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Subscribe to RSSBBC Director General George Entwistle resigned on Saturday as the BBC spiraled further into scandal over its coverage of two separate sex abuse cases – one, a cover up, and the other, a possible wrongful accusation. NBC's Keir Simmons reports.
The director general of the British Broadcasting Corporation, George Entwistle, resigned Saturday after only 54 days in the role - the latest to be caught in the wake of a child sex-abuse scandal that has thrown the 90-year-old publicly funded behemoth and other U.K. institutions into deepening turmoil.
The scandal, which began with allegations against a single former BBC employee, has since engulfed hospitals, children’s homes, even the police.
It also poses questions for Mark Thompson, Entwistle's immediate predecessor, who on Monday becomes chief executive of The New York Times.
For an entire week, one of the BBC's key news shows suggested a leading Conservative party politician, who wasn’t named, had been involved in the rape of a young boy in Wales decades ago. The man accused denied it; the victim himself now says it was a case of mistaken identity.
Many networks ran interviews with the victim -- one even asked whether a pedophile network had been protected by a masonic conspiracy. Did a judge who led an early inquiry into the abuse at a North Wales children’s home deliberately hide the names of famous or influential abusers?
Max Nash / AP
The BBC Director General, George Entwistle, announces his resignation from the BBC outside New Broadcasting House in central London, Saturday Nov. 10.
In front of 1 million television viewers, a morning TV host handed a list of alleged pedophiles to the British Prime Minister David Cameron live on air. That list, allegedly including the names of other senior politicians, was compiled based on unsubstantiated Internet rumors.
The revelation that all of this was a mistake is once again causing Britain's media organizations to question their own values, only months after news of newspaper phone-hacking. It has filled Britain with outrage, astonishment and self-doubt.
The scandal had begun with separate claims that BBC - one of the most respected brands in journalism worldwide - had failed to expose the late BBC children's television personality and fundraiser, Jimmy Savile, as a pedophile even though it had interviewed several victims who made allegations against the star.
It’s now clear those allegations are well founded. Yet the same BBC program, 'Newsnight', that shelved the original and apparently accurate Savile story was the first to broadcast the latest false allegations.
'Newsnight' has apologized on air for its mistake, another inquiry has been launched, and the program has temporarily suspended all its investigatory work. On Saturday, Entwistle, who took his post in September, resigned in response to the growing scandal after a humiliating interview on the BBC’s own flagship radio news program, 'Today'. The BBC is in crisis.
BBC boss Entwistle quits amid turmoil over network's child sex abuse scandal
On Sunday, the head of the BBC's governing body - former Thatcher-era government minister Lord Patten - admitted the issue of public trust in BBC journalism was paramount, and said a "thorough, radical, structural overhaul" of the organization was now necessary.
Savile had been a British institution, presenting TV shows during the 1970s and '80s that attracted huge audiences. Now police investigators suspect that he was abusing hundreds of children, even on BBC property.
One man described how, at the age of 9, he went to be part of the audience for the Savile show "Jim’ll Fix It." He says Savile abused him in a dressing room.
“He put his hand on my knee and started touching me,” the man said in an interview. “And grabbed my hand and forced it on top of his trousers. I was absolutely petrified.”
The allegations became public only weeks after the departure of Entwistle's predecessor, Mark Thompson, who starts his job as NYT chief executive on Monday.
In a statement last month, quoted by The New York Times, Thompson said, “During my time as director general of the BBC, I never heard any allegations or received any complaints about Jimmy Savile.”
Lewis Whyld / AP
Jimmy Savile is shown in a March 2008 file photo.
But NBC News has spoken to one of the journalists who broke the Savile story. He says he called Thompson’s office in May and outlined the allegations to his personal assistant.
“I absolutely remember saying it,” says Miles Goslett. “I always felt it extraordinary that no senior people in the BBC including Mark Thompson as director general addressed this issue.”
When asked about Goslett’s allegations, the BBC sent NBC News a prepared statement regarding Thompson’s knowledge of the affair:
“Mark Thompson has repeatedly made clear he had no personal knowledge of the allegations. While Ms. Cecil recalls Mr Goslett telephoning her to complain about a Freedom of Information request she does not recall that he mentioned the nature of the allegations against Savile." (Click here for the BBC’s full statements on the affair )
Jessica Cecil is the head of the director general's office.
This week NBC News approached Thompson for an interview, after a lecture he gave at Oxford University. Thompson declined, saying he wanted to wait for the outcome of that BBC inquiry.
But whatever its conclusions, the implications for the BBC are already becoming clear. Trust in the institution had dropped from 62 percent in 2009 to 47 percent last week, according to a poll conducted by one of the BBC’s own radio stations.
It is not alone. This scandal has rocked people’s faith in many of Britain’s institutions and left a country questioning itself and its elite.
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Britain's Penn State. Every country has one. It just takes time for the dirty laundry to be exposed.
He will fit right in with the New York Times then. They are expert at covering up and hiding anything that could hurt the Obama administration. And it appears he has had lots of practice covering up over at BBC to fit in nicely.
How shocking! A "news" organization ignores a rampant scandal because it involves a liberal icon who not only shares the views and politics of its senior executives but perhaps a bit more importantly, generates enormous profits for them as well. Not only that but it then it accuses a conservative politician of raping a boy and implying a conspiracy of coverup with absolutely no proof or even a token effort at verification of the allegations.
How appropriate that Mark Thompson, the senior executive who buried the story has been hired by the New York Times.
Yes, by all means blame the Knights Templar and rout them from the countryside. It's 1307 again!
These pervs root themselves in a business or in some cases a church live in it and progress to the point of power then protect other of their ilk when they are about to be exposed because they do not want the noterioty by ignoring the obvious. Look at how the catholic church swept most of it wide ranging problem under the rug now one of the most prestigious broadcasting entity's in the world is suffering from the apparent same thing. Or is it just a witch hunt. No one will know until the investigation is complete and a rush to judgement may forestall the truth from ever being known.
We have lost a trusted news community that the public could rely on for the pursuit of facts in an open society. The entire ethical foundation of the Fourth Estate has collapsed. It's been refloored by corporate interests that, as always, trump the public good. People complain idiotically about socialism replacing democracy; what we have is far worse--a corporatocracy that leaches off people who must work for a living and that creates propaganda that recasts them as some kind of noble job creators.
The presidential election--how it was covered and how deeply both candidates were questioned about their views--is an example. None of us really knows what either candidate planned to do over the next four years--people absorbed talking points like they were brainwashed. We the people have been converted into pawns protecting and being sacrificed for the interests of the royal pieces.
Timothy, if you're going to comment, try to have some clue what you're talking about. Savile
a) wasn't a liberal icon
b) is dead
and
c) hasn't been on telly for years.
KeenInsight - indeed! IMO you hit the nail on the head. At the end of the day it is $$ that rules, facts and ethics forget em or only take as needed. At one point people cared about those things but no more. I agree really at the end of the election asking the average person what one candidate was going to do, I imagine they couldn't even tell you. But they could easily spout off the current hot topic talking point and why the other guy was bad. Of the barrage of campaign ads at all levels, those that I actually paid attention to (typically b/c I wasn't able to turn it off or switch channel/station) most were just attack ads and never explained what that person was going to do.
Very sad that we can't find a mainstream news organization that would just give us the facts instead of spinning or manipulating into a view to fit the opinions of a select few.
It is time
Remember: This is the organization that tried to pass off an old photograph from Iraq as depicting civilian victims of an imaginary massacre by Syria's army. This is the organization that blamed the Syrian army for the Houla massacre, an atrocity that was actually committed by NATO-backed "rebel" terrorists.
In the toilet is precisely where the BBC's credibility belongs!
Hey Demotivatrix:
Thanks for the news flash that Savile is dead and hasn't been on the "telly" for years. Were you in his fan club? Actually I already knew of his demise because I don't rely on you or the BBC for my news.
Seeing that you're such a wealth of information however, maybe you can provide some relevant "clues", like how Savile managed to molest kids for so long without being exposed. Maybe the twits running BBC liked to watch? Please enlighten me.
As far as him being a liberal icon maybe you're right. I'll let trusted institutions like the BBC classify him. It took them over 20 years to acknowledge he was a pedophile. Let me know when you get the next news flash.
I wonder if Pierce "Self Righteous" "Hypocritical" "Great Britain is the best" " I hate America" Morgan will report on this? doubt it...
What a debacle. This is real, I was there at the time and pedophilia was rampant.
Just admit it and move on. But denial will get you no where in today's world of truth.
It would surprise me if anyone could actually connect the actual "Lords of the BBC" with any one pedophile though.
In General, the guys in charge of the BBC were of the highest level people in the UK and were not actual performers or actors themselves. They were there because the Queen herself approved of them.
So basically you are stating that you worked with a bunch of weird, gross, pathetic little losers.
Don't get so high and mighty.....We have our own circle of these NAZIs right here in America. We had a real investigator on the case in Ted Gunderson, too bad he died last year. But his data is out there.
As A KID I had the honor to work for the Queen on the fifth floor of Harrods Department store before it was bought by the Arabs.
It was two 80 plus old white girls who were cousins to the Queen of England :) It was cool, the days before computers. I changed One movie star's file label about 5 times in 4 weeks :) Gregory Peck.
No kidding, at the time it was two sisters about 75-80 years old that ran Harrods department store. 5th floor, I had the honor to work for them as a kid :) It was when Elvis was investing in the "Way In Cafe" too :)
This has nothing to do with the topic. Save this dribble for your autobioghraphy.
Those were the good days :) Everything has gone down hill since then.
It's becoming more and more apparent, that the real reason this scourge of abuse against children isn't being effectively addressed and eliminated, is because there are entirely too many offenders in high positions of power and influence. And the additional protections they receive from the organizations they are members of, merely exacerbates the difficulty encountered by law enforcement when they attempt to apprehend and prosecute these perverts.
Now I personally do NOT believe that the Masonic order, the Roman Catholic Church, The Boy Scouts of America, or any of a couple hundred other religious or fraternal organizations, actually help to protect our children from abuse. On the contrary, I believe that they are a large part of the problem, not the solution.
Until these "Organizations" are held accountable and vigorously prosecuted (Criminally, not in Civil court), I really don't expect things to much improve. These are men of high position and socioeconomic influence. They are Judges, and Doctors, University professors, celebrities and pro athletes, musicians and politicians, and they know how to hide their activities very well.
Time to shine a bright flashlight on these cockroaches, and drag their disgusting @sses out into the light of day.
Can we drag Polanski out as well!
I boycott anything he does, he is still at it...wait, according to Hollywood, its just "Rape Rape" not Rape!
James Griffin:
The laws that should apply to everyone equally and fairly almost never apply to the "elite". Those who attempt to pursue justice against the wrongdoing by the elite are usually either quieted, transferred or fired.
Look no further than the lack of criminal prosecution of Wall Street and the banks and this administration wanting to "move forward" instead of investigating possible war crimes against the previous administration.
Oh, there may be an example of a sacrificial pig or two, but that's the exception, not the norm.
As Leona Helmsley so famously exhalted "Only the little people pay taxes".
Well in the words of Malcolm X: "The revolution will NOT be televised...it will be LIVE!"
IE, going down hill, how the hell did the Arabs take over Harrods of London? That's a tragedy that I did not see coming.....
It depends on who you consider "Arabs". The Fayeds owned it from 1985 and sold it in 2010 to Qatar Holdings. Either way, you've been outta touch for awhile.
You can bet that William and Harry have not forgotten about that Harrods Knghstrbridge thing.
It appears only sexual crimes and misconduct have the power to bring powerful people to justice. Every other deleterious and deceitful practice is fair game.
It's because crimes against the prevailing sexual morality are something everyone can agree on. People can get really really mad without having to think too much and they can have an opinion without the necessary educational or technical training.
Crimes involving financial impropriety or something of that sort are a bit more subjective. And if the crime is clear cut, there's only a handfull of specialists who even understand what laws were violated and how.
No kidding though kids, I doubt if these old guys at the BBC are guilty of anything other than Naivity.
This is unrelated to Saville I think.
This guy quit for something unrelated to Savile.
This would be a great time for the real Knights of the round table like Mick Jagger and Paul Mccartney to step up and gloat a little :)
I can just see Yoko Ono doing something for the world again too :)
Eltton John should be reserved :)
Mick Jagger has about 6 daughters and they are all hot ! L) Rock Star text book study, kids :) Not gay.
The cool thing about being a guy like Mick Jagger or Paul McCartney, is that these are the people who achieved their child hood dreams in real life, and the rest of us only do that while we are asleep. :)
I will never forget the first time I came face to face with Mick Jagger. He was the dream and I was the dreamer :) Continues to this day. That is why these people are so successful :)
johnbarker,,,,,,,,
,,,,,, shut the fu@k up !!!
No one her give a damn about your sexual fantasies in your supposedly meeting Mick Jagger.
At the risk of bringing you back to reality, the subject matter here is the sex scandal rocking the BBC.
.
(moron)
.
Aw, darn. I was just going to start bragging about myself.
Don't Google me.
Back on topic: John, is there something you're not sharing with us?
No kidding though, Mick Jagger is the only guy who can play with sexual perceptions with such hands off delicacy. haha.
The whole Marketing thing was "Beatles are white" Stones are Black. But not queer, unless you want that :) haha.
But the fact is Mick Jagger has about 6 Kids and they are all potential famous singers :) He doesn't trust blood thirsty gold digging people in general no matter what sex they are :)
Mick Jagger's point of view was "I dont care why you like me as long as you like me..": :)
Sorry to get off topic. But :
Saville : Gay
BBC: Not Gay. :)
Oh dear. NBC News repeats the mistake that the BBC is a "state broadcaster". The BBC is a national broadcaster financed by a levy on all houses with a TV but nobody in the government can tell the BBC what to do and it does not run the BBC. Its instead run by a Trust working to a fixed charter to entertain, educate and inform. So it is not connected to the government in any way and not a State Broadcaster in the same way as in some other countries where the government controls what the people see and hear.
Hi there. The article does not say the BBC is a "state broadcaster". It says the BBC is funded by the state, which is correct: Britain's mandatory television licence fee is payable under national law and is collected by a government agency.
hahahahaha
If you want the latest Mick Jagger this is it, he is not gay , but he doesnt care what you think :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUk_Dqiow0A
when Mick Jagger paid for my vacation to the Canary islands in 1972 my dad could not believe it. My Dad asked me, "So is he gay or not?"? haha. Dad No. He invited about 150 other girls my age too :)
Jagger needed more guys to keep up with all the other girls :)
Everyone who was there knows thats a true story too, it was just before the 747 disaster.
The USA should adjust its constitution so Rock Stars from England can run for President :)
I am a direct descendent of a Mayflower passenger. I have my name on Plymouth rock :) Been back to England not sure what I prefer :)
johnbarker, Thanx for the laughs you goofball ya.......
I can tell you one thing though. Americans are not idiots. Don't try to pull anything over their eyes. They can be just as ruthless as you with your barbaric ways under the guise of "culture" :)
Anyway, Mick Jagger is not gay. Elton John is gay but not a pedophile. . The BBC is not a sex act. :) Very amusing,
This is the famous released Mick Jagger video approved by Mick Jagger himself :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUk_Dqiow0A
Mick Jagger does not care what sex you think of him as long as you like him. And you don't actually try to meet him :)
Jagger could care less how gay you are as long as you buy his records :)
Boaring, but I'm telling you Kids. Sir Michael Jagger is not a queer :)
Mick the Dick said that he would love to have a go at it, like you brits would say with that other gay lord, David Bowie. So if that is not gay, what is. Nothing wrong here with it just not my cup of tea, just if your gay ok admit it.
It does not matter whether this man is guilty or innocent-- and it is clear that he is innocent. What matters is that the public has another target upon which to vent its pent-up rage over everything that is wrong with their miserable lives that has nothing to do with either pedophilia or this innocent man. I had thought at one time that the West had evolved beyond the savagery of the Dark Ages, but I was clearly mistaken. Give it time! We'll be feeding people to wild animals in the Colosseum again, hanging people in the public squares again, and televising all of it on pay-per-view without any hint of care that our society has devolved into savagery, let alone whether those whom we have destroyed were innocent or not. I know asking that this question will be an utter waste of time, but here it goes:
What part of "He is innocent" do you not @!$%#ing understand?
the time is now. its good vs evil folks. pick a side and get ready.
Just one look at Jim will dickya, and you got to know this guy is a baloney smoker. If I were a parent maybe you would want to keep you kids and gerbils away from him.
where does the Masonic order fit in here? ahh, keping those disgusting secrets about their chartered members eh.
Pathetic lot