A number of organisations have boycotted the channel

WWF-UK has been criticised for running adverts on controversial new TV channel GB News.

The charity has been questioned over whether the channel was compatible with the charity’s charitable aims.

Within 48 hours of the channel’s launch on Sunday, a number of advertisers had announced they were withdrawing their campaigns.

Self-styled anti-woke GB News is regarded as right-wing leaning and says it discusses topics regarded by other news sources as taboo.

A campaign against the channel is being mounted by Stop Funding Hate (SFH).

WWF-UK said ad bookings were made via its media buying agency.

It said that when it ran ad campaigns the charity agreed the parameters for the audiences it wanted to reach with the agency, which then selected the channel mix that will reach that audience. 

A spokesperson for WWF-UK said: “Fighting the climate and nature crisis is going to need everyone. If we’re serious about saving the planet, our messages cannot be restricted to certain media outlets. 

“We want to reach as broad an audience as possible with WWF’s authoritative, evidence-based information, which means engaging all UK media in our efforts to tackle the climate and nature emergency.”

Andrew Neil, the channel’s chairman and a presenter, said those boycotting the channel were giving in to those peddling hate and slammed advertising executives for “taking the knee” while accusing SFH of being “full of far-left agitators and cranks”.