate the spikiest stories and craziest controversies of the week

More changes - Alastair Stewart has announced his retirement:-
Broadcasting legend Alastair Stewart OBE is to retire from regular television after nearly half a century at the forefront of news broadcasting.
Alastair hosted his final episode of Alastair Stewart & Friends, a discussion programme on Saturdays and Sundays, last weekend.
He will continue to work with GB News as an occasional contributor and commentator on major news events such as the King’s Coronation and the general election.
Alastair is Britain’s longest-serving newsreader, having presented the news on both local and national television for 47 years. He will continue to work with GB News as an occasional contributor and commentator on major news events such as the King’s Coronation and the general election.

This will leave two slots on Saturday and Sunday - as yet there is no announcement of a replacement.
 
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BenS123

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It has been revealed that Lee Anderson will be paid £100k a year to present a GBNews slot:

I can't quote from the article as its behind a paywall sadly, tomorrow morning I'll get the article from my local library's newsbank and paste it here, as newsbank updates every night I'm pretty sure.
 

Mojo

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According to the schedule, the new show after Neil Oliver - “The Saturday Five” will be a “provocative panel“ based show. According to Calvin’s Twitter page, the host will be Darren Grimes - someone who did have a show on the channel previously, but disappeared under suspicious circumstances. Whether they will touch on subjects such as vaccine harms or the WEF remains to be seen!
I saw a trailer during one of the ad breaks last night which I’ve just seen on Twitter (https://twitter.com/gbnews/status/1638493833305415681). Looks like it has four presenters; Darren Grimes, Albie Amankona, Benjamin Butterworth and Emily Carver; with a special guest making up the fifth person each week.

Given that the entirety of the male presenters of this programme are gay men perhaps it’s to provide some balance against Calvin’s homophobia…
 

AlterEgo

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It has been revealed that Lee Anderson will be paid £100k a year to present a GBNews slot:

I can't quote from the article as its behind a paywall sadly, tomorrow morning I'll get the article from my local library's newsbank and paste it here, as newsbank updates every night I'm pretty sure.
Nice soft landing for when he loses his seat.
 

MikeWM

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I saw a trailer during one of the ad breaks last night which I’ve just seen on Twitter (https://twitter.com/gbnews/status/1638493833305415681). Looks like it has four presenters; Darren Grimes, Albie Amankona, Benjamin Butterworth and Emily Carver; with a special guest making up the fifth person each week.

Doesn't appear to be much compensation for losing an hour from Neil Oliver's show, it looks like it will be chaotic and annoying, in much the way Dan Wootton's panel discussions often become.

I think I'll watch an hour of Neil Oliver's internet output instead.
 

SteveM70

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It has been revealed that Lee Anderson will be paid £100k a year to present a GBNews slot:

I can't quote from the article as its behind a paywall sadly, tomorrow morning I'll get the article from my local library's newsbank and paste it here, as newsbank updates every night I'm pretty sure.

Absolutely sickening
 

MotCO

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It has been revealed that Lee Anderson will be paid £100k a year to present a GBNews slot:

I can't quote from the article as its behind a paywall sadly, tomorrow morning I'll get the article from my local library's newsbank and paste it here, as newsbank updates every night I'm pretty sure.

Full article here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/03/22/lee-anderson-paid-100k-year-host-gb-news-show/

Lee Anderson, the Conservative deputy chairman, has revealed he will be paid £100,000 a year for hosting a show on GB News.
The annual fee, declared in an update to the MPs' register of interests published on Wednesday, is a significant increase on the £200 weekly payment he received for appearing as a regular on Dan Wootton's show.
The controversial MP for Ashfield, in Nottinghamshire, became the fifth Tory MP to host a GB News show when his deal with the channel was announced on March 7.
He joins fellow Conservatives Jacob Rees-Mogg, Esther McVey and Philip Davies, who all currently host shows. Bishop Auckland MP Dehenna Davison previously hosted a show but left when she was made a levelling up minister.
Mr Anderson's £100,000 fee makes him the highest earning of that group so far, receiving almost double the £58,650 which Ms McVey received in 2022. Her husband and co-host, Mr Davies, received £46,203 in the same year.
Mr Rees-Mogg is yet to disclose how much he is being paid by the channel.

Announcing his decision to join GB News, Mr Anderson previously said: "GB News is the true voice of the great British silent majority. I'm joining the people's channel to ensure their voice is heard." The MP has proved controversial since his election in 2019, calling for the return of the death penalty and claiming people on Universal Credit were not in poverty.

Wednesday's update to the MPs' register of interests also included another £527,000 in speaking fees for Boris Johnson from the first two weeks of March. The former prime minister received £261,596 from London-based consultants Brand Finance PLC and £266,031 from American law firm Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check. Some £369,605 of that total has been deducted from a £2.5 million advance the former prime minister received from speaking agency Harry Walker Agency in January.

Mr Johnson also declared an advance of £42,500 from Hodder and Stoughton for a book, reported to be his memoirs of his time in Downing Street.
Several other MPs declared new second jobs, including former cabinet minister Sajid Javid, who will be paid £300,000 a year for advising Jersey-based investment firm Centricus Partners for between eight and 10 hours a month.

Another former minister, Sir Gavin Williamson, will receive £50,000 a year as an advisor to education provider RTC Education and former justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland will be paid £48,000 a year as senior counsel to solicitors Payne Hicks Beach.
Rachel Reeves, the Shadow chancellor, has received an advance of £8,200 from Hodder and Stoughton for her book on "The Women Who Made Modern Economics".
 

Typhoon

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I saw a trailer during one of the ad breaks last night which I’ve just seen on Twitter (https://twitter.com/gbnews/status/1638493833305415681). Looks like it has four presenters; Darren Grimes, Albie Amankona, Benjamin Butterworth and Emily Carver; with a special guest making up the fifth person each week.
Are these people actually well known? The only one I've heard of is Grimes, and that by reputation. Balanced against Alastair Stewart, probably their most professional broadcaster, going, it has all the feel of a League Two team fighting relegation bringing in anyone and everyone, while letting the experienced 'old heads' go in desperation.
 

MikeWM

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Are these people actually well known?

Probably not; Grimes apart, I've seen each of them on GBNews over the past year or so, but beyond that I don't think so, and even then they're quite minor.

Amankona I only know because he keeps on having arguments with Calvin Robinson, and Carver has stood in for Neil Oliver a few times (but is nowhere near as good). And Butterworth is a regular panelist on Monday's Dan Wootton show, which is generally the worst panel of the week.


On a semi-unrelated note, Mark Steyn has announced that he's taking Ofcom to court over their ruling against him. I'm not quite sure on what grounds he's doing that, but it appears he has a history of 'free speech' legal cases in other countries and seems to have been quite successful in the past. Should be interesting.
 

Scotrail12

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I saw a trailer during one of the ad breaks last night which I’ve just seen on Twitter (https://twitter.com/gbnews/status/1638493833305415681). Looks like it has four presenters; Darren Grimes, Albie Amankona, Benjamin Butterworth and Emily Carver; with a special guest making up the fifth person each week.

Given that the entirety of the male presenters of this programme are gay men perhaps it’s to provide some balance against Calvin’s homophobia…
There are many gay presenters and contributors on the channel so it is baffling that Calvin gets away with blatant homophobia on a regular basis. I have a feeling that karma will get him at some point though, I don't see him being a long term regular.
 

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Emily Carver replaced Darren Grimes on Real Britain and is also the fiancé of Patrick Christys.
 

365 Networker

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Isn’t not being neutral against the OFCOM‘s broadcasting code?
No - from what I have seen, only 'due impartiality' is required. A good example of this would be Nigel Farage gives a monologue of his opinions on immigration and afterwards debates a left leaning lawyer who disagrees with him. This means that, rightly or wrongly, you cannot get Tucker Carlson style programmes in the UK.
On a semi-unrelated note, Mark Steyn has announced that he's taking Ofcom to court over their ruling against him. I'm not quite sure on what grounds he's doing that, but it appears he has a history of 'free speech' legal cases in other countries and seems to have been quite successful in the past. Should be interesting.
I hope he is successful, considering the nonsense that the vaccine pushers were allowed to get away with on air.
 

jon0844

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Dan Wootton said it was a witch-hunt against Boris that wouldn't work and the people backed him. They did an online Twitter poll that came back 60% against Boris (and then they deleted it) but Dan said the opinions were split evenly.

If 60/40 is an even split and 52/48 is unanimous support, I do think I'll need to go back to school to relearn maths

Even Tory voters seem to think Boris is a liar with polls showing 50% or more thinking so.
 
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Mojo

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Dan Wootton said it was a witch-hunt against Boris that wouldn't work and the people backed him. They did an online Twitter poll that came back 60% against Boris (and then they deleted it) but briefly Dan said the opinions were split evenly.
They didn’t delete the poll, it’s right here: https://twitter.com/gbnews/status/1638631878486794240?s=46&t=NHmFjvBG5xCXSDxwneMrXw

The results of the poll were also clearly broadcast on both screen and read out in the usual manner: https://www.youtube.com/live/j-SYnrxlh_0?feature=share at 21.34 (36 m 25 s on the video).
 

jon0844

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Interesting. It wasn't visible before. Perhaps Elon did something to Twitter again!

Okay, I'll edit my previous post.
 

Dai Corner

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Interesting. It wasn't visible before. Perhaps Elon did something to Twitter again!

Okay, I'll edit my previous post.
An interesting supplementary question might be whether his being found guilty would stop people voting for Mr. Johnson or his Party.
 

jon0844

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Oh I'm sure they'll still vote for the party. Heck, I'm sure he'll get votes wherever he stands, if he still can.
 

MikeWM

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There are many gay presenters and contributors on the channel so it is baffling that Calvin gets away with blatant homophobia on a regular basis.

I'm not sure that he's homophobic as much as that he is quite forceful about following the traditional teachings of his religion, and wanting the churches he cares about to do so as well. (Though I do appreciate that there is a strong argument that as those religions themselves officially consider gay sex to be sinful, following those beliefs 'to the letter' is also homophobic).

He seems to be good friends with Darren Grimes - and David Starkey, for that matter - which would be a bit odd if he *personally* was homophobic.

--

I hope he is successful

Me too. If you're going to push impartiality, you really have to do so in an impartial way (!) and I think it is very clear that Ofcom have very much not been doing that. Given they are also about to be given censorship powers over the internet, this could be a very important case indeed.
 

jon0844

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I suspect Calvin is just grifting. He's cosplaying for some suspect church, so I wouldn't take anything he says seriously.

For all his anti gay/LGBT+ rhetoric, it could well be projection too.
 

bspahh

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This is from a thread on Twitter. There are links to some WWW pages with extra information in that thread. @campbellclaret is Alastair Campbell

Hey @campbellclaret are you any good at join-the-dots?

Dot 1.
GB News is owned by All Perspectives Ltd, which is controlled by three significant shareholders, all of whom work for Christopher Chandler's Dubai-based investment firm Legatum.

Dot 2.
Chandler was named in Parliament by Tory MP and Foreign affairs committee member, Bob Seely, as "working for Russia".

Mr Seely cited security files that he said were authenticated by French, UK and US sources.

Dot 3.
GB news is losing £30M a year.

Dot 4.
For every 1 GB News viewer, there are roughly 100 people people watching BBC and 50 watching ITV.

Despite losing £30M a year and attracting fewer viewers in a month than Gardiners World does per episode, GB News pays, or has paid, generous salaries to the likes of; Rees Mogg, 30p Lee, Andrew Neil, Farage, Portillo, Pierce, Wootton, Stewart, Grimes. Brexiters.

Summary: a loss-making, viewer-less TV Station owned by a Russian-linked billionaire doles out daz-white money to individuals who all worked hard for the Russian foreign policy operation known as Brexit.

Hey @campbellclaret are you any good at join-the-dots?
 

MikeWM

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This is from a thread on Twitter. There are links to some WWW pages with extra information in that thread. @campbellclaret is Alastair Campbell

One thing very much in favour of GBNews is that it doesn't appear to want to go near Alistair Campbell.

He should be in jail for manipulation of evidence that lead directly to the deaths of at least hundreds of thousands of people, not to mention what happened to David Kelly, but instead he gets to pontificate on the likes of the BBC and Sky News.

If Campbell doesn't like it, they must be doing something right!
 

Gloster

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I am not sure that Andrew Neil should really be included with the others. He did at least quit fairly early, seemingly because he didn’t like the direction the station was taking. (I do not like Neil, but feel that he does have some journalistic scruples.)
 

Merle Haggard

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One thing very much in favour of GBNews is that it doesn't appear to want to go near Alistair Campbell.

He should be in jail for manipulation of evidence that lead directly to the deaths of at least hundreds of thousands of people, not to mention what happened to David Kelly, but instead he gets to pontificate on the likes of the BBC and Sky News.

If Campbell doesn't like it, they must be doing something right!

Campbell gets a lot of radio airtime.
On one such current affairs programme recently, I heard him say 'Trump lies to substantiate his policies'. I really wondered if I was listening to Alistair MacGowan (on Dead Ringers). Biting satire - or a total lack of self-awareness.
Yesterday, Campbell was reported as alleging that Johnson was lying when he claimed to have had Covid.
Certainly calls out others for lying. Hypocrisy, after his stories about how we could be atom-bombed bu Hussein in 29 minutes.


Do not infer from the above that I have positive opinions about the other parties (apart from Dead Ringers)
.
 

jon0844

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I guess it takes one to know one. Doesn't surprise me that someone who mastered the role of spin would see through others doing the same.

New Labour came about through courting the media, embracing the still emerging Internet (for the general public, not students and the like), and massaging the news as is now so common today that people barely realise it's being done.

Whereas for a while you could say social media would allow the truth to get through and show up the grifters and liars, we now have the media itself being manipulated by powerful backers with vested interests.

GB News is one such classic example, but Stateside you have many. It seems GB News isn't getting the necessary traction, but it still gets soundbites into other sections of the media and bots get a lot of things spread on Twitter and the like.
 

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