The broadcaster has paid substantial sums to attract politicians and on-screen talent including Nigel Farage, Arlene Foster, and Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg
The right-wing British television and radio channel first launched in June 2021 with promises to ‘shake up’ broadcasting, famously opening with Andrew Neil announcing: “We are proud to be British – the clue is in the name”.
Conservative British TV channel GB News has reported losses of £31 million after its first year on the airwaves, reports The Manc.
However, it quickly suffered an advertiser boycott shortly after its debut with brands including Sainsbury’s and Ikea pulling ads from its channel.
Airing with shows from big names like ex-BBC journalist Andrew Neil, ex-UKIP Leader Nigel Farage, Daily Mail columnist Dan Wooton and ex-Sky broadcaster Colin Brazier amongst others, it has spent huge sums to attract on-screen talent and a year on its Companies House accounts for the year to 31 May 2022 report a loss of £30.7m.
The accounts show that GB News Limited reported advertising revenues of £2.97m, digital revenues of £564,000 and sponsorship revenue of £105,664, however, the cost of sales stood at £25.4m and operating expenses at £8.9m.
Yet the business has said that its directors are ‘satisfied’ with the results for the year and expect growth in the future.
Conservative politician Jacob Reese Mogg hosts a regular show on the channel called ‘State of the Nation’. / Image: GB News / Youtube
The reports follow warnings from bosses in February that the channel faced a tough financial environment, as they revealed it is now being financially supported by Brexiteer hedge fund tycoon Sir Paul Marshall and Dubai-based investment company Legatum.
At the start of March, the broadcaster moved its website from gbnews.uk to gbnews.com, which a spokesperson said: “allows us to reach a much larger potential global audience”.
The broadcaster has paid substantial sums to attract politicians and other talents including Nigel Farage, Arlene Foster, and Conservative MPs Esther McVey and Philip Davies.
According to PA Media, McVey was paid £58,650 by GB News in 2022 and Davies £46,203.
Press Gazette also found in December that GB News had spent more than any other publisher on payments to MPs, dishing out a total of £82,040 between October 2021 and September 2022.
Since then the company has hired two more sitting Conservative parliamentarians, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Lee Anderson, to host shows on the platform.
GB News said its average monthly reach according to BARB was 2.32 million in the 2021/22 financial year, an average linear audience share of 0.3%. A spokesperson said this figure had risen to 2.84 million by February this year.
New research has revealed a global ranking of cities with the best customer service, with Leeds taking one of the top spots.
If you've been wondering which cities across the world are the friendliest of them all, then look no further because MoneySuperMarket have done the work for us in a new study.
In a world where social media culture plays a huge part in people's lives, online customer reviews are pretty important to local businesses.
To uncover the global locations that are home to the best customer service, the businesses insurance experts analysed over 100,000 reviews of leisure and hospitality businesses in 107 cities worldwide.
They looked at the language in the reviews to see how often friendly workers and staff were mentioned, building a global ranking of the cities where customer service truly stands out.
Out of a whopping 107, Leeds came in at a very respectable number 12. Now we think that's pretty good going.
Outside of the UK, Hanoi, Paris, Montreal and Abu Dhabi were highlighted for their friendly customer service whilst Edinburgh tops the global ranking, with Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol also making the world’s top 10.
The top 10 cities in the UK with the best customer service are as follows:
Edinburgh
Liverpool
Birmingham
Bristol
Belfast
Leeds
Glasgow
Cardiff
Manchester
London
Alicia Hempsted spoke on the study: “As businesses grow and engage with more customers, it’s important to make sure they’re protected. Public liability insurance is an important safeguard for those working with the public, helping to cover costs if something goes wrong, while also showing customers that their experience is taken seriously - from the moment they walk through the door to long after they’ve left.”
Prime Minister expected to announce extra bank holiday if England win the 2026 World Cup
Danny Jones
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly set to announce an extra bank holiday if England win the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
What a way to sign off from the highest office in Great Britain, eh?
According to Sky News journalist Beth Rigby, the outgoing PM is expected to reveal an extended period of celebration across the country if/should/WHEN (you’ve got to believe) the Three Lions reach this year’s World Cup final and lift the biggest prize in global sport.
Starmer may be gearing up to leave No. 10 Downing Street soon, but he can certainly earn himself a few more points in the pros column should this familiar rumour come to fruition.
As Rigby states in her post on X, this decision would fall just before the transition in leadership, with Greater Manchester’s own Mayor Andy Burnham all but confirmed at the head of the table already within the Labour Party cabinet.
The incumbent announced he would resign last month, with Burnham declaring himself in the running not long after, winning the Makerfield seat and marking his return as an MP after nearly a decade away from Parliament.
Regarding the still only potential bank holiday – Thomas Tuchel’s side still need to make it through the quarter-final and the semis, remember – the Sky reporter states that the following Friday, 24 July, is the most likely date.
Understandably, plenty on social media are already rejoicing over the prospect, but some aren’t content with waiting a week to carry on the post-trophy lift party, with many arguing that it should be the Monday morning immediately after the final next Sunday (19/2/2026).
Let’s be honest, there’ll be lots of people pulling sickies regardless of whether or not their bosses are left to grant a day off.
Many have already rightly argued that such decisions should have been made in the past after the Lionesses won not just one but two back-to-back European Championships; we’re willing to forgive and move on if the powers that be make it happen this time.
Starmer recently said that despite always believing England will “go all the way”, he didn’t want to jinx anything, simply telling the BBC’s Chris Mason: “Ask me again if we make the final.”
Either way, the general jubilation should England end 60 ‘years of hurt’ will be nothing short of colossal, and it would only feel right given the sheer gravity of the would-be achievement.
We’re even getting excited merely by the idea of some additional and, at present, strictly hypothetical pre- and post-match entertainment…
Sophie Smith -
10th March 2023 
