Conservative commentator Mark Steyn departs GB News over reported liability demands

Conservative commentator Mark Steyn has departed British network GB News amid allegations that the company demanded he be responsible for paying government fines levied against the station. 

Steyn was under investigation by the British Office of Communications, commonly known as OfCom, for broadcasts on the network that were too skeptical of the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines. 

The commentator appeared to confirm in a Tuesday dispatch that the network had "demand[ed] Steyn agree to personally cover the costs of dealing with Ofcom and paying any fines for breaches of the broadcasting code," as the Guardian reported.

Steyn on Tuesday claimed that the issue was "a story of UK media censorship."

GB News, he said, "instead of pushing back against the UK media 'regulator' OfCom, has instead caved to it in ways that go far beyond that required by UK law."

The network, meanwhile, reportedly told its staff this week that "GB News takes Ofcom compliance extremely seriously" and that "presenters are expected to comply fully with the broadcast code and there are no exceptions."