Post by Teddy Bear on Sept 23, 2007 19:30:32 GMT
So, BBC staff are furious about the fact that only junior execs have been fired in the wake of various scams that have come to light - good.
So many of us here are furious about the way the BBC has been conducting themselves for years, why should they be immune?
So many of us here are furious about the way the BBC has been conducting themselves for years, why should they be immune?
BBC staff in uproar over TV cheating fiasco
By Chris Hastings, Arts and Media Editor
Last Updated: 1:00am BST 23/09/2007
A senior BBC executive was under pressure to quit last night after being criticised by some of the corporation's biggest names.
Demands for Alan Yentob, the creative director, to resign came after it emerged that footage of him had been inserted into programmes to give the false impression that he had conducted interviews actually carried out by junior staff members.
The BBC has bowed to pressure and admitted that Mr Yentob's behaviour was unacceptable. It said the practice would not be allowed to continue.
But other BBC employees are furious that the corporation has spared Mr Yentob from disciplinary action after it forced a wave of resignations last week from junior members of staff who committed similar breaches.
Staff contacted by The Sunday Telegraph, including some of the BBC's best known names, said Mr Yentob's "extraordinary" behaviour should be the subject of disciplinary action.
"The Alan Yentob business is the most serious allegation", said one senior broadcaster who asked not to be named.
Another said: "He is guilty of deception and should be for the high jump like all the others."
A third broadcaster said: "If he has done this than he should retire."
Last night, Luke Crawley, the assistant general secretary of the broadcasting union Bectu, called on the corporation to take action against Mr Yentob.
He said: "It appears that the BBC is treating one of its most senior members of staff differently, even though he has engaged in activity that has deceived the viewing public."
He added: "Alan Yentob should be subject to the disciplinary process, just like anyone else."
The controversy surrounds the arts programme Imagine which Yentob, 60, presents. Recent guests have included David Bowie and Gilbert and George. Mr Yentob, who is a former controller of both BBC1 and BBC2, has been shown responding to interviewees he never met.
These shots were then slotted into the final programme to give the impression he had personally conducted the interviews. Such "noddy shots" are often used by TV producers, but they are meant to be of presenters who have carried out earlier interviews.
A BBC spokesman insisted that Mr Yentob had conducted the vast majority of his interviews and that he had been absent on only a handful of occasions, but he could not say how many.
He said the BBC, which had originally refused to condemn Mr Yentob's behaviour, would now be reviewing its editorial guidelines in the light of what happened.
"The BBC has changed its position on this and the director general has decided this sort of behaviour is unacceptable.
"The director general has met Alan and made this position clear. Alan respects that judgment and he has made it clear this will not happen again."
The Tories have called on the BBC to introduce a new code of conduct. Jeremy Hunt, the Conservative culture spokesman, said that every BBC employee, no matter how senior, should be subject to disciplinary action if his or her conduct was found unacceptable.
"I do think we need a code of practice which would be binding on all broadcasters including the BBC," he said.
"This is a wake-up call for the industry. Broadcasters used to be among the most trusted people in the country, but unless these scandals are sorted, they could find themselves in the gutter."
He added: "There have been no high-level casualties as a result of these different controversies but there needs to be one rule for everyone. It would be wrong to make a scapegoat of people further down the chain if it were proven these problems were endemic from the very top."
Some in the industry defended Mr Yentob.
One senior figure in broadcasting said: "Alan Yentob is guilty of self-regard and foolish vanity. But I don't think he is alone in that respect. I simply cannot accept that he is the only person in television to have behaved like this."
Mr Yentob was unavailable for comment.
By Chris Hastings, Arts and Media Editor
Last Updated: 1:00am BST 23/09/2007
A senior BBC executive was under pressure to quit last night after being criticised by some of the corporation's biggest names.
Demands for Alan Yentob, the creative director, to resign came after it emerged that footage of him had been inserted into programmes to give the false impression that he had conducted interviews actually carried out by junior staff members.
The BBC has bowed to pressure and admitted that Mr Yentob's behaviour was unacceptable. It said the practice would not be allowed to continue.
But other BBC employees are furious that the corporation has spared Mr Yentob from disciplinary action after it forced a wave of resignations last week from junior members of staff who committed similar breaches.
Staff contacted by The Sunday Telegraph, including some of the BBC's best known names, said Mr Yentob's "extraordinary" behaviour should be the subject of disciplinary action.
"The Alan Yentob business is the most serious allegation", said one senior broadcaster who asked not to be named.
Another said: "He is guilty of deception and should be for the high jump like all the others."
A third broadcaster said: "If he has done this than he should retire."
Last night, Luke Crawley, the assistant general secretary of the broadcasting union Bectu, called on the corporation to take action against Mr Yentob.
He said: "It appears that the BBC is treating one of its most senior members of staff differently, even though he has engaged in activity that has deceived the viewing public."
He added: "Alan Yentob should be subject to the disciplinary process, just like anyone else."
The controversy surrounds the arts programme Imagine which Yentob, 60, presents. Recent guests have included David Bowie and Gilbert and George. Mr Yentob, who is a former controller of both BBC1 and BBC2, has been shown responding to interviewees he never met.
These shots were then slotted into the final programme to give the impression he had personally conducted the interviews. Such "noddy shots" are often used by TV producers, but they are meant to be of presenters who have carried out earlier interviews.
A BBC spokesman insisted that Mr Yentob had conducted the vast majority of his interviews and that he had been absent on only a handful of occasions, but he could not say how many.
He said the BBC, which had originally refused to condemn Mr Yentob's behaviour, would now be reviewing its editorial guidelines in the light of what happened.
"The BBC has changed its position on this and the director general has decided this sort of behaviour is unacceptable.
"The director general has met Alan and made this position clear. Alan respects that judgment and he has made it clear this will not happen again."
The Tories have called on the BBC to introduce a new code of conduct. Jeremy Hunt, the Conservative culture spokesman, said that every BBC employee, no matter how senior, should be subject to disciplinary action if his or her conduct was found unacceptable.
"I do think we need a code of practice which would be binding on all broadcasters including the BBC," he said.
"This is a wake-up call for the industry. Broadcasters used to be among the most trusted people in the country, but unless these scandals are sorted, they could find themselves in the gutter."
He added: "There have been no high-level casualties as a result of these different controversies but there needs to be one rule for everyone. It would be wrong to make a scapegoat of people further down the chain if it were proven these problems were endemic from the very top."
Some in the industry defended Mr Yentob.
One senior figure in broadcasting said: "Alan Yentob is guilty of self-regard and foolish vanity. But I don't think he is alone in that respect. I simply cannot accept that he is the only person in television to have behaved like this."
Mr Yentob was unavailable for comment.