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BBC Accused Of Misleading Parliament Over Failed £100M Digital Media Initiative

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Tuesday June 11, 2013 @ 6:22am PDTTags: BBC, BBC Trust, Mark Thompson

The BBC is in hot water again, this time over the handling of the Digital Media Initiative, a project to digitize archive content and make it easily accessible to production staff. The project was cancelled last month, but had already cost the broadcaster and taxpayers nearly £100M. Now, the Commons Public Accounts Committee (PAC) contends that it was misled over the status of the initiative during evidence given in 2011 by the BBC and its then-director general Mark Thompson. At the time, Thompson – who is now CEO of the New York Times Company – told the Committee, “There are many programs that are already being made with DMI, and some have gone to air and are going to air with DMI already working.” But at a hearing yesterday, Committee chair Margaret Hodge said, “We were told that there were bits of this system that were working, that you were using them. That wasn’t true. That just wasn’t true.” She has summoned Thompson to answer questions at a July hearing, The Guardian reports.

In a statement, Thompson said, “When I appeared in front of the PAC… I answered all of the questions from Committee members honestly and in good faith. I did so on the basis of information provided to me at the time by the BBC executives responsible for delivering the project.” Thompson has had a hard time leaving the BBC behind. Just as he was starting his New York Times Co. job in November, he was the subject of scrutiny from the flagship paper, and the British media, over the Jimmy Savile/Newsnight saga and was also interviewed for an inquiry into the scandal which erupted just after he left the broadcaster. READ MORE »

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UPDATE: Inquiry Finds Sex Abuse/Editorial Scandal Is “One Of The Worst Management Crises” In BBC History

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Wednesday December 19, 2012 @ 4:50am PSTTags: BBC, Jimmy Savile, Mark Thompson

UPDATE, 4:50 AM : A review into the cancellation of a BBC Newsnight program that would have revealed allegations of rampant sexual abuse by late BBC personality Jimmy Savile has been released. In the report, overseen by former Sky News chief Nick Pollard, are strong criticisms of the BBC Trust along with senior BBC executives past and present. The review (read it here) found that the BBC response to the scandal that blew open in October when rival ITV aired a program outlining allegations against Savile, was “chaos and confusion.” Pollard said, “The efforts to get to the truth behind the Savile story proved beyond the combined efforts of the senior management, legal department, corporate communications team and anyone else for well over a month.” Former BBC director general George Entwistle and BBC1 controller Danny Cohen didn’t look hard enough at the issues at the time the Newsnight report was shelved in late 2011 and tributes to Savile aired on BBC1, the review found. This was especially in light of emails that had been sent to Entwistle and Cohen, but apparently not read, that mentioned a “darker side” of Savile. Newsnight editor Peter Rippon is to be replaced but head of news Helen Boaden’s October offer to resign was not accepted and she will return to work tomorrow. Her deputy, Stephen Mitchell, resigned just after the Pollard report Read More »

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BBC Scandal: NYT CEO Delays Facing Staff Till “Early In The New Year”

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday November 30, 2012 @ 6:45pm PSTTags: BBC, Jimmy Savile, Mark Thompson

Mark ThompsonNew York Times Co. CEO Mark Thompson, who was interviewed a week ago in London in connection with the BBC scandal involving sex abuse claims against former TV host Jimmy Savile, notified the paper’s staff in a memo … Read More »

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BBC Directors Face Parliament Over Ongoing Crisis: “We Shot Ourselves In The Foot”

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Tuesday November 27, 2012 @ 6:36am PSTTags: BBC, Jimmy Savile, Mark Thompson

In a three-hour session this morning, BBC Trust chairman Lord Chris Patten and acting BBC director general Tim Davie answered questions about ongoing troubles at the broadcaster. This was the same panel that grilled George Entwistle in October, two weeks before he was forced to resign as director general. Patten’s and Davie’s turns were somewhat less fraught, although Patten was often taken to task by one BBC-averse MP. Both Patten and Davie owned up to a “bad journalistic error” that led to the running of a recent Newsnight report that falsely implied former Margaret Thatcher adviser Lord McAlpine was a pedophile. However, Davie said he thought cancelling the 60 Minutes-like flagship program would be an “overreaction.” Disciplinary hearings are currently underway with the dozen or so people involved in the report. Read More »

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Lawyers’ Letter Raises Questions About When Mark Thompson Learned Of Alleged Jimmy Savile Abuse At The BBC: NYT

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Friday November 16, 2012 @ 3:07am PSTTags: BBC, Jimmy Savile, Mark Thompson, The New York Times Company

Joe Utichi contributes to Deadline’s UK coverage

Just four days into his new job as CEO of The New York Times Company, Mark Thompson is again the subject of an article in its flagship newspaper. A story published today by The New York Times says a new piece of information “raises questions” about assertions Thompson has made with regard to when he learned of allegations of sexual abuse against late BBC host Jimmy Savile. Thompson told the NYT in October, “During my time as director general of the BBC, I never heard any allegations or received any complaints about Jimmy Savile.” He has also maintained that he knew nothing of a cancelled investigation by the BBC‘s flagship current affairs program Newsnight into the claims against Savile. But the NYT reports today that a letter sent by lawyers eight days before Thompson left the BBC in September reveals he was involved in “aggressive” legal action pertaining to the Savile story. The letter, sent on behalf of Thompson and news chief Helen Boaden, threatened Rupert Murdoch’s Sunday Times newspaper with “defamation proceedings” if it were to publish an article alleging the pair had orchestrated a cover-up over the scuppered Newsnight broadcast.

Related:
NYT Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. Welcomes Mark Thompson As CEO
Latest Fiasco At BBC Turns Up The Heat On Incoming NYT CEO

The NYT, which has closely scrutinized Thompson’s role in the saga, says the letter has been revealed to include a summary of the abuse alleged against Savile, and the fact that some of the abuse was alleged to have taken place on BBC premises. A Thompson aide told the NYT that Thompson orally authorized the sending of the letter but did not know the details of its contents. “It’s not clear if he was shown it,” the aide said, “but he doesn’t remember reading it.”

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UPDATE: NYT Publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. Welcomes Former BBC Chief Mark Thompson As New CEO

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Monday November 12, 2012 @ 10:30am PSTTags: BBC, Mark Thompson, The New York Times Company

UPDATE, 10:30 AM: New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. emailed staff today to welcome former BBC director general Mark Thompson as CEO of The New York Times Company. Thompson joins The Times just two days after his BBC successor resigned from the broadcaster amid ongoing editorial turmoil that has shaken public faith in the venerable company. Here is the text of Sulzberger’s message:

Mark will lead us as we continue our digital transformation, bolster our international growth, drive our productivity and introduce new technologies that will help us become better storytellers and enrich the experience for our readers and viewers …

That is what he did as director general of the BBC. His experience will be of great value to our company as we continue our pursuit of creating the highest quality journalism and the business results to support it.

All those who have met Mark, from staff members to our board of directors, admire his focus, meaningful expertise and appreciation for the long-term future of the Times Company.

Related: Latest Fiasco At BBC Turns Up The Heat On Incoming New York Times CEO

PREVIOUS, 6:48 AM: Former BBC director general Mark Thompson started work as CEO of The New York Times Company today, despite concerns of some Times journalists about his suitability for the job amid ongoing turmoil at the British broadcaster. ITV News grabbed the exec this morning as he was walking into the Times building where he said he believes that the BBC troubles “will not in any way affect my job, which I’m starting right now.” On the subject of the resignation this weekend of his BBC successor George Entwistle, he said, “Look, like many people, I’m very saddened by recent events at the BBC. But I believe the BBC is the world’s greatest broadcaster and I’ve got no doubt that it will Read More »

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UPDATE: BBC’s Interim Director General Emails Staff; Broadcaster Clarifies “Stepping Aside” Of News Chief Helen Boaden

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Monday November 12, 2012 @ 3:20am PSTTags: BBC, Mark Thompson, The New York Times Company

2ND UPDATE 3:20 AM: Following Saturday’s resignation of BBC director general George Entwistle, the BBC Trust appointed Tim Davie, an executive from outside the news chain, to become acting director. A permanent director is to be appointed in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, Davie has written to BBC employees. He sent an email to staff this morning, which The Guardian has posted in its entirety. In part, it reads: “The BBC is a precious institution and I am determined to give the BBC the clarity and leadership it deserves in the next few weeks. What I will also do is continue what George set out – to work tirelessly on getting rid of anything that gets in the way of delivering the best of British creativity to our audiences. There will be no handbrake turn.” Read More »

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UPDATE: Latest Fiasco At BBC Turns Up The Heat On Incoming New York Times CEO

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE AND JOE UTICHI | Saturday November 10, 2012 @ 6:07pm PSTTags: BBC, George Entwistle, Jimmy Savile, Mark Thompson

This article was reported and written by Deadline’s London correspondent Joe Utichi and International Editor Nancy Tartaglione:

2ND UPDATE, 6:07 PM: With George Entwistle’s surprise resignation from the BBC Saturday night in the UK, new emphasis falls on his predecessor, Mark Thompson, who is due to start as the New York Times Co.’s new CEO on Monday. He’s been the focus of New York Times editorials in recent weeks which have raised questions about details of his involvement in the cancellation of the Newsnight piece on accused sex abuser Jimmy Savile, which fell under his watch.

But Entwistle had certainly borne the brunt of criticism to date. Now, it casts the wrong kind of shadow on Thompson’s new employers, who seem likely to address the issue before Thompson takes up his post. Media analyst Ken Doctor thinks it’s “more likely Thompson doesn’t start on Monday than he does,” he tells Deadline. “He could well be dragged into parliamentary hearings and inquiries, and even if there’s no guilt or blame there, it’ll keep that story alive for a series of months.” It’s attention the Times doesn’t want as it hits a high point, journalistically. “They’ve done a lot of work on their digital strategy and can take pride in their coverage of key events like the election.” Doctor says. “They’ve been able to define themselves as the white knight preservers of journalism, untainted by scandal. In the wake of the phone hacking scandal, they could always contrast themselves with the Murdoch empire. But as of Monday they’ll have a CEO who is essentially using a similar defense to James Murdoch,” that he was too busy to know what was going on. The next 36 hours will prove crucial as we learn whether the ongoing scandal threatens another media organization.
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Global Showbiz Briefs: Sitcom Showcase, ITV ‘Celebrity Splash’, HBO Go Asia & More

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Wednesday October 31, 2012 @ 8:21pm PDTTags: BBC, Celebrity Splash, HBO Asia, Mark Thompson

BBC Comedies Vie For Commissions At Salford Sitcom Showcase
The BBC is taking a shot at remaking It Takes A Village, the 2010 ABC pilot by Casey Johnson & David Windsor that starred Leah Remini. Whether the UK version actually goes forward, however, will be in the hands of a live studio audience next month. For the second year in a row, the BBC is testing a crop of potential shows in front of a live audience at the Salford Sitcom Showcase, a three-day event during which six comedy pilots are performed onstage to a packed house as execs take notes. The first edition spawned commissions for family sitcoms Citizen Khan, which BBC One just picked up for a second season, and Hebburn which debuted on BBC Two this month. On deck at this year’s showcase with It Takes A Village are the battling-neighbors show 1987, from Sherlock producers Beryl and Sue Vertue; Just Us, about a couple forced to downsize from London that’s exec produced by Don Taffner for DLT Entertainment and stars Downton Abbey‘s Samantha Bond; The Gatekeeper, from exec producers Gareth Edwards and Saurabh Kakkar about a 40-ish man who works the nightshift as a security guard; the Pete Thornton exec produced Chain Gang about life in a Bristol coffee bar and family show Homeboys from exec producer Mario Stylianides for Lucky Giant. This year, the Salford Showcase runs from Nov 21-23.
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BBC Scandal Turns Spotlight On Incoming New York Times CEO Mark Thompson

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Wednesday October 24, 2012 @ 5:14am PDTTags: BBC, Jimmy Savile, Mark Thompson, The New York Times Company

The sex abuse/editorial scandal plaguing the BBC is starting to reach across the pond. Mark Thompson, the former head of the BBC and the incoming CEO of The New York Times Company, has reiterated to the newspaper that he was not aware of the BBC’s Newsnight investigation into sexual abuse allegations against late TV host Jimmy Savile until after the report was spiked. Thompson’s comments to the Times run in an interview that appears in today’s paper – a day after Times ombudsman Margaret Sullivan wrote, “How likely is it that (Thompson) knew nothing?” and suggested it was “worth considering whether he is the right person for the job, given this turn of events.”

A New York Times spokesman said, “Mark will join The New York Times Company as president and CEO the week of Nov. 12. We believe his experience and accomplishments make him the ideal person to take the helm of the Times Company as we focus on growing our businesses through digital and global expansion.” But Douglas Arthur, an analyst at Evercore Partners, has said it would be advisable to “delay” Thompson’s start until the situation shakes out in the UK. Independent reviews are underway at the BBC on the Savile allegations as they relate to the corporation and on the controversial killing of the Newsnight piece. Thompson’s successor, George Entwistle, was grilled on the matters for two hours yesterday by a parliamentary select committee.

Related: BBC’s George Entwistle Grilled By Parliament Over Jimmy Savile Sex Scandal

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New York Times’ New CEO Signs On For $1M A Year, Plus Incentives

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Friday August 17, 2012 @ 7:11am PDTTags: Janet Robinson, Mark Thompson, The New York Times Company

Mark Thompson will be collecting a lot less as the Times’ new CEO than his predecessor, Janet Robinson, did. The soon-to-be former Director-General of the BBC — he starts at the Times in … Read More »

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New York Times Company Picks BBC’s Mark Thompson To Be CEO

By DAVID LIEBERMAN, Executive Editor | Tuesday August 14, 2012 @ 3:38pm PDTTags: Mark Thompson, The New York Times Company

The venerable newspaper company has turned to a television exec with experience managing tight budgets to help lead its journey into the digital era. Mark Thompson, 55, has been Director-General of the BBC since 2004. He’ll … Read More »

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BBC Director General Mark Thompson Said Eyed For New York Times Chief Exec Post

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Friday June 22, 2012 @ 12:59am PDTTags: BBC, Mark Thompson, The New York Times Company

Mark Thompson is set to leave his post as BBC director general after the London Olympics this summer. In the past month, he’s said to have had meetings about the chief executive job at The New York Times Company which … Read More »

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BBC Director General Mark Thompson To Step Down After London Summer Olympics

By NANCY TARTAGLIONE, International Editor | Monday March 19, 2012 @ 7:25am PDTTags: 2012 London Olympics, BBC, Mark Thompson

Mark Thompson BBC OlympicsIn a move that had been expected for the past few months, Mark Thompson announced his exit this afternoon in a letter to staff. “This morning I told (BBC chairman) Lord Patten that I believe … Read More »

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BBC Slashes Budget By $1B a Year, Cuts 2,000 Jobs, Scales Back U.S. Imports

By TIM ADLER in London | Thursday October 6, 2011 @ 3:33am PDTTags: BBC, Mad Men, Mark Thompson, The Killing

The BBC has slashed its budget for foreign TV imports such as AMC’s Mad Men and Danish thriller The Killing, which was a hit for the broadcaster. Budget cuts announced this morning mean that talent may also quit for rival … Read More »

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BBC Mulls Cutting Hollywood Movie Budget

By TIM ADLER in London | Monday March 14, 2011 @ 10:15am PDTTags: BBC, Mark Thompson

Britain’s national state TV broadcaster is looking at cutting its U.S. acquisition budget even further, especially for costly American films. BBC director-general Mark Thompson briefed senior managers last week about big cuts to programming budgets as he is grappling with what is in effect an 16% overall cut for the broadcaster. BBC1, the main channel, already shows fewer movies –- last year, the number of films it showed fell by 17% to 281. The Beeb has been criticised in the past for paying top dollar for movies like Harry Potter that have already been through every window, including pay TV. Other cuts being considered include drastically scaling back the number of show aired after 10:30 PM and scrapping all local radio shows apart from breakfast and drive-time. Read More »

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BBC Boss Warns Of ‘Abuse Of Power’ If Rupert Murdoch Takes Control of BSkyB

By TIM ADLER in London | Friday October 8, 2010 @ 2:57am PDTTags: BBC Mark Thompson, Mark Thompson, News Corp BSkyB, News Corp Finance, News Corp Sky, Rupert Murdoch BSkyB, Sky UK Broadcasting, UK Government BSkyB

Mark Thompson has called on the British government to intervene in News Corp’s bid to take full control of BSkyB. Speaking on PBS’s Charlie Rose Show in New York, he agreed there was potential for an abuse of power by the Murdoch media group if BSkyB, the UK’s biggest broadcaster in terms of its £5.4 billion revenue, comes under the same ownership as News International, the UK’s largest newspaper group. Combining BSkyB with News International, owner of The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times, raised issues of “how you ensure plurality in the system”, Thompson warned. He said that the UK government should look at those issues – although he stopped short of calling for the deal to be blocked. Read More »

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BBC Boss ‘Confident’ Over Licence Fee

By TIM ADLER in London | Tuesday September 28, 2010 @ 4:56am PDTTags: BBC Finance, BBC Licence Fee Freeze, BBC License Fee, BBC Mark Thompson, Mark Thompson, TV, UK TV

Mark Thompson, director general of the BBC, says he’s upbeat over government negotiations to renew the £3.5 billion ($5.5 billion) licence fee. Talks over the next 4-year licence fee settlement, which runs 2013-16, are due to start next summer. The … Read More »

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BBC Chief Blasts Rupert & James Murdoch

By TIM ADLER in London | Friday August 27, 2010 @ 12:00pm PDTTags: BBC, BBC Finance, BBC Mark Thompson, Jeremy Hunt, Mactaggart Lecture, Mark Thompson, Mark Thompson Mactaggart Lecture, News Corp, Rupert Murdoch, Sky Original Programming

As expected, BBC director general Mark Thompson has gone on the attack against the Murdochs and News Corp. He warned that Sky will shortly become Britain’s biggest broadcaster and said such a concentration of cross-media ownership would not be … Read More »

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