A heated confrontation unfolded on GB News when journalist Michael Crick accused Britain’s News Channel of operating with “extreme bias” in extraordinary comments that prompted host Andrew Pierce to mount a fierce defence of the channel.
During the on-air clash, Mr Crick declared it was “outrageous the way Ofcom lets you get away with murder.”
Andrew immediately challenged the statement, demanding: “What do you mean, ‘get away with murder,’ Michael? Come on, what do you mean?”
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The dispute emerged against the backdrop of a broadcasting controversy involving the BBC’s Radio 4 programme.
During Wednesday morning’s Thought for the Day segment, Dr Krish Kandiah, who founded The Sanctuary Foundation refugee charity, characterised Shadow Justice Minister Robert Jenrick’s comments about illegal immigration as “xenophobic,” but the BBC have since apologised for the statement.
Mr Crick said on GB News: “It is wrong, and the BBC shouldn’t have done it. I have long been concerned about, and to a degree campaigned against, bias in broadcasting.
“That includes bias on GB News, because I think it’s outrageous the way Ofcom lets you get away with murder.”
Outraged, GB News host Andrew Pierce said: “What do you mean, ‘get away with murder,’ Michael? Come on, what do you mean?”
He responded: “Let’s be clear, I don’t mean literally murder, but in terms of bias. How many members of the Reform UK parliamentary party over the last 12 months have been GB News presenters? Three. Which other party has half of its presenters on GB News?
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Andrew challenged this point, explaining that GB News has a large range of presenters with varying political views.
He said: “Michael, we’ve got Miriam Cates on this channel, she’s a former Tory MP. We’ve got Jacob Rees-Mogg, a former Tory MP. Gloria De Piero she’s a former Labour MP. We are a broad church.”
Crick responded: “I would say there are about 20 right-wing presenters and maybe one or two left-wing presenters.
“You often get debates like this one, where there are two of you against someone expressing an alternative view.”
Andrew fired back at him: “I don’t think that you need someone holding your hand.”
He added: “And it’s not fair. You’re a propaganda channel, not a news channel, much like TalkTV.”
Andrew said: “That is just not fair. I would push back on that statement that we are a propaganda channel.
“The BBC I would say, is the one with propaganda. It is left of centre and it churns out a left of centre bias all the time which is why its viewing figures and listening figures are falling.”
He responded: “I think there has been a problem in the past with some of the programmes BBC News has done and some of the presenters it has had, but I think it’s actually dealt with a lot of that recently.
“I think Thought for the Day is a remaining problem, but it’s nothing like the difference between you and the BBC.”