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Fox News' Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson programs violated Britain's broadcast standards, watchdog

CletusWilbury

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Fox News' Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson programs violated Britain's broadcast standards, watchdog says LATimes, NOV 06, 2017

Two Fox News programs — “Hannity” and “Tucker Carlson Tonight” — violated Great Britain’s broadcast standards by providing biased views on important topics, according to Britain’s media watchdog.
...
British media laws, unlike those in the U.S., require television presenters to provide fair and balanced reports. In the past, the Office of Communications, known as Ofcom, lightly regulated Fox News because the topics were mostly aimed at U.S. audiences, and because the channel had a minuscule following in Britain.
However, the Jan. 31 episode of “Hannity,” which covered President Trump’s ban on travel from seven Muslim-majority countries, was particularly relevant to British viewers, Ofcom said in its report. On the day before the broadcast, thousands of people in Britain joined protests. About 1.5 million people signed a petition calling on members of Parliament to cancel a visit by Trump.
The "Hannity" segment included alternative viewpoints — video clips of public officials reacting negatively to Trump's travel ban. However, Hannity then "repeatedly dismissed or ridiculed" the people who spoke against the ban. Those lambasted by Hannity were not given "sufficient opportunity … to challenge or otherwise respond to the criticism directed at them," the Ofcom report said.
Carlson's problematic program ran May 25, in the aftermath of the Manchester terrorist attack. The episode included "highly critical statements" about Prime Minister Theresa May and Manchester police and politicians. Statements included "accusations that particular individuals and public bodies had done nothing to: counter terrorism; stop radicalization; protect citizens from terrorism; or protect 'thousands of underage girls' from rape and abuse," the report said.
Despite the fierce criticism that British authorities failed to act because they were motivated by political correctness, "there was no reflection of the views of the U.K. Government or any of the authorities or people criticized," the report said.
"The presenter [Carlson] did not challenge the views of his contributors, instead, he reinforced their views," the report said.
...

Just saying you are fair and balanced doesn't mean you are. Looks like these two will not be on long in Britain.
 
Fox News' Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson programs violated Britain's broadcast standards, watchdog says LATimes, NOV 06, 2017



Just saying you are fair and balanced doesn't mean you are. Looks like these two will not be on long in Britain.

Thank God here In Murica we actually have free speech. Right?

Lol, Britain is now the final arbiter of what is fair and balanced? BTW, you realize Fox no longer uses that blurb, right?

Wait, lemme see if I care. Nope, not a bit. :yawn:
 
Fox News' Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson programs violated Britain's broadcast standards, watchdog says LATimes, NOV 06, 2017



Just saying you are fair and balanced doesn't mean you are. Looks like these two will not be on long in Britain.

Nah, it's called standards and expectation of responsibility in the media. Wouldn't it be nice if America had some?

These are long standing rules, and these guys would have, or should have, known what they were doing was in violation of that. You can't whine when it's all written down, and that they would not comply simply indicates the level of arrogance one would come to expect from their brand of commentator. Hopefully they aren't on in Britain for long, and end up on local cable TV in the middle of nowhere.
 
Nah, it's called standards and expectation of responsibility in the media. Wouldn't it be nice if America had some?

These are long standing rules, and these guys would have, or should have, known what they were doing was in violation of that. You can't whine when it's all written down, and that they would not comply simply indicates the level of arrogance one would come to expect from their brand of commentator. Hopefully they aren't on in Britain for long, and end up on local cable TV in the middle of nowhere.

Along with Chris Matthews and Anderson Cooper? ;)
 
Nah, it's called standards and expectation of responsibility in the media. Wouldn't it be nice if America had some?

These are long standing rules, and these guys would have, or should have, known what they were doing was in violation of that. You can't whine when it's all written down, and that they would not comply simply indicates the level of arrogance one would come to expect from their brand of commentator. Hopefully they aren't on in Britain for long, and end up on local cable TV in the middle of nowhere.

Do these rules apply only to broadcasts that call themselves news?
 
I don't know, I'm not really up on British broadcasting regulations, but I was able to find this for you:

BBC - Guidelines - Editorial Guidelines

Don't have the time to go through it all now myself, but this might help defend (or make you regret...haha) your thread. :)

Thanks. Your point about established rules being violated isn't in question, they don't care.
 
Well the channel was behind a paywall (unlike all other news channels) so its viewership was highly limited. That protected it from scrutiny for over a decade.. basically it was almost on the same level as porn :) However now that Murdoch wants to fully take over Sky, then regulators were beginning to get more complaints. Remember the regulators usually only act if there are complaints and a lot of them.
 
Fox News shows broke UK TV impartiality rules, Ofcom finds Monday 6 November 2017

...
Sky pulled Fox News from its platform in Britain in August. It said the move was for commercial reasons as the channel was attracting only a small audience.

Ofcom said it was publishing the rulings despite Fox News no longer being broadcast in the UK “to ensure there is a complete compliance record and to facilitate public understanding of the code”.

The regulator has the power to fine broadcasters depending on how severely they breach the code. However, because Fox News no longer holds a broadcasting licence it cannot be considered for a fine.
...
Ofcom found the programme breached rules 5.9, 5.11 and 5.12 of the British broadcasting code. These relate to adequate representation of alternative views on discussions programmes, due impartiality on matters of major political or industrial controversy, and including a wide range of significant views when dealing with major political or industrial controversy.
...

British broadcasting code

5.9 Presenters and reporters (with the exception of news presenters and reporters in
news programmes), presenters of “personal view” or “authored” programmes
or items, and chairs of discussion programmes may express their own views on
matters of political or industrial controversy or matters relating to current public
policy. However, alternative viewpoints must be adequately represented either
in the programme, or in a series of programmes taken as a whole. ...

5.12 In dealing with matters of major political and industrial controversy and
major matters relating to current public policy an appropriately wide range of
significant views must be included and given due weight in each programme
or in clearly linked and timely programmes. Views and facts must not be
misrepresented.

5.9 seems reasonable, 5.12 'due weight' hard to show
 
Not that it matters. Fox News is no longer carried in the UK, lucky Brits !!
 
A watchdog says? my bet is that they don't go anywhere.



Did you read the report, it's a bunch of whining and they have no problem with maddow and co?

Fox is already gone, lack of audience. This was the official watchdog. Maybe because Maddow isn't broadcast in the UK? Or, if she is, follows the rules?
 
Or maybe there is another reason. :ssst:

Well from what I can tell it is the fact she is not broadcast in the UK. MSNBC does not broadcast at all in Europe let alone in the UK with the exception of one channel showing brief news clips even now and again. It also seems that when MSNBC does broadcast abroad it is only their news coverage not opinion shows, probably because it would be largely irrelevant for the audience.
 
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Fox is already gone, lack of audience. This was the official watchdog. Maybe because Maddow isn't broadcast in the UK? Or, if she is, follows the rules?

MSNBC is not broadcast in Europe. In fact Fox News was and is the only US news channel in Europe. It is still sent in some countries, but all paid only services (I think.. well it is still listed on our satellites). Well we do have CNBC and Bloomberg, but they are financial news mostly so not really a "News" channel. They also send from Europe or Asia when the US sleeps... as with local/regional anchors and news. Guess we have to live with the following channels in English.

Sky News, BBC News, BBC World, CNBC, Bloomberg, CNN International, DW, France 24, RT, Al Jazerra, CCTV and a few others.. Add to that the non English stations.. even Denmark has a 24 hour news channel these days. Lets put it this way, Europeans have plenty of news channels to combat the "bias" as you say.
 
From a country that arrests their citizens for making Facebook posts critical of Fundamentalist Muslims...even arresting British citizens MARRIED to Muslims...its hard to much give a **** about their opinions or laws regarding US broadcasts.
 
From a country that arrests their citizens for making Facebook posts critical of Fundamentalist Muslims...even arresting British citizens MARRIED to Muslims...its hard to much give a **** about their opinions or laws regarding US broadcasts.
You don't have to give flying fig over any of it, as far as we over here are concerned. But US broadcasters transmitting stuff over here cannot share into that luxury.

So, go and un-excite yourself.:2razz:
 
You don't have to give flying fig over any of it, as far as we over here are concerned. But US broadcasters transmitting stuff over here cannot share into that luxury.

So, go and un-excite yourself.:2razz:
You get how unexcited I already am...right? Like...for example...I dont think I have EVER posted a thread or comment to a thread on a site from another country.

The UK can have their ****. Our ancestry decided we didnt want anything to do with it a long time ago.
 
You get how unexcited I already am...right? Like...for example...I dont think I have EVER posted a thread or comment to a thread on a site from another country.

The UK can have their ****. Our ancestry decided we didnt want anything to do with it a long time ago.
Thar' you go then.

Now if you'd stayed out of the Europe forum and this European issue altogether, you'd not have wasted your time on what you don't care about in the first place.
 
Thar' you go then.

Now if you'd stayed out of the Europe forum and this European issue altogether, you'd not have wasted your time on what you don't care about in the first place.
Oh...I think there is value in pointing out the reality of the differences between our countries. Its especially helpful when peopled start saying "gosh...wouldnt it be swell if we were like THOSE guys?"
 
Fox News got pulled off the air over there because no one was watching. Must've been some satellite feed or something.

The Brits are smart. Fox News is a mess.
Yup, it came via Sky's satellite (all of Sky's packages do in the UK) and was paywall. Not specifically Fox itself but the package in which it came.

Stopped being commercially viable since in the end it had virtually no subscribers.
 
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