BBC boss tells friends: There was enormous strain on us to call Huw Edwards
T
he appearing chairwoman of the BBC has advised friends that there was “huge pressure” on the company to call Huw Edwards because the presenter caught up in an issue.
Dame Elan Closs Stephens advised a pre-arranged assembly of the Communications and Digital Committee on Tuesday that she was “informed immediately” following allegations {that a} BBC presenter paid a teenager for express pictures.
She mentioned the company’s board met twice to debate the controversy following the Sun newspaper, who initially made claims, publishing its July 8 entrance web page.
Speaking about concerning the board’s response, Dame Elan mentioned: “We had a duty to act with some calm and rationality in the face of lack of rationality and lack of calm.
“There were an awful lot of questions that could not be answered.
“There was a huge pressure to disclose the name of somebody to whom we had a duty of care, and duty of privacy, in addition to the family and young man that were concerned in this maelstrom.
“So I was on the one hand seeking to establish the right of the board to oversee what was happening, but at the same time, I was trying my best to make for a calm and rational discussion of the issue before we all got carried away in what could have been very wrong directions.”
BBC director-general Tim Davie additionally up to date the committee on the evaluate he has ordered into the inner protocols and procedures on complaints on the company.
Mr Davie additionally confirmed that the BBC has been in contact with the complainant and the company needs to be “engaged and appropriately listening and understanding their concerns”.
The household of the younger particular person had initially complained to the BBC in May and the company mentioned it tried to contact them twice.
In a letter to BBC News, the younger particular person on the centre of the controversy later mentioned by way of attorneys that nothing inappropriate or illegal occurred with the then unnamed presenter.
Mr Davie additionally mentioned he expects to report within the autumn or late autumn.
Dame Elan additionally advised friends that Simon Cuerden, a forensic associate at Deloitte and senior impartial director on the BBC, Sir Nick Serota, might be main the broadcaster’s evaluate into how complaints are assessed.
She added: “The terms of reference will be in front of the full board this coming Thursday, in two days time.
“They will be published in due course and the inquiry will get under way.”
Last week, in an announcement to the PA news company, Edwards was named by his spouse, Vicky Flind, who mentioned on the time he’s receiving in-patient hospital care and is struggling “serious mental health issues”.
Mr Davie additionally advised the committee: “This has been a difficult affair where we have tried to calmly and reasonably navigate some difficult concerns around the allegations themselves, duty of care, privacy and legitimate public interest.”
He additionally mentioned the company’s fact-finding investigation into the allegations in opposition to Huw Edwards might take “weeks or a couple of months or even longer” as he was not in “control of all the variables”.
Mr Davie added: “My main priority is to be fair and get all the information into that process and act judiciously.”
He additionally confirmed that high-profile workers members have of their contract a clause about not bringing the BBC into disrepute.
The BBC additionally launched a letter on Tuesday despatched to Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer from Dame Elan, which was talked about within the assembly and units out the 2 phases of the company’s investigation.
She wrote this may contain a “fact finding investigation” and “if the threshold for a disciplinary is met” will transfer to that course of.
Dame Elan added: “It is too early to determine if a disciplinary case may be required, and we have a current duty of care to the individual to consider as well.”
The Lords’ committee chairwoman Baroness Tina Stowell, chairwoman of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage, and Ofcom chairman Baron Michael Grade had been additionally copied into the letter.
Mr Davie additionally advised friends that the as a result of historical past of the media trade everybody must be “concerned” concerning the dynamics between presenters and other people in energy and others.
He added: “You need to ensure that you’re very, very clear on what your expectations are culturally, as well as the policy.”
Mr Davie additionally mentioned there’s a “a safe place” the place workers can go to boost considerations, which is the whistleblowing complaints course of that’s “external and confidential”.
He mentioned: “We’ve got most people very confident in it, but we need to keep working on it. There’s still gaps in that and this is normal when you’re deploying these things.”
On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police mentioned no felony offence has been dedicated by Edwards and The Sun mentioned it has no plans to publish additional allegations and can co-operate with the BBC’s inside investigation course of.
BBC News had reported a second particular person claiming they felt threatened by messages they acquired from Edwards.
BBC Newsnight has additionally reported claims that one former and two present staff on the company declare they’d acquired messages from the veteran broadcaster that made them really feel uncomfortable.