BBC Crisis 2012
BBC Crisis
On 3 October 2012, ITV1 aired a documentary called ‘Exposure: The Other Side of Jimmy Savile’.. In it several women said that, as teenagers, they had been sexually abused by Savile. It was said Savile obtained access to teenage girls through television programmes such as Top of the Pops and Clunk, Click, and his charity work.
Following the broadcast of the documentary, many people came forward to make allegations about Savile’s conduct towards young people. Some abuse was said to have taken place on BBC premises.
The BBC announced two reviews into the allegations, including what happened at the BBC when Jimmy worked there, and why a Newsnight investigation into Savile was shelved in December 2011.
PETER RIPPON APPOINTED EDITOR OF BBC NEWS ONLINE ARCHIVE
Peter Rippon has been appointed editor of BBC’s news archive across BBC Online.
The former Newsnight editor will take up the role to develop and lead the BBC’s Journal of Record initiative.
Journal of Record aims to publish a television and radio news bulletin from every day of the BBC’s history: over 80 years of BBC journalism in the form of daily news broadcasts and scripts, together with the live coverage of key events.
Andy Conroy, Chief Operating Officer for BBC Future Media and BBC Online, says: “Over the past few years, the BBC has been making more of the BBC Archive available to audiences online – including a permanent collection of Desert Island Discs, and archive collections for channels such as BBC Four.
“This is an exciting opportunity to build a public record of the BBC’s world-leading television and radio journalism on BBC Online over 80 years. It is a significant challenge that requires an experienced leader and editor, and I’m delighted that Peter will be joining us to develop the BBC’s Journal of Record.”
Rippon takes up the post on Monday (February 25).
STATEMENT BY STEPHEN MITCHELL: “I HAVE DECIDED TO RETIRE FROM THE BBC”
Stephen Mitchell, who has quit as BBC deputy director of news, has issued a statement following the Pollard Review into Newsnight’s handling of the Savile allegations.
“It is with great sadness that I have decided to retire from the BBC after more than 38 years’ service of which I am very proud and which I have found greatly enjoyable.
“Given the strain over the past month since being told to stand aside from the job I loved, having endured the Pollard review process and now having read its criticisms, I have decided that it is in my interests and those of the BBC that I bring my career to a dignified end.
“Whilst I feel vindicated that the review has found that I put no undue pressure on Peter Rippon, I disagree with the remainder of Mr Pollard’s criticisms in relation to me.
“I am grateful for all the support I have received from friends and colleagues around the BBC.”
STEPHEN MITCHELL RETIRES FROM BBC NEWS
The BBC has announced that the deputy head of news, Stephen Mitchell, will retire when he works his notice. The news came after Nick Pollard, the former head of Sky News, published his report into the BBC’s handling of the Savile allegations.
Robert Peston, BBC Business Editor, said:
Elsewhere, Helen Boaden will return to her position as director of news tomorrow, and Peter Rippon, Newsnight editor, will move to another senior editorial position.
POLLARD REPORT ON BBC DUE TO BE PUBLISHED TOMORROW
The Pollard Report into the BBC’s handling of the Jimmy Savile story has been handed to the BBC.
The former head of Sky News, Nick Pollard, carried out the report after it was revealed Newsnight binned a report about inappropriate sex acts committed by Jimmy Savile in the 70s and 80s on BBC property.
The report is expected to be published tomorrow.
CULTURE SECRETARY: TONY HALL HAS VERY STRONG TRACK RECORD
TONY HALL: “I BELIEVE PASSIONATELY IN THE BBC”
Tony Hall on his appointment as new BBC Director-General:
“I believe passionately in the BBC and that’s why I have accepted Lord Patten’s invitation to become Director General.
“This organisation is an incredibly important part of what makes the United Kingdom what it is. And of course it matters not just to people in this country – but to tens of millions around the world too.
“It’s been a difficult few weeks – but together we’ll get through it.
“I’m committed to ensuring our news services are the best in the world.
“I’m committed to making this a place where creative people, the best and the brightest, want to work.
“And I know from my first days here as a news trainee, to my time as head of news and current affairs, to my time now at the Royal Opera House, that I can’t do it on my own. Having the right teams working together, sparking off each other, is key.
“And I want to build a world class team to lead a world class BBC.”
LORD PATTEN ON TONY HALL’S APPOINTMENT
Announcing the appointment of Tony Hall as the new Director-General of the BBC, Lord Patten, BBC Trust Chairman, said:
“While there are still very serious questions to be answered by the on-going inquiries, it is in the interests of licence fee payers that the BBC now starts to refocus on its main purpose – making great programmes that audiences love and trust.
“In doing this it will need to take a long, hard look at the way it operates and put in place the changes required to ensure it lives up to the standards that the public expects. Tony Hall is the right person to lead this and I am delighted that he is taking on this role. For its part I want to make sure that the Trust gives Tony Hall whatever help and support he needs to re-build the BBC’s management around him.
“Tony Hall has been an insider and is a currently an outsider. As an ex-BBC man he understands how the Corporation’s culture and behaviour make it, at its best, the greatest broadcaster in the world. And from his vantage point outside the BBC, he understands the sometimes justified criticisms of the Corporation – that it can be inward looking and on occasions too institutional.
“But perhaps most importantly, given where we now find ourselves, his background in news will prove invaluable as the BBC looks to rebuild both its reputation in this area and the trust of audiences.”
TONY HALL APPOINTED NEW BBC DIRECTOR-GENERAL
The BBC has appointed former Director of News, Tony Hall, as its new Director-General.
Hall, who has been chief executive of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden since 2001, joined the BBC as a news trainee in 1973 and during a 28 year career at the Corporation he held roles including Senior Producer at World at One, Assistant Editor of the Nine O’Clock News, Output Editor for Newsnight, culminating as Chief Executive of BBC News from 1996 to 2001.
While at the BBC he launched Radio 5 Live, BBC News 24, BBC News Online and BBC Parliament.
In 1999 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the position of Director General of the BBC.
ITV1 TO BROADCAST ‘EXPOSURE’ UPDATE ON JIMMY SAVILE INVESTIGATION..
ITV1 will broadcast a follow-up to its documentary that exposed Jimmy Savile as a sex offender.
Almost two months on from revealing The Other Side of Jimmy Savile, Exposure tracks progress in the police investigation and asks how Savile achieved his extraordinary power and influence.
The hour-long programme will air next Wednesday 21st November at 10.35pm..
ITV BOSS PETER FINCHAM RECEIVES LEGAL LETTER FROM LORD MCALPINE
ITV’s Director of Television said he has received a letter from Lord Mcalpine, after This Morning alleged the former Tory MP was a pedophile.
During an interview on ITV’s mid-morning tv show, Phillip Schofield presented the Prime Minister with a list of names of individuals alleged to have been involved in pedophilia.
Lucy Manning, ITV News’ UK Editor, tweeted:
The television watchdog Ofcom has received 415 complaints over Schofield and under 5 for the original Newsnight report on Lord Mcalpine.
ACTING BBC DG TIM DAVIE ENDS HIS INTERVIEW WITH SKY NEWS BY WALKING OFF..
The acting Director-General of the BBC, Tim Davie, ended his interview with Sky News this afternoon by walking off..
The live interview, conducted by Dermot Murnaghan, ran for seven and half minutes before the DG said: “Anyway, I will go now, because I’ve got a lot to do.
“The BBC is taking action, that’s what we’re going to do.. I’ve got a job and I am going to get on with it.. Thank you Dermot!”
“Are more heads going to roll Mr. Davie?” said Dermot..
“Thank you!,” came Tim’s reply as he walked away from Sky’s camera position..
UPDATE: in the last few minutes the BBC Press office said: “DG did not walk off from his interview with Sky. Interview overran, clashing with other interviews.”
Lucy Manning, ITV News’ UK Editor, also echoed the BBC line, saying: “Not sure Davie actually stormed off. Sky had v long intv & we & others were waiting..”
HELEN BOADEN AND STEPHEN MITCHELL “STEP ASIDE”
The BBC have announced that the Director of News Helen Boaden and the Deputy Director of News Stephen Mitchell will “step aside” until the conclusion of the Pollard review.
The news comes after Ken MacQuarrie, Director of BBC Scotland, reported his findings into the Newsnight broadcast on 2 November 2012.
The following actions have been announced by the corporation…
- To address the lack of clarity around the editorial chain of command, a decision has been taken to re-establish a single management to deal with all output, Savile related or otherwise.
- Helen Boaden has decided that she is not in a position to undertake this responsibility until the Pollard review has concluded. During this period Fran Unsworth will act as Director of News. In line with this decision, Ceri Thomas will act on a temporary basis as Deputy Director in place of Stephen Mitchell.
- To address the pressure on the Newsnight team Karen O’Connor has agreed to take on the role of Acting Editor of Newsnight.
- Consideration is now being given to the extent to which individuals should be asked to account further for their actions and if appropriate, disciplinary action will be taken.
The BBC also added that neither Helen Boaden nor Stephen Mitchell had anything at all to do with the failed Newsnight investigation into Lord McAlpine.
PAXMAN: “GEORGE ENTWISTLE’S DEPARTURE IS A GREAT SHAME”
Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman has released a statement in the last hour, following the news that the new BBC Director-General George Entwistle has stepped down.
“George Entwistle’s departure is a great shame. He has been brought low by cowards and incompetents,” said Paxman.
“The real problem here is the BBC’s decision, in the wake of the Hutton Inquiry, to play safe by appointing biddable people. They then compounded the problem by enforcing a series of cuts on programme budgets, while bloating the management. That is how you arrive at the current mess on Newsnight. I very much doubt the problem is unique to that programme.
“I had hoped that George might stay to sort this out. It is a great pity that a talented man has been sacrificed while time-servers prosper.
“I shall not be issuing any further statements or doing any interviews.”
BBC DIRECTOR-GENERAL GEORGE ENTWISTLE RESIGNS
BBC Director-General George Entwistle has resigned after just eight weeks in the job…
In a statement, Entwistle said: “In the light of the fact that the Director-General is also the Editor-in-Chief and ultimately responsible for all content; and in the light of the unacceptable journalistic standards of the Newsnight film broadcast on Friday 2nd November; I have decided that the honourable thing to do is to step down from the post of Director-General.
“When appointed to the role, with 23 years’ experience as a producer and leader at the BBC, I was confident the Trustees had chosen the best candidate for the post, and the right person to tackle the challenges and opportunities ahead. However, the wholly exceptional events of the past few weeks have led me to conclude that the BBC should appoint a new leader.
“To have been the Director-General of the BBC even for a short period, and in the most challenging of circumstances, has been a great honour.
“While there is understandable public concern over a number of issues well covered in the media – which I’m confident will be addressed by the Review process – we must not lose sight of the fact that the BBC is full of people of the greatest talent and the highest integrity. That’s what will continue to make it the finest broadcaster in the world.”
NEWSNIGHT EDITOR PETER RIPPON “STEPS ASIDE” WHILE SAVILE INVESTIGATION TAKES PLACE
Peter Rippon, editor of Newsnight, is stepping aside with immediate effect while the review by Nick Pollard, the former head of Sky News, into the management of Newsnight’s Jimmy Savile investigation, is carried out.
The news comes after the BBC had to issue a correction to the blog made by the editor in regards to why the programme’s investigation was dropped.
“On the basis of material now available, it is apparent from information supplied by the Newsnight editor and programme team, that the explanation to drop the programme’s investigation is inaccurate or incomplete in some respects,” said the BBC.
Writing on the Editors blog, the BBC listed three area of inaccurate information:
“1.The blog says that Newsnight had no evidence that anyone from the Duncroft home could or should have known about the allegations. In fact some allegations were made (mostly in general terms) that some of the Duncroft staff knew or may have known about the abuse.
“2. The blog says that Newsnight had no evidence against the BBC. No allegation was made to the programme that BBC staff were aware of Mr Savile’s alleged activities, but there were some allegations of abusive conduct on BBC premises.
“3. The blog says that all the women spoken to by the programme had contacted the police independently already and that Newsnight had no new evidence against any other person that would have helped the police. It appears that in some cases women had not spoken to the police and that the police were not aware of all the allegations.
“The BBC regrets these errors and will work with the Pollard Review to assemble all relevant evidence to enable the review to determine the full facts.”
The BBC’s Panorama programme will investigate “What The BBC Knew” about the Jimmy Savile abuse allegations in a hour-long programme this evening (10.35pm, BBC One) looking mainly into why the Newsnight programme dropped its investigation.
