New news channel launches in UK and wants to shake things up
LONDON (AP) - A new news channel launched on British television on Sunday evening with the aim of giving a voice 'œto those who feel sidelined or silenced.'ť
GB News, which is positioning itself as a rival to the news and current affairs offerings of the likes of BBC and Sky News, denies it will be the British equivalent of Fox News. However, it clearly wants to do things differently.
'œWe are proud to be British,'ť veteran broadcaster Andrew Neil said during the launch. 'œThe clue is in the name.'ť
Neil, the new channel's chairman who has previously edited the Sunday Times newspaper and was a long-standing political interviewer for the BBC, told viewers that GB News will 'œexpose the growing promotion of cancel culture.'ť
Neil, 72, launched the channel with an hour-long introduction to the presenting line-up.
In his opening monologue, Neil said GB News would cover 'œthe stories that matter to you and those that have been neglected'ť and would deliver 'œa huge range of voices that reflect the views and values of our United Kingdom.'ť
GB News, he added 'œwill not slavishly follow the existing news agenda'ť and would not be 'œanother echo chamber for the metropolitan mindset that already dominates so much of the media."
The launch was not without technical issues, including a microphone glitch when Neil was chatting with one of the channel's presenters, Neil Oliver.
GB News will broadcast seven days a week across the U.K. and Ireland and will be available globally on digital platforms.