BBC Chair Says “Nothing To Suggest” Prescott Memo Leak Came From Within The Corporation

The BBC does not believe the leaked Michael Prescott memo that brought down the Director General and news chief came from one of its staff.

BBC Chair Samir Shah revealed the news via an “update on our leak investigations” in a letter to Culture Committee Chair Caroline Dinenage today. “We have completed extensive electronic searches and analysis in relation to the Prescott memo,” wrote Shah. “There is nothing to suggest from those searches that the leak to The Telegraph came from the BBC.”

Shah appeared to be choosing his language carefully and did not say that the leak unequivocally came from outside of the corporation.

The Prescott memo included selective examples of perceived BBC editorial failings including the now infamous Donald Trump Panorama splice, which was the catalyst for the resignations of Director General Tim Davie and news boss Deborah Turness. Trump is now threatening to sue the BBC for at least $1B over the splice, which made it appear as if he was encouraging protestors to riot at the Capitol on Jan 6.

Shah was responding to 18 questions sent to him by Dinenage after his appearance in front of the committee, coming as the BBC faces one of its gravest crises in years.

Shumeet Banerji’s trip to the Antarctic

Another recent BBC resignation was that of board member Shumeet Banerji, who dramatically resigned after saying he was “not consulted” about the events leading up to Davie and Turness’ exit.

Shah denied this today, saying that he had emailed all board members on the afternoon before the resignations alerting them to the need for a board call. Following this email, “Mr Banerji’s office indicated a call on Saturday was logistically difficult given he was in the Antarctic,” according to Shah.

Whether Banerji’s resignation letter was the subject of a leak to BBC News, which broke the story, did not require much investigation, Shah added, given that Banerji had himself “provided a copy of his letter to BBC News.” His board term was due to end at the end of this year regardless of the resignation.

“Constructed with a spine of Trump supporters”

Most of Shah’s responses to Dinenage concerned events covered during his recent Culure Committee session, including when he had spoken with Davie and Turness about their impending resignations during that fateful weekend one month ago.

Meanwhile, the BBC today published the snap response of its editorial complaints director Peter Johnston to some of Prescott’s complaints.

On Trump, Johnston said BBC News “did not agree with the assertion that Panorama was anti Trump,” pointing out that it believed the program was “constructed with a spine of Trump supporters” including his Front Row Joes superfans, who appeared 12 and 15 times respectively. “[BBC News] argued that the overall tone was not anti-Trump, but seeking to understand his popular appeal,” added Johnston. “They also explained why due impartiality did not require an equivalent programme on [Kamala] Harris and described some other current affairs output which had not been included in the original [Prescott] scope.”

Johnston is currently compiling a more in-depth review, which will also be published. A new BBC Director General and news chief will likely be in place by early next year.