19/12/2012

BBC Newsnight Inquiry Finds 'Flawed' Decision Over Savile Crisis

An inquiry into BBC's Newsnight's decision to drop a programme in relation to alleged sexual abuse by Jimmy Savile finds that the judgement was flawed.

The inquiry, which was carried out by Sky's former Head of news, Nick Pollard, said shelving the report had put the BBC into "chaos and confusion".

The report found: "The decision to drop the original investigation was flawed and the way it was taken was wrong but I believe it was done in good faith. It was not done to protect the Savile tribute programmes or for any improper reason."

Deputy director of BBC News Stephen Mitchell has resigned from his position as a result of the fallout from the Newsnight problems.

Acting director-general Tim Davie said he had accepted Mr Mitchell's resignation with "great sadness".

Another review by the BBC Trust, also released today, concluded that airing a Newsnight report that led to Lord McAlpine being wrongly named as a paedophile was a failure by members of the team to follow the BBC's own editorial guidelines.

The Polland review concluded that the BBC does not need to be taken apart "brick by brick" but warns that the director-general's role as editor-in-chief must now be examined.

(CD)

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