It’s go for GB News! First new British news network in 24 years takes to the airwaves
It’s go for GB News! First new British news network in 24 years takes to the airwaves as station boss Andrew Neil tells viewers ‘if it matters to you it matters to us’ and vows to tackle cancel culture saying ‘now is the time to do news differently’
- GB News, which is aiming to reach those who feel ‘unheard’ by the media, launched at 8pm tonight
- It is the first new British news network in 24 years – since BBC News 24 launched in 1997
- It has brought in big names including Simon McCoy, Colin Brazier and MailOnline columnist Dan Wootton
- Andrew Neil, who will present a show four nights a week, is the face and chairman of GB News
Andrew Neil pledged his new 24-hour news channel will tackle cancel culture and will not be ‘yet another echo chamber for the metropolitan mindset’ as it launched at 8pm tonight.
GB News, which is aiming to reach those who feel ‘unheard’ by the media, launched at 8pm tonight with a special programme titled Welcome To GB News.
It is the first new British news network in 24 years – since BBC News 24 launched in 1997. Although foreign channels have launched in the UK in that time, such as Al Jazeera English, this is the first new network specifically for UK audiences.
It has brought in big names ahead of its launch, including signing Simon McCoy, Sky News anchor Colin Brazier and new MailOnline columnist Dan Wootton.
Neil, who will present a show four nights a week, is the face and chairman of GB News, announcing its birth last year while also signalling the end of his relationship with the BBC, where he was one of the most respected political interviewers.
Andrew Neil pledged his new 24-hour news channel will tackle cancel culture and will not be ‘yet another echo chamber for the metropolitan mindset’ as it launched at 8pm tonight
Left to right: Kirsty Gallacher, Andrew Doyle, Neil Oliver, Darren McCaffrey, Alex Phillips, Rebecca Hutson, Simon McCoy, Nana Akua, Liam Halligan, Gloria Del Piero, Dan Wootton, Andrew Neil, Michelle Dewberry, Mercy Muroki, Tom Harwood, Colin Brazier, Inaya Folarin Iman, Alastair Stewart
At 8pm, as the channel launched, he gave a five minute introduction for viewers, saying the network would concentrate on ‘the stories that matter to you and that others are neglecting’.
He added: ‘We are committed to covering the people’s agenda, not the media’s agenda.
‘GB News will not be yet another echo chamber for the metropolitan mindset that already dominates so much of the media.
‘We are proud to be British, the clue is in the name, and while we will never hold back from covering our country’s many flaws and problems… we won’t forget what the B stands for in our title.
‘We will puncture the pomposity of our elites… and expose their growing promotion of cancel culture for the threat to free speech and democracy that it is.’
Seasoned broadcaster Andrew Neil had sidestepped early teething trouble when presenter Neil Oliver’s microphone failed, and later returned to Mr Oliver, joking about the minor hiccup.
Global media and entertainment company Discovery, Inc is the lead investor. GB News will feature more than 6,500 hours of content a year, made exclusively for the channel, which has secured broadcasting licences from Ofcom.
It has been founded by media executives Andrew Cole and Mark Schneider. They plan for the channel to reach 96% of British television households via Freeview, Sky and Virgin Media.
Other names to feature on air include former Sky Sports presenter Kirsty Gallacher, Darren McCaffrey and Rosie Wright, who will host morning show The Great British Breakfast, while also working on other programmes.
The news channel, launched as a rival to the news and current affairs offerings on the likes of BBC and Sky, has also signed up businesswoman and former Apprentice winner Michelle Dewberry (pictured)
MailOnline’s Dan Wootton hosted Tonight Live, the first show after Andrew Neil’s introductory hour-long programme
Coast host Neil Oliver, who is among the presenters hired by the network, featured prominently on its opening night shows
Other names to feature on air include former Sky Sports presenter Kirsty Gallacher (pictured taking a selfie), Darren McCaffrey and Rosie Wright, who will host morning show The Great British Breakfast, while also working on other programmes
Pictured: The countdown timer on the GB News channel ten minutes before it launched at 8pm tonight
Piers Morgan wished good luck to his ‘old mucker’ Andrew Neil ahead of the launch of GB News tonight
Nigel Farage, who was interviewed by Dan Wootton, was among the first faces to appear on GB News’s launch-night schedule
Former Fleet Street editor and BBC political heavyweight interviewer Andrew Neil will be the face of the new channel
Members of the backroom production team watch on as the network’s opening night programmes hit the air last night
On air: Andrew Neil chats to colleague Neil Oliver during the opening moments of GB News’s first night, as the network took to the airwaves at 8pm last night
Michelle Dewberry told Andrew Neil how her difficult upbringing will aid her empathy with viewers on her evening show
Economist Liam Halligan, former Labour MP Gloria Del Piero, Mercy Muroki and Colin Brazier seen for first time in the studio
The studio of British television news channel GB News at The Point in Paddington, north London
Computers and TV monitors from the offices of new British television news channel GB News on May 31
It will be available to watch in HD on Sky channel 515 and Virgin Media’s channel 626, as well as also showing on Freeview and YouView channel 236, Freesat channel 216 and online.
The news channel, launched as a rival to the news and current affairs offerings on the likes of BBC and Sky, has also signed up businesswoman and former Apprentice winner Michelle Dewberry.
The launch came after the BBC was accused of a last-minute ‘ambush’ of GB News. The national broadcaster was alleged to have been calling for the new station to be barred from accessing footage of public events which is available via a ‘pooling’ system run by the UK’s three main broadcasters.
The pool is made up of the BBC, Sky News and ITN, which produces the news operations of both ITV and Channel 4.
But A BBC spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘We are very happy for GB News to be part of the pool and we are happy to discuss how that could happen.’
Broadcaster and author Neil Oliver, known for programmes including Coast and A History Of Ancient Britain, will host Neil Oliver Live, while Andrew Doyle will host Free Speech Nation.
Former ITV presenter Alastair Stewart will anchor Alastair Stewart And Friends, featuring conversation and analysis of current affairs.
Producers work at their desks as they prepare to go live this weekend as GB News begins to broadcast to the nation
The channel is launching at 8pm on June 13 with a special programme called Welcome To GB News amid much fanfare
It will be available to watch in HD on Sky channel 515 and Virgin Media’s channel 626, as well as also showing on Freeview and YouView channel 236, Freesat channel 216 and online
Brazier and social commentator Mercy Muroki will host a joint show, as will former Labour MP Gloria De Piero and economist Liam Halligan.
GB News has also recruited a team of regional reporters to help serve its mission of involving ‘non-metropolitan voices in the national conversation’.
Director of news and programmes John McAndrew said: ‘It’s a huge task to launch even one new programme, never mind a whole channel to run 18 hours a day.
‘The team has been working flat out and of course there’s a sense of nervous excitement, but mostly excitement. We can’t wait to get started now.’
The intriguing new pictures show the new set which looks very futuristic with its black decor and neon lit stage
The behind the scenes pictures give a hint on how the shows on the new channel might look when it finally launches this week
A two chair and table set up appears to be a second stage for face-to-face interviews with individual people
Former Daily Politics presenter Andrew Neil will lead the channel’s evening line-up with a prime-time news and interviews
Other high-profile signings to the channel include ex-BBC presenter Simon McCoy and MailOnline columnist Dan Wootton
Following his departure from Good Morning Britain, reports have suggested Piers Morgan could be another addition to the GB News line-up.
Neil told the Evening Standard it would ‘be nice to have him’, adding: ‘But he’s got his own idea of what he is worth and we have a slightly different idea of what he’s worth.
‘He is in a lucky situation because ITV are continuing to pay him a tonne of money so he doesn’t have to do anything in the short run.
‘I don’t think he’s going to go anywhere else in the UK. If he has a huge American offer that’s a different matter.
‘No-one in the UK can compete with that, but if he’s going to do more UK news TV I hope it will be with us.’
Appearing on ITV’s This Morning, Neil praised the launch line-up of presenters as representative of ‘modern Britain’.
He said: ‘On Sunday night we hope to launch GB News, a new channel.
‘It is quite fraught, as you can imagine, trying to do this in the middle of a pandemic, but we are getting there.
‘We are using lots of the latest new technology, which will be great.
‘But, as you know, new technology doesn’t always work first time round and all the journalists and technicians have got to get used to it.
‘So it is a challenge, but I launched Sky News way back in 1989 so we are used to it.
‘The one thing that has been great is the line-up of presenters. They are Britain, they are modern Britain.’
The GB News studios are located in Paddington, west London.
‘Brilliant, refreshing and much needed’: Viewers praise opening moments as GB News takes to the air
GB News viewers have taken to social media to praise the launch of the ‘straight-talking’ TV channel as it becomes the first new broadcaster to hit the UK’s airwaves in 24 years.
The right-leaning channel, which aims to cater to a broad audience including those under-represented in the 2016 Brexit debate, was a hit with viewers as it began tonight with an introduction to the GB News team by presenter Andrew Neil.
Neil began the show by calling ‘cancel culture’ a ‘threat to democracy’, telling viewers: ‘GB news will not be yet another echo chamber for the metropolitan mindset that dominates much of the media’.
Viewers took to social media to praise the ‘refreshing’ and ‘much needed’ addition to British television, which is the first new channel to launch since BBC News 24 in 1997.
Siân Davidson wrote: ‘Great to have a news channel where different views are shared rather than one viewpoint and Andrew Neil launching it #GBNews.’
Jonathan wrote: ‘ @GBNEWS Well done Andrew Neil – a brilliant, refreshing and much needed introduction to our new news station!’
Aaron Healey wrote: ‘#GBNews lovely to see all the triggered woke brigade aghast at having a channel not bowing to their woke b********.’
Jim Crozier wrote: ‘Just tuned into @GBNEWS and loving how Andrew Neil is already giving it both barrels! I don’t think I’ve ever been excited to watch the news.’
As the channel cut to its first advertisement break some Twitter users questioned whether the advertisers will face retaliation.
Martin Daubney wrote: ‘First ever @GBNEWS advertiser that the morons will want to cancel is… Kelloggs!’
Viewers rushed to social media to praise the ‘refreshing’ and ‘much needed’ addition to British television, which is the first to launch since BBC News 24 in 1997
Another viewer added: ”… if it matters to you… it matters to us.. Hector has left the building..’ 5 minutes in, what an introduction by Andrew Neil!!! … … love it already, this is my news channel now !!!’
Neil’s show will contain a segment called ‘Woke Watch’, with a live segment featuring a Dan Wootton interview with Lord Alan Sugar later this evening.
Neil told London’s Evening Standard newspaper: ‘We are for people who think the existing channels don’t quite represent how they see things.’
John McAndrew, GB News’ director of news and programming, said: ‘Our presenters will have the freedom to say what they think, to have some fun and to be brave about the issues that really matter to the people of Britain.’
The station, which has a staff of 140 journalists based at newly acquired offices in west London, has attracted a string of high-profile UK broadcasters.
The channel, which is billed as ‘Britain’s news channel’ – with a logo featuring the red white and blue of the Union Jack – has been forced to fend off unfavourable comparisons to the firebrand and divisive populism of US network Fox News.
McAndrew told trade publication Press Gazette this week the channel will not be a ‘hate-filled divisive shout-fest’.
Prior to taking the role on at GB News Neil worked for 25 years at the BBC, edited the Sunday Times and founded Britain’s last successful TV start-up, Sky.
GB News line-up revealed: Andrew Neil leads coverage with MailOnline columnist Dan Wootton anchoring his own show five nights a week
- Andrew Neil has a primetime news and interview programme in evening line-up
- MailOnline columnist Dan Wooton will present his own show five nights a week
- The Great British Breakfast features selection of hosts including Kirsty Gallacher
Andrew Neil will lead the evening line-up on GB News with a primetime news and interview programme.
The new network, of which the veteran political interviewer is also chairman, has made a number of high-profile signings including ex-BBC presenter Simon McCoy, former executive editor for The Sun Dan Wootton, and ex-Sky broadcaster Colin Brazier.
A morning show called The Great British Breakfast will feature a selection of hosts including former Sky Sports presenter Kirsty Gallacher, Darren McCaffrey and Rosie Wright, who will all work across other programmes and stories.
The new British television news channel GB News will launch at 8pm on June 13 with a special programme called Welcome To GB News. Left: GB News presenter Andrew Neil. Right: Michelle Dewberry
Veteran political interviewer Andrew Neil will lead the evening line-up on GB News and is also chairman
Left: GB News presenter Kirsty Gallacher. Right: Gloria De Piero
Left: GB News presenter Dan Wootton. Right: Simon McCoy
Former Apprentice winner Michelle Dewberry will host Dewbs & Co every weeknight.
Wootton will present Tonight Live With Dan Wootton five nights a week, while broadcaster Nana Akua will host Tonight Live With Nana Akua.
Director of news and programming John McAndrew said: ‘We can sense a real hunger for something fresh and different in television news and debate.
‘It’s humbling because we are a small start-up with a fraction of the resources of others, but what we lack in size we make up for in passion and determination to provide a welcoming home for honest British news and debate.
‘All our presenters will have the freedom to say what they think, to have some fun and to be brave about covering the issues that really matter to the people of Britain.’
Broadcaster and author Neil Oliver, known for programmes including Coast and A History Of Ancient Britain, will host Neil Oliver Live, while Andrew Doyle will host Free Speech Nation, described by the channel as ‘a fearless filleting of the country’s thorniest debates’.
Dan Wooton (left) will present his own show five times a week while Simon McCoy will co-host an afternoon programme with Alex Phillips
Pictured: Alastair Stewart will also be joining the team of GB News presenters
Former ITV presenter Alastair Stewart will anchor Alastair Stewart And Friends, featuring conversation and analysis of current affairs.
Brazier and social commentator Mercy Muroki will host a joint show, as will former Labour MP Gloria De Piero and economist Liam Halligan.
McCoy and Alex Phillips will also co-host an afternoon programme.
GB News has recruited a team of regional reports to help serve its mission of involving ‘non-metropolitan voices in the national conversation’.
