Emily Maitlis was "completely wrong" on the Newsnight Dominic Cummings comments, BBC Chair Richard Sharp has said.
The commercial arm has real potential both on the production side and the direct-to-consumer side.” BBC journalists are understood to be considering strike action over the move. “You have to make some painful decisions,” he added. Booking Lycett has so far elicited around 60 complaints to the BBC’s Complaints Unit, said Davie. There was a proper discussion and a call was made. We found Newsnight had not appropriately addressed the issue because she led with her opinions.”
The BBC director-general and chairman addressed Emily Maitlis' speech while appearing before a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
“She obviously drew on certain issues related to the United States and then she turned her comments to the BBC. “But obviously, I’m familiar in detail with the processes. He said: “I was at the MacTaggart Lecture and so I found her lecture where she raised this … And she was addressing a very important issue, which was a global issue of how news can operate in an environment of heightened political tension. The chairman also said that Maitlis appearing to describe Mr Gibb as an “active agent of the Conservative Party” within the BBC was “completely wrong” and he was “disappointed” the former BBC presenter made that point. I was not director-general at the time, but I think it’s absolutely the right decision, unequivocally”.
FORMER Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis was accused of being an 'active Labour agent' inside the BBC in a tense Commons grilling on broadcaster's ...
Senior Conservative MP Damian Green suggested the journalist's "infamous monologue" on Dominic Cummings' lockdown breaches had left many in the party to consider her to have been biased in her coverage. The corporation was forced to apologise in May 2020 after Newsnight opened with a speech that said the former Downing Street chief of staff had "broken the rules" and "the country can see that, and it’s shocked the Government cannot". FORMER Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis was accused of being an "active Labour agent" inside the BBC in a tense Commons grilling on broadcaster's impartiality.
BBC boss Tim Davie said it was 'the right decision' to apologise for Emily Maitlis's (pictured) Newsnight speech on Dominic Cummings's lockdown trip after ...
BBC chairman Richard Sharp has said Emily Maitlis appearing to describe Sir Robbie Gibb as an 'active agent of the Conservative Party' at the BBC was 'completely wrong' and he was 'disappointed' the former BBC presenter made that point. Reflecting on the impartiality of the BBC's content as a whole, Mr Davie said: 'We do have hundreds of thousands of hours of output... Mr Davie added: 'I don't think it displays BBC bias in the slightest. I was not director-general at the time, but I think it's absolutely the right decision, unequivocally'. When BBC Director-General Tim Davie took over the helm, he vowed to stamp out political tweets from its stars. Mr Sharp added: 'But obviously, I'm familiar in detail with the processes. Ahead of a match against Canada, he wrote: 'Must be hard not to just laugh at this if you're the opposition.' The presenter deleted a post last year about his BBC pay cut after volunteering to have it slashed by £400,000. The chairman also said that Maitlis appearing to describe Sir Robbie as an 'active agent of the Conservative Party' within the BBC was 'completely wrong' and he was 'disappointed' the former BBC presenter made that point. Pictured: Robbie Gibb, then-Director of Communications at No. I should probably have phrased it that way.' I was just wondering why as an opposing sportsman it would be in anyway intimidating after seeing it for so many years.
Chairman Richard Sharp tells MPs that former Newsnight presenter was 'completely wrong'
I think he understands the guidelines.” I don’t think it displays BBC bias in the slightest.” He said: “There’s no danger of that. I was not director general at the time, but I think it’s absolutely the right decision, unequivocally. It was one of the errors that Emily Maitlis made [in her MacTaggart lecture] and I’m very disappointed that she made that particular point.” He said calls from ministers led to reflection at the BBC, not panic.