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BBC Trust quizzes Tony Hall over Yentob’s Kids Company activities BBC Trust quizzes Tony Hall over Yentob’s Kids Company activities
(35 minutes later)
BBC Trust chair Rona Fairhead has said it is still investigating the behaviour of Alan Yentob over his involvement with defunct charity Kids Company despite receiving reassurances from BBC management that he had not compromised its editorial independence. BBC Trust chair Rona Fairhead has said it is still investigating the behaviour of Alan Yentob over his involvement with defunct charity Kids Company despite receiving reassurances from the most senior BBC managers that he had not compromised its editorial independence.
Fairhead said the trust’s editorial standards committee was in discussions with Tony Hall, director general of the BBC over the matter.Fairhead said the trust’s editorial standards committee was in discussions with Tony Hall, director general of the BBC over the matter.
The BBC had already concluded a provisional report into Yentob, the BBC’s creative director, following accusations that he abused his position at the BBC in relation to his role as chairman of the now-closed south London children’s charity, Kids Company. The BBC Trust had already concluded a provisional report into Yentob, the BBC’s creative director, following accusations that he abused his position at the BBC in relation to his role as chairman of the now-closed south London children’s charity, Kids Company.
Pressure has mounted on Yentob after he admitted that he had stood beside a Radio 4 producer while the charity’s founder, Camila Batmanghelidjih, was interviewed on the Today programme in July. “If it was intimidating, I regret it,” Yentob told MPs last week.Pressure has mounted on Yentob after he admitted that he had stood beside a Radio 4 producer while the charity’s founder, Camila Batmanghelidjih, was interviewed on the Today programme in July. “If it was intimidating, I regret it,” Yentob told MPs last week.
He also telephoned a senior staff member at Newsnight thought to be editor Ian Katz, to ask him to delay a report critical of financial management at Kids Company, and telephoned Radio 4 presenter Ed Stourton ahead of a report on The World at One.He also telephoned a senior staff member at Newsnight thought to be editor Ian Katz, to ask him to delay a report critical of financial management at Kids Company, and telephoned Radio 4 presenter Ed Stourton ahead of a report on The World at One.
Asked at the Society of Editors conference in London on Monday if it was acceptable behaviour for a BBC executive, Fairhead said: “What we at the trust have to be concerned about is was the editorial independence of the BBC compromised. Asked at the Society of Editors conference in London on Monday if it was acceptable behaviour for a BBC executive, Fairhead said the trust would look at whether BBC editorial policies were breached and if current guidelines were appropriate and needed changing.
“We have asked the executive for the reassurance that it was not, and they have come back and replied that in their view it was not. All I can say is if you look at the BBC’s coverage, nobody could say it wasn’t covered fully and deeply, at least as fully, as by others. From a trust’s point of view, that’s what matters.” “There is the issue that Alan was chair of Kids Company and therefore it’s appropriate that he can speak on its behalf but cannot ... act in a way which would undermine the editorial integrity of the BBC and that is the judgement that everybody is trying to make,” said Fairhead.
Fairhead said the trust’s editorial standards committee was still pursuing the issue. “We have had very direct and on-going conversations with the executive team who are managing this, absolutely with Tony Hall, the director general, very clear and explicit conversations,” she said. “We have had very direct and ongoing conversations with the executive team who are managing this, absolutely with Tony Hall, the director general, very clear and explicit conversations.”
Fairhead said the trust had been reassured by BBC management that the editorial independence of the BBC had not been compromised.
“We have been given that reassurance. We have had a provisional report but that will carry on, we will be looking [into it] further,” she said.
“I don’t want to stray into the management side because I think it’s for them to manage the situation but I think you do need to look at were the editorial processes breached, are the guidelines appropriate and are there any changes that need to be made and will be taken on board for the future.”
She added: “All I can say is if you look at the BBC’s coverage, nobody could say it wasn’t covered fully and deeply, at least as fully, as by others. From a trust’s point of view, that’s what matters.”
But Fairhead was criticised by some members of the Society of Editors audience, including former Sky News executive Simon Bucks who said it “undermines journalistic integrity”.But Fairhead was criticised by some members of the Society of Editors audience, including former Sky News executive Simon Bucks who said it “undermines journalistic integrity”.
“I don’t understand why the BBC Trust cannot simply say that it is unacceptable for a BBC executive to interfere in any matter which is outside their own remit. Surely you should be able to do that and you would expect the management of the BBC to say that,” said Bucks.“I don’t understand why the BBC Trust cannot simply say that it is unacceptable for a BBC executive to interfere in any matter which is outside their own remit. Surely you should be able to do that and you would expect the management of the BBC to say that,” said Bucks.
Fairhead replied: “In something like this there is the issue that Alan was chair of the Kids Company and therefore it is appropriate that he can speak on behalf of that position but cannot as you rightly say act in a way which would undermine the editorial integrity of the BBC and that is the judgement that everybody is trying to make here.” Fairhead said: “We have asked for assurance that the editorial integrity wasn’t compromised and we had that reassurance but we are still taking directly to the director general.”
She added: “We have asked for assurance that the editorial integrity wasn’t compromised and we had that reassurance but we are still taking directly to the director general.” Pressed by Radio 4 presenter Steve Hewlett on the issue, Fairhead said it was “an issue for management” and what the trust had to do is “confirm with management who are managing this process that they believe that editorial independence and integrity was not compromised”.
Pressed by Radio 4 presenter Steve Hewlett on the issue, Fairhead said it was “an issue for management” and what the trust is bound to do is “confirm with management who are managing this process that they believe that editorial independence and integrity was not compromised”. Asked if she expected such a situation to happen again, Fairhead replied: “No. We have made it clear that editorial independence and integrity is critical to the BBC.”
But asked if she expected such a situation to happen again, Fairhead replied: “No. We have made it clear that editorial independence and integrity is critical to the BBC.”
Fairhead said the trust had looked at the issue on an “on-going basis” and said the BBC had to be “both seen to be, and to be, the highest standards of integrity”.
“We have had a provisional report, that will carry on and we will be looking further … I don’t want to stray into the management side. It’s for them to manage the situation,” she added.