After 5 years on the helm of the BBC and fielding quite a few controversies, Tim Davie has left the broadcaster.
The director common stepped down yesterday following accusations that the BBC doctored Donald Trump’s speech in a Panorama documentary.
Throughout his time, the broadcaster has come below criticism over the Bob Vylan live performance at Glastonbury, the Huw Edwards scandal and allegations of misconduct at MasterChef.
Nevertheless it was the Trump speech controversy which was the ultimate nail within the coffin for Davie and his CEO of Information.
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Who’s Tim Davie?
Davie was born in Croydon, south London, and he joined the broadcaster after a profession in advertising, together with with PepsiCo.
The 58-year-old was appointed because the BBC director common in September 2020 on the top of the pandemic.
He took on the function after the departure of Tony Corridor.
Davie was reportedly paid considerably greater than Corridor, receiving round £642,000 a yr, whereas Corridor is assumed to have been paid £475,000.
Davie steered the broadcaster by means of the coronavirus pandemic, which noticed studies of PPE contracts being awarded to well-connected people.
The primary scandal Davie needed to shoulder got here after a report in 2021 discovered that reporter Martin Bashir had ‘deceived and induced’ Princess Diana’s brother to get the 1995 interview along with her.
Though Davie was not on the Beeb on the time, he issued a ‘full and unconditional’ apology.
Why has he resigned now?
Nonetheless, the Trump accusations proved an excessive amount of for the director common to subject.
A clip of his speech, featured within the Panorama episode ‘Trump: A Second Likelihood’ appeared to indicate Trump telling supporters he was going to stroll to the Capitol with them to ‘struggle like hell,’ though the quotes had been made in a distinct a part of the speech, 50 minutes aside.
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The difficulty started to unravel after a memo, despatched to the BBC editorial requirements committee, raised considerations over the best way Trump’s speech on January 6 through the Capitol riots was edited.
The Panorama episode got here out only a week earlier than the US elections final yr.
Prime 5 BBC controversies below Tim Davie
Throughout his five-year tenure, Tim Davie confronted a number of scandals and controversies, starting from the behaviour of particular person stars to the broadcaster’s perceived bias in its Gaza protection.
Gaza and Bob Vylan
The BBC has confronted fixed stress over its protection of the Israel-Gaza battle.
It was compelled to make an on-air apology for its content material for the primary time since 2009 after Ofcom dominated it dedicated a ‘critical breach’ of broadcasting guidelines in its documentary, Survive a Warzone.
The programme attracted criticism after its teenage narrator was revealed to be the son of a Hamas official.
In Might, the BBC additionally got here below stress for not pulling the plug on Bob Vylan’s live performance on the Glastonbury Competition, throughout which a member of the music act led a ‘dying to the IDF’ chant.
Huw Edwards
Amongst the most important scandals dealt with by Mr Davie was that regarding star information anchor Huw Edwards, who was revealed to have paid a young person greater than £35,000 for express photographs.
Edwards was convicted for making indecent photographs of kids. Nonetheless the broadcaster acquired criticism for not taking him off air sooner, as Edwards continued to attract his wage even following his arrest.
Gregg Wallace
The BBC was additional rocked when one other family title, Gregg Wallace, was compelled to step again from presenting after 13 people accused him of creating inappropriate feedback.
An impartial investigation discovered that the MasterChef presenter had made a sequence ‘culturally insensitive’ and ‘sexual’ remarks, with the BBC confirming in July it might not work with him.
In his response, Wallace blamed the BBC for failing to accommodate his neurodiversity and ‘peddling baseless and sensationalised gossip’.
Strictly Come Dancing welfare allegations
One other supply of grievance got here from former contestants of the broadcaster’s flagship Saturday night time present, Strictly Come Dancing.
The floodgates opened after Amanda Abbington went public in January 2024 about her skilled accomplice, Giovanni Pernice’s coaching strategies.
Complaints had been additionally introduced towards Graziano Di Prima who was stated to have diminished his 2023 accomplice Zara McDermott to tears throughout coaching. Each professionals had been since dropped from the present.
One other 2023 contestant, Wynne Evans, grew to become embroiled in a scandal as a consequence of alleged sexualised remarks about skilled dancers.
Trump Capitol Speech Panorama
Earlier this week the BBC got here below renewed stress after it transpired that it had spliced two feedback in a Trump speech given in January 2021 made 50 minutes aside, making it seem as one steady incitement of violence.
The most recent scandal got here to gentle following the revelation of an inside memo within the Telegraph.
Amongst critics calling for Mr Davie’s resignation had been former PM Boris Johnson, who wrote he would withhold his licence payment till somebody on the BBC ‘took accountability’.
What claims had been remodeled the Trump video?
Critics have accused the Panorama video of being deceptive because the clip didn’t embody Trump’s phrases that he needed to supporters on the Capitol to protest peacefully.
The US president accused the BBC and its bosses of attempting to ‘step on the scales of a presidential election.’
Nonetheless, authorities ministers have rejected solutions that the BBC was institutionally biased.
Who else has resigned from the BBC?
It’s not simply Davie who has needed to bow out.
The CEO of reports, Deborah Turness, additionally introduced her resignation on Sunday night.
Tim Davie's resignation notice
The director common despatched the next notice to workers as he stepped down: ‘Whereas not being the one cause, the present debate round BBC Information has understandably contributed to my determination.
‘General, the BBC is delivering properly, however there have been some errors made and as director-general I’ve to take final accountability.’
He stated is is ‘working by means of precise timings with the Board to permit for an orderly transition to a successor over the approaching months.’
Turness stated the Trump controversy has ‘reached a stage the place it’s inflicting harm to the BBC — an establishment that I really like. Because the CEO of BBC Information and Present Affairs, the buck stops with me.’
She continued: ‘In public life leaders have to be absolutely accountable, and that’s the reason I’m stepping down.
‘Whereas errors have been made, I wish to be completely clear latest allegations that BBC Information is institutionally biased are improper.’
What has the BBC stated?
Samir Shah, the chairman of the BBC, stated when the resignation was introduced: ‘This can be a unhappy day for the BBC. Tim has been an impressive Director-Normal for the final 5 years. He has propelled the BBC ahead with willpower, single-mindedness and foresight.
‘He has had the complete assist of me and the Board all through. Nonetheless, I perceive the continued stress on him, personally and professionally, which has led him to take this determination at present. The entire Board respects the choice and the explanations for it.
‘This is a vital time for the Company and the Board and I’ll proceed to work with Tim within the interim whereas we conduct the method to nominate his successor.’
Shah is anticipated to difficulty a written assertion to MPs at present.
Who might exchange him as director common?
The collection of the subsequent director common rests with the BBC board.
Together with Shad, the board has 10 non-executive members and 4 govt members.
They’re anticipated to decide on the 18th director common within the coming months.
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