Ofcom issue 'guidance' to ITV after Eamonn Holmes makes 'ill-judged' 5G coronavirus comments on This Morning
Ofcom has issued ‘guidance’ to ITV following Eamonn Holmes' comments about 5G technology and coronavirus - and has imposed a sanction on ESTV following an interview with David Icke.
Holmes, This Morning's co-presenter, was criticised by scientists and viewers for remarks he made on the ITV show.
Ofcom said the comments were ‘ill-judged’ and ‘we have issued guidance to ITV and its presenters’.
On Icke, it said: ‘Ofcom has today imposed a sanction on ESTV after an interview with David Icke on its local television channel London Live included potentially harmful content about the coronavirus pandemic.
‘Our investigation found David Icke expressed views which had the potential to cause significant harm to viewers in London during the pandemic.’
An Ofcom spokeswoman said: ‘Our investigation found that this programme on London Live contained potentially harmful content, casting doubt on the motives behind official health advice and information aimed at protecting the public from Covid-19.
‘These claims went largely unchallenged and lacked the support of any scientific or other evidence. We have directed London Live to broadcast a summary of our findings, and are now considering whether to impose any further sanction.
‘Separately, we carefully considered complaints about a discussion on This Morning. In our view, the presenter's ambiguous comments were ill-judged, and risked undermining viewers' trust in advice from public authorities and scientific evidence.
‘After taking into account the co-presenter's firm rejection of the claims earlier in the programme, the discussion being about 'fake news' and the presenter clarifying his comments on air the following day, we have decided to issue guidance to ITV and its presenters.
‘Broadcasters have editorial freedom to discuss and challenge the approach taken by public authorities to a serious public health crisis such as the coronavirus. However, discussions of unproven claims must be put fully into context - especially at a time when mobile phone masts in the UK are being attacked, risking significant harm to the public.’