‘Ofcom’s decisions now are weird, are just strange and they are unpredictable’.
Respected audio and radio expert Matt Deegan on the state of the broadcasting regulator Ofcom ( 20’ 30” in)

What we told their Lordships about Ofcom and due impartiality. A summary by Chris Banatvala of our written evidence to the Lords Communications and Digital Committee is at profpurvis.com

'The rules say they [MPs] can present current affairs,' Ofcom's Cristina Nicolotti Squires tells Lords Communications and Digital Committee.

Except the rules say no such thing. The current affairs caveat was invented in a blog and later codified as guidance. All without industry consultation. Messy.

It is completely untrue to say (as Andrew Billen wrote in the Times yesterday) that Trevor McDonald was chosen over the excellent Alastair Stewart because he was the ‘focus groups pick’. I made the choice with my colleague David Mannion. There were no focus groups.

Professor Sir John Curtice at the recording of the Trendy podcast: ‘what does it tell you about our politics that there is no room in the Labour Party for Jeremy Corbyn but there is for Natalie Elphicke’. ⁦Tortoise⁩

Nick Robinson to Lee Anderson of Reform UK and GB News ‘there are other channels on which politicians interview each other and interview themselves and this isn’t one of them.
So let’s stick to the convention where I ask the questions BBC Radio 4 Today

Faced with the provocative questioning of the fearless Roger Bolton I set out my views on Ofcom’s failure to regulate GBNews and what could happen during the General Election campaign RogerBoltonsBeebWatch #GBNews shows.acast.com/rogerboltonsbe…

Unmissable iv with Stewart Purvis “Ofcom has misled people as to what the focus groups found.” “Something has gone wrong inside it.” “I cannot get away from the fact that in the background, Melanie Dawes knew what Boris Johnson wanted.” Listen: podfollow.com/beebwatch/view

Enjoying the new memoir ‘Revolucion to Roxy’ by Phil Manzanera, lead guitarist in Roxy Music, who I remember as Phillip Targett-Adams, a fellow boarder at Dulwich College. I’m bottom left, he’s top right in this photo from the book.

Ofcom feels the need to say its CEO Dame Melanie Dawes ‘does not play any role in the decision-making process in relation to the assessment, investigation, and enforcement of broadcasting standards generally and due impartiality matters specifically”. bylinetimes.com/2024/04/23/ofc…

The cross-examination of Angela van den Bogerd at the Post Office Inquiry should be turned into a trainee video for recruits into corporate life warning them what happens when you start to believe that sticking to corporate ‘messaging’ is more important than the truth.

pca.st/episode/a72cb3…

Another excellent blog from Stewart Purvis, a former Ofcom official, on the absurd mess Ofcom have got themselves into over GB News.

This is a very good piece analysing how craven Ofcom has become under its current woeful leadership. GB News now either ignores or openly mocks the regulator.

A scorching analysis‼️Ofcom abandons its evidence based approach and bends the data to fit the Chairman’s view.

Imagine a general election campaign where a political party can interview itself on TV every day. It’s coming soon courtesy of Ofcom. My blog at profpurvis.com #Ofcom #GBNews

The Companies House register for Reform UK Party Limited shows that Nigel Farage, who Ofcom say can broadcast on GB News during the General Election campaign, is an ‘Active’ Director of the company.. #Ofcom #GBNews

Ofcom audience research out today lists four key characteristics which viewers associate with a ‘news programme’ (which politicians can’t present) . Check them off : studio backdrop/presenter sitting behind a desk/rolling banner/ ticker. I rest my case. Ofcom #GBNews

I've supported Ofcom in fostering diversity of views. But they've got this one wrong. They're creating a gulf between 'News' & 'Current Affairs' that doesn't exist; and they rely too much on audience perceptions. There has to be an editorial grip on what is impartial and fair.

So, Nigel Farage - one of the founders & owners of Reform UK - can present an “impartial” programme on a TV “news” channel during the general election according to the broadcasting regulator @ofcom. The leader of the party Richard Tice 🇬🇧 & its only MP Lee Anderson MP can