Ofcom approves Murdoch’s News UK channel
December 2, 2020
Ofcom has granted a licence for Rupert Murdoch to launch a new TV news service in the UK. The channel, simply branded News UK, will now go live next year, with a spring launch mooted.
Although no on-screen talent has yet been revealed for the “opinionated” new channel, rumoured names include Piers Morgan and Lord Alan Sugar.
The current scheduling plan is for News UK to be on air for a few hours each night. The line-up will start with an early-evening politics show, a daily political debate programme and an evening news round-up. A satirical show is also a possibility.
The channel is now in a race to launch before GB News, another new news channel offering backed by Discovery and helmed by journalist and broadcaster Andrew Neil. Both channels believe they can take a significant portion of right-leaning news watchers away from the BBC.