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Former BBC Executive Apologizes for Failure of Digital Project Former BBC Executive Apologizes for Failure of Digital Project
(about 1 hour later)
LONDON — Mark Thompson, the former director general of the BBC, offered a general apology to a parliamentary committee on Monday for the failure of an expensive digital project, but insisted that he had never knowingly misled Parliament or the BBC Trust, its oversight board. LONDON — Mark Thompson, the former director general of the BBC, offered a general apology to a parliamentary committee on Monday for the failure of an expensive digital project, but he insisted that he had never knowingly misled Parliament or the BBC Trust, its oversight board.
Mr. Thompson, now the president and chief executive of The New York Times Company, testified with other former BBC officials before the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, which has been looking into allegations of overspending and bad management at the BBC. Mr. Thompson, now the president and chief executive of The New York Times Company, testified with other former BBC officials before the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee, which has been looking into allegations of overspending and bad management at the BBC, which is largely financed by the public.
The central issue on Monday was a $205 million project, called the Digital Media Initiative, intended to transfer all of the BBC’s production and archived materials to a digital format. The project ran into many difficulties and the effort was canceled in October 2012, with a net loss of $160 million. The independent National Audit Office said on Jan. 28 that “the BBC executive did not have sufficient grip” on the program and failed to “commission a thorough independent assessment of the whole system to see whether it was technically sound.” The central issue on Monday was a $205 million project, called the Digital Media Initiative, intended to transfer all of the BBC’s production and archived materials to a digital format. The project ran into many difficulties and the effort was suspended in October 2012, with a net loss of $160 million. The independent National Audit Office said on Jan. 28 that “the BBC executive did not have sufficient grip” on the program and failed to “commission a thorough independent assessment of the whole system to see whether it was technically sound.”
Mr. Thompson, in the face of such criticism and the loss of public money, told the committee: “I just want to say as the director general, who was at the helm when DMI was created and developed and oversaw in the end much of the governance system, which as we will no doubt discuss, did not perform perfectly in the project, I just want to say, sorry. I want to apologize to you and the public for the failure of this project.” Mr. Thompson, in the face of such criticism and the loss of public money, told the committee: “I just want to say as the director general, who was at the helm when D.M.I. was created and developed and oversaw in the end much of the governance system, which as we will no doubt discuss, did not perform perfectly in the project, I just want to say, sorry. I want to apologize to you and the public for the failure of this project.”
Asked why he told the committee in February 2011 that the project was going well, he said that he had responded on the basis of what he had been told. “I don’t believe I have misled you on any other matter and I don’t believe that I’ve knowingly misled you on this one,” he said.Asked why he told the committee in February 2011 that the project was going well, he said that he had responded on the basis of what he had been told. “I don’t believe I have misled you on any other matter and I don’t believe that I’ve knowingly misled you on this one,” he said.
The BBC started the digital effort in 2008 and shut it down in October 2012, though parts of the project are still being used. Mr. Thompson led the BBC from 2004 until September 2012. The BBC started the digital effort in 2008, though parts of the project are still being used. Mr. Thompson led the BBC from 2004 until September 2012.
Dominic Coles, the BBC’s director of operations, said last week: “As we have previously acknowledged, the BBC got this one wrong. We took swift action to overhaul how major projects are managed after we closed DMI last year,” including monthly reports on expensive projects instead of quarterly ones. Dominic Coles, the BBC’s director of operations, said last week: “As we have previously acknowledged, the BBC got this one wrong. We took swift action to overhaul how major projects are managed after we closed D.M.I.,” including monthly reports on expensive projects instead of quarterly ones.
Mr. Thompson has also been criticized by members of the committee for authorizing high severance payments to senior staff members beyond contractual requirements. He has said that such payments were necessary and ultimately saved helped cut costs for the BBC, which is largely financed by the public. Mr. Thompson has also been criticized by members of the committee for authorizing high severance payments to senior staff members beyond contractual requirements. He has said that such payments were necessary and ultimately helped cut costs for the BBC.