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Turmoil Spreads at BBC as Two More Executives Step Aside Turmoil Spreads at BBC as Two More Executives Step Aside
(35 minutes later)
LONDON — The BBC struggled on Monday to contain a spreading crisis over its reporting of a decades-old sexual abuse scandal as two more senior executives withdrew temporarily from their jobs following the resignation of the corporation’s director general in the worst setback to the public broadcaster’s status, prestige and self-confidence for years. LONDON — The BBC struggled on Monday to contain a spreading crisis over its reporting of a decades-old sexual abuse scandal as two senior executives withdrew temporarily from their jobs in the wake of the resignation of the corporation’s director general, a move that encapsulated the worst setback to the public broadcaster’s status, prestige and self-confidence for years.
The BBC’s Web site said its director of news, Helen Boaden, and her deputy, Stephen Mitchell, had “stepped aside,” the latest moves since a flagship current affairs program, “Newsnight,” wrongly implicated a former Conservative Party politician in accusations of sexual abuse at a children’s home in North Wales in the 1970s and 1980s.The BBC’s Web site said its director of news, Helen Boaden, and her deputy, Stephen Mitchell, had “stepped aside,” the latest moves since a flagship current affairs program, “Newsnight,” wrongly implicated a former Conservative Party politician in accusations of sexual abuse at a children’s home in North Wales in the 1970s and 1980s.
A separate internal inquiry is investigating an incident one year ago when “Newsnight” canceled a program concerning allegations of sexual abuse by Jimmy Savile, a longtime BBC television host who died last year at age 84. The BBC management said that while neither Ms. Boaden nor Mr. Mitchell “had anything at all to do with the failed ‘Newsnight’ investigation” of the politician, Alistair McAlpine, it “believes there is a lack of clarity in the lines of command and control in BBC News” because of an inquiry into a separate “Newsnight” debacle — the cancellation of a program a year ago into allegations of sexual abuse by Jimmy Savile, a longtime BBC television host who died last year at age 84. The BBC said the two executives would step aside until then end of that investigation, which is being conducted by Nick Pollard, a former head of the rival Sky News.
But even as the two executives were reported to be stepping aside, the BBC management seemed to be trying to minimize the impact of the moves, saying it wanted “to make it absolutely clear that neither Helen Boaden nor Stephen Mitchell had anything at all to do with the failed ‘Newsnight’ investigation” of the politician, Alistair McAlpine, a former treasurer of the Conservative Party in the Thatcher era
“Whilst recognizing this, the BBC also believes there is a lack of clarity in the lines of command and control in BBC News” because of the Savile inquiry, which is being conducted by Nick Pollard, a former head of the rival Sky News.
“In the circumstances Helen and Stephen will be stepping aside from their normal roles until the Pollard review reports and they expect to then return to their positions,” the BBC said.
The BBC said its head of news gathering, Fran Unsworth, and Ceri Thomas, the editor of the current affairs radio program “Today,” would fill in for the executives who stepped aside.The BBC said its head of news gathering, Fran Unsworth, and Ceri Thomas, the editor of the current affairs radio program “Today,” would fill in for the executives who stepped aside.
Lord Chris Patten, the chairman of the supervisory BBC Trust, said Sunday that the broadcasting organization was in a “ghastly mess” as a result of its bungled coverage of the sexual abuse scandal and was in need of a fundamental shake-up. But furor continued to build on several fronts. On Monday, British lawmakers, politicians and newspapers focused on a decision by the BBC Trust to authorize a settlement payment to the former director general, George Entwistle, equivalent to one year’s salary of around $750,000. The BBC justified the payment — double its contractual obligation of six months’ pay — by saying Mr. Entwistle would continue to help the various inquiries into the scandals.
On Monday, British lawmakers, politicians and newspapers focused on a decision by the BBC Trust to authorize a settlement payment to Mr. Entwistle equivalent to one year’s salary of around $750,000. The BBC justified the payment — double its contractual obligation of six months’ pay — by saying Mr. Entwistle would continue to help various inquiries into the scandals at the BBC. Prime Minister David Cameron’s office challenged the payment as “hard to justify,” but sent a signal opposing calls for the chairman of the supervisory BBC Trust, Lord Chris Patten, to step down. “The important thing is for Chris Patten to lead the BBC out of its present difficulties,” Mr. Cameron’s office said. “That has to be the priority at the moment.”
John Whittingdale, the head of a parliamentary panel scrutinizing the British media, said, “A lot of people will be very surprised that somebody who was in the job for such a short period of time and then had to leave in these circumstances should be walking away with 450,000 pounds of license fee payers’ money.” Tim Davie, 45, an executive with a background in marketing who is director of the BBC’s radio operations, is to serve as the acting director general. In a videotaped interview posted by the BBC, Mr. Davie also said he would take a short period to deliberate.
The license fee is a compulsory tax levied on television set owners. “I’ve just got into the job,” he said. “I’m going to take a bit of time to look through the recommendations, and then we’ll take the disciplinary process through and be fair to those individuals.” He added: “The BBC has lost a director-general in this process. That in itself is very significant and he has taken responsibility.”
“Certainly I would want to know from the trust why they think that’s appropriate, ” Mr. Whittingdale said. Accounts published in Britain’s newspapers, citing current and former BBC staff members, said the “Newsnight” team had worked with an independent group, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism at the City University in London, in preparing the Nov. 2 report that wrongly implicated Lord McAlpine.
Prime Minister David Cameron’s office also challenged the payoff to Mr. Entwistle as “hard to justify,” but sent a political signal rebutting calls for Lord Patten himself to step down. “The important thing is for Chris Patten to lead the BBC out of its present difficulties,” Mr. Cameron’s office said. “That has to be the priority at the moment.”
Harriet Harman, a lawmaker from the opposition Labour Party, said the settlement “looks like a reward for failure.”
Accounts published in Britain’s newspapers, citing current and former BBC staff members familiar with the McAlpine investigation, said the “Newsnight” team had worked with an independent group, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism at the City University in London, in preparing the Nov. 2 report.
The privately financed bureau was founded in 2009 to investigate controversial issues and, in its own words, to provide a “gold standard” for reporting. It has used experienced journalists and students at the university’s journalism school, often in conjunction with mainstream media organizations like the BBC that have paid the bureau for its work.The privately financed bureau was founded in 2009 to investigate controversial issues and, in its own words, to provide a “gold standard” for reporting. It has used experienced journalists and students at the university’s journalism school, often in conjunction with mainstream media organizations like the BBC that have paid the bureau for its work.
In a statement, the bureau’s board of trustees said it was “appalled by what appears to be a breach” of the bureau’s standards in the McAlpine reporting and that “remedial action will be taken against those responsible.” In a statement, the bureau’s board of trustees said that it was “appalled by what appears to be a breach” of standards and that “remedial action will be taken against those responsible.”
The bureau’s work for the Nov. 2 BBC report was led by a former BBC reporter, Angus Stickler, who was seconded to Newsnight and worked jointly under a BBC producer and the bureau’s own managing editor, Iain Overton, a former BBC producer who resigned on Monday. The bureau’s work for the report was led by a former BBC reporter, Angus Stickler, who was seconded to “Newsnight” and worked jointly under a BBC producer and the bureau’s own managing editor, Iain Overton, a former BBC producer. Mr. Overtonresigned on Monday.
Several of those involved in the preparation of the Newsnight report have been quoted in British papers as saying that errors included not showing a former child home resident interviewed for the report, Steve Messham, a photograph of Lord McAlpine to identify him. Mr. Messham has apologized to Lord McAlpine, tracing the confusion to the police identification of a photograph of a man he identified as his abuser in the early 1990s. Several of those involved in the preparation of the “Newsnight” report have been quoted in British papers as saying that errors included not calling Lord McAlpine for a response and not showing a former child-home resident interviewed for the report, Steve Messham, a photograph of Lord McAlpine. Mr. Messham has apologized to Lord McAlpine, tracing the confusion to the police identification of a photograph of a man he identified as his abuser in the early 1990s.
In addition, these people said, nobody at the bureau or at Newsnight had called Lord McAlpine, who lives in Italy, to seek his response, a step required by the BBC’s own rules for reporting. The latest debacle has compounded the problems facing the network since accusations exploded last month against Mr. Savile, who is suspected of having sexually accosted or abused as many as 300 young people. Critics have accused the BBC of covering up the abuse by canceling a “Newsnight” report on the accusations against him last December. Mr. Entwistle has said that he was not informed beforehand of the nature of the “Newsnight” investigation or the reasons for its cancellation.
The latest debacle has compounded the problems facing the network since accusations last month against Mr. Savile, who is suspected of having sexually accosted or abused as many as 300 young people. Critics have accused the BBC of covering up the abuse by canceling a “Newsnight” report on the accusations against him last December while proceeding with several Christmastime tributes. At that time, Mr. Entwistle was in charge of all the BBC’s television productions and was seeking to succeed Mark Thompson as director general.
At that time, Mr. Entwistle was in charge of all the BBC’s television productions and was seeking to succeed Mark Thompson, who stepped down in September after eight years as director general. Mr. Entwistle has said that he was not informed beforehand of the nature of the “Newsnight” investigation or the reasons for its cancellation. Mr. Thompson stepped down in September after accepting an offer to become president and chief executive of The New York Times Company, a post he took up on Monday. He has said that he knew nothing beforehand about the “Newsnight” investigation of Mr. Savile or the decision to scrap it, but that he is willing to answer any questions from investigators.
On Monday, Mr. Thompson began  his new post as president and chief executive of The New York Times Company. He has said he knew nothing beforehand about the “Newsnight” investigation of Mr. Savile or the decision to scrap it and that he had never met Mr. Savile. But Mr. Thompson has said that he is willing to answer any questions put to him by a parliamentary inquiry or a raft of other investigations now under way. In a message to the staff of The Times on Monday, Arthur Sulzberger Jr., the publisher and board chairman, welcomed Mr. Thompson without alluding to the crisis at the BBC. “Mark will lead us as we continue our digital transformation, bolster our international growth, drive our productivity and introduce new technologies that will help us become better storytellers and enrich the experience for our readers and viewers,” the message said. “That is what he did as Director-General of the BBC. His experience will be of great value to our company as we continue our pursuit of creating the highest quality journalism and the business results to support it.”
In a message to the staff of The New York Times on Monday, Arthur Sulzberger Jr., the Times publisher and board chairman, welcomed Mr. Thompson saying “Mark will lead us as we continue our digital transformation, bolster our international growth, drive our productivity and introduce new technologies that will help us become better storytellers and enrich the experience for our readers and viewers.”
“That is what he did as Director-General of the BBC. His experience will be of great value to our company as we continue our pursuit of creating the highest quality journalism and the business results to support it,” the message said without alluding directly to the current crisis at the BBC.
Following the departure of Mr. Entwistle, Tim Davie, 45, an executive with a background in marketing who is director of the BBC’s radio operations it to take over serve as the acting director general.
In a statement to the BBC staff sent by e-mail on Monday Mr. Davie said he would work to deliver “the best of British creativity.”
“There will be no handbrake turn,” he said.
“The last few days and weeks have been exceptionally tough for the BBC,” he said. “George’s departure on Saturday night was a sad moment — for George and the whole BBC. His manner of leaving matched what we know about him: he is a good and honorable man who stepped down in the interests of the BBC.”
He said there was “a lack of clarity in the lines of editorial command and control in BBC News” because executives caught up in the inquiry into the Savile affair were “unable to exercise their normal authority.”
“So I have decided to ensure total clarity and re-establish a single management to deal with all News output, Savile-related or otherwise,” the email said.
In a videotaped interview posted by the BBC, Mr. Davie also said he would take a short period to deliberate. “I’ve just got into the job,” he said. “I’m going to take a bit of time to look through the recommendations and then we’ll take the disciplinary process through and be fair to those individuals.” He added: “The BBC has lost a director-general in this process. That in itself is very significant and he has taken responsibility.”