New Alternative News Channel "GB News" chaired by Andrew Neil launching - read OP before posting

Quin_Dub · 24-09-2021 10:27AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117930997#Comment_117930997

That's fair to a point but the problem they have is that based on their own figures one hour of broadcasting 4 days a week accounts for 60-70% of their total viewers - The Farage show.

This is based on them having a 4 week reach of ~2.1M viewers according to BARB and GB News saying that Farage is pulling ~100k viewers for his show (they might not being telling the truth though😀)

So 400k per week for Farage , means 1.6M for the 4 weeks , leaving ~500k for the rest of the channels output.

500k spread out over the remaining 656 hours of broadcasting across 4 weeks means that they are averaging just ~750 viewers per hour.

So , there are vast swathes of their programming that have effectively zero viewers and not just the middle of the night either - In real terms nobody is watching during the middle of the day or in the late evening as well.

So the "No one is watching" jibe is largely accurate outside of a very very narrow timeframe. Every channel has their "headline" show , but such an intense consolidation of their viewers around 4 hours a week is absolutely horrendous for advertising - Why would anyone part with money outside of those hours?

And reports are that large blocks of "Ad breaks" are simply being filled with a "Back Soon" test card as they don't have any advertisers.

TalkTV will absolutely schedule Piers Morgan in direct competition to Farage and as much of a reprehensible tool as Morgan is , he will absolutely wipe the floor with Farage.

GB News are hanging by a thread and survive solely at the whim of their financial backers , and they are going to run out of charity very soon I'd imagine

Quantum Erasure · 24-09-2021 10:48PM

GB News is just a disaster. I came close to a breakdown. It would've killed me to carry on. I HAD to quit- ANDREW NEIL

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10026417/amp/GB-News-just-disaster-came-close-breakdown-ANDREW-NEIL.html?__twitter_impression=true

breezy1985 · 24-09-2021 11:44PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117935962#Comment_117935962

Boo hoo hoo. Andy goes jumping knowingly into a tank full of bile and disgust and big surprise discovers it's full of disgusting bile.

Poor little snowflake couldn't handle it

AllForIt · 25-09-2021 12:11AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117932509#Comment_117932509

Yes, that's all very analytical and I don't dispute any of it, but you haven't compared it to Sky News in an equally analytical way. What I mean by that is surely some of SKY/BBC news equally has feck all viewers at times as well.

As for talkTV overtaking GBNews, I think that's all fantasy talk atm. Who know what will happen, maybe talkTV won't happen at all, or Murdoch might take over GBNews, or the two could meld eventually.

Tell me how · 25-09-2021 12:17AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117936128#Comment_117936128

He didn't just jump in to the tank. He suggested that there should be a tank and it should be filled with these ingredients.

Cody montana · 25-09-2021 08:51AM

'GB News is just a disaster. I came close to a breakdown. It would've killed me to carry on. I HAD to quit': ANDREW NEIL breaks down in tears in his first interview since his exit from channel he helped create

ancapailldorcha · 25-09-2021 09:02AM

Pathetic. Any respect I had for the man is completely gone. Typical crybully. He was happy to gloat when he thought GB News was in the ascendant but now it's proven itself to be a terrible idea he's wailing like a spoiled brat.

Pathetic.

pixelburp · 25-09-2021 09:04AM

Makes sense a man who spent his career listening to various politicians' performative Road to Damascus routines would himself trot out that tactic, when faced with an uncomfortable reality. About as authentic and honest as a 9 euro note, and I doubt he's fooling anymore bar those looking for a little public contrition on the way back to a cushy media job.

Rawr · 25-09-2021 09:16AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117936128#Comment_117936128

The article somewhat fuels some of my suspicions that they are running on a very lean operations model. Andrew Neil even states that he had to argue them into having a set manager, otherwise the presenter would likely be the only staff on set. It looks a lot like they just took over a generic office floor, converted one of the meeting rooms into the “studio” (and only studio according to Neil), and then equipped it with a faulty auto-camera system that they didn’t even test properly ahead of launch.

It would surprise me if there more than a couple dozen people at that location, which might explain why they’ve lasted this long without any real income.

Quin_Dub · 25-09-2021 10:31AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117936150#Comment_117936150

Indeed - But there are a couple of key points to note.

Sky News has 4X the viewers and BBC News has about 7X - They also don't have the same level of viewer consolidation around a single show.

So, yes they probably have some lower numbers in the wee small hours , but even on average they'd be many multiples of GB News.

The other absolutely critical part is that neither Sky News nor BBC News need to be independently profitably to stay on air.

BBC News is state funded and Sky News is part of a much larger Media organization such that they can spread the costs burden (and profits/losses) across the entire company.

GB News doesn't have either of those fall backs to protect them.

I have no issue with them broadcasting - Each to their own.

The points I have been making all along are simply tied to the viability of the business model and thus far it's simply not sustainable without ongoing and continuous cash injections from investors - With no hope of a return on said cash outlay.

They could go on forever if the investors wish them to , or they could shut up shop in the morning - Who knows what will happen.

Fundamentally , their continued existence is entirely down to the willingness of their backers to spend money without financial return.

ancapailldorcha · 25-09-2021 11:01AM

Yeah.

https://twitter.com/mrjamesob/status/1441716200438960128

Josephfromdowntheroad · 25-09-2021 02:53PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117928278#Comment_117928278

That's impressive to be beating sky news during primetime hours to be fair.

Aidric · 25-09-2021 05:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117935962#Comment_117935962

Whatever about Neil being close to a breakdown, I was close to vomiting reading that puff piece.

"It was terrible, it was terrible,’ he says as I hug him". This quote emerged barely two paragraphs in and immediately all credibility is shot.

It gets worse, his wife is referred to as "A Swedish engineer with the looks of a film star" who thankfully comforted him in his hour of need whilst on a weekend trip to Jersey. Did Neil write that reference himself?

It's staggering that as Chairman he oversaw that rollout mess yet takes no responsibility for it. This article is a complete sham and nothing more than a whitewashing exercise.

joe40 · 25-09-2021 05:50PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117938580#Comment_117938580

Not just the looks of a movie star but also "20 years younger" how sad can you get?

Andrew Neil is not apologetic about the toxic content of the news show just the technical support.

breezy1985 · 25-09-2021 05:56PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117938642#Comment_117938642

It's all down to the fact people were laughing at him. No remorse for the scummy content

tdf7187 · 25-09-2021 06:05PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117936631#Comment_117936631

While his account is undoubtedly self-serving, taking it at face value, his account of the technical issues and sheer lack of basic operations puts me in mind of a slightly (and only very slightly) more professional version of the ill-fated and shortlived David Icke backed "The People's Voice".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_People%27s_Voice_(internet_TV_station)

AllForIt · 25-09-2021 09:49PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117936837#Comment_117936837

I'm not arguing with you about sustainability. God knows you've made that point multiple times already and If I were to disagree with it I would have done so by now. I have no idea what the state of their finance are, noone does except themselves. Their outgoings are hardly anything like as high as Sky News, and as someone just said they are probably running on a very lean operational model. And if the channel is a purely political enterprise, then they're not looking to make a profit, just to sustain.

I'm glad you say you have no issue with them broadcasting, clearly some people do, like again that Abbey guy on QT who said they were "peddling in bigotry". That kind of commentary is about shutting down discussion of issues some people don't want discussed. "The discussion is over" kinda attitude.

AllForIt · 25-09-2021 10:16PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117936952#Comment_117936952

Nowhere in that Daily Mail piece does Neil ever talk about being embarrassed by 'toxic bilge'. Typical James O'Brien. He was embarrassed by the poor production value.

Penn · 25-09-2021 10:34PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117939840#Comment_117939840

‘I do feel angry though about what they’ve done to a beautiful dream. This was a vision that might have worked. But if you watch the constant themes that come through again and again from the shock jockeys on GB News, the perception is “we hate migrants, we hate the NHS, we hate lockdown and we hate Meghan Markle”.’ He looks genuinely saddened.

Add to that the comment about having to talk them out of wanting to put hidden cameras in school classrooms to try prove how left-wing teachers are, and I think saying Andrew Neil was "genuinely embarrassed by the toxic bile GBeebies was broadcasting" is a pretty fair summary.

The production issues were certainly a key factor, but Neil is also claiming the direction the channel has been taking also became a factor. Whether he's just saying that now to try and save face is another question.

AllForIt · 25-09-2021 10:56PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117939897#Comment_117939897

Another suggestion was that we should put secret cameras in classrooms to show how Left-wing the teachers were. I said: “That’s a really good idea but I think you should take charge of that yourself, and I promise you that after you get in hot water for breaking about five different laws – including filming minors – come back and talk to me.

He didn't say it was toxic bilge, he was suggesting it was illegal to do so. I'm sure he'd be in favour of it in theory.

AllForIt · 25-09-2021 11:00PM

I see GBNews are discussing gambling regulations. You'd think these far-right money grabbing conservatives would be against further regulations, but the whole tone of the debate was against the gambling industry. Quite right too. A thoroughly despicable industry that I would love to see outright banned.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 26-09-2021 07:51AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117939987#Comment_117939987

Why not go full Shaira and ban alcohol, tobacco and porn...?

Anyway, give it another week they'll have adverts for chinese online betting providers in between programs.

Timberrrrrrrr · 26-09-2021 12:15PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117939987#Comment_117939987

Don't Ladbrokes advertise on that channel? 🤣

Penn · 26-09-2021 01:41PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117941213#Comment_117941213

Yeah but what are the odds someone from Ladbrokes actually watches the channel?

MisterAnarchy · 26-09-2021 01:47PM

Good riposte by Mark Dolan to the detractors

https://twitter.com/GBNEWS/status/1441568137485463552

breezy1985 · 26-09-2021 01:52PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117941621#Comment_117941621

No it's not. It's the usual "victim" crap

Penn · 26-09-2021 02:33PM

"...an oasis of free speech and a haven of balanced, provocative debate", he says while trying to paint over the "Guto Harri woz ere" graffiti in the toilet.

ancapailldorcha · 26-09-2021 03:41PM

Is it just me or was the audio ever so slightly out of sync?

Tell me how · 26-09-2021 03:51PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117941621#Comment_117941621

Lol.

They suspended a guy who took the knee and you think a message including the words 'an oasis of free speech' is a good riposte? It is, for the people who wanted an other example of the BS hypocrisy regressives are so fond of.

MrMusician18 · 26-09-2021 03:59PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117941621#Comment_117941621

I don't know how good of a riposte it is tbh, since it appears they have a tiny viewership generally.

Sounds more like they want to start a movement than a TV station though.

New Alternative News Channel "GB News" chaired by Andrew Neil launching - read OP before posting

Comments

GB News is just a disaster. I came close to a breakdown. It would've killed me to carry on. I HAD to quit- ANDREW NEIL

'GB News is just a disaster. I came close to a breakdown. It would've killed me to carry on. I HAD to quit': ANDREW NEIL breaks down in tears in his first interview since his exit from channel he helped create