Trump-BBC live: Broadcaster more ‘vulnerable than ever’ as it ‘prepares personal apology’ after $1bn legal threat

A former BBC chief has warned that the under-fire public broadcaster is more vulnerable than ever to the current crisis.

Lord Hall of Birkenhead acknowledged that the editing of Donald Trump’s speech, which prompted the US president to threaten a billion-dollar lawsuit, was “wrong and damaging”, while reiterating his words that there was “no institutional bias” at the company.

The independent cross-reviewer, who served as chief executive of the BBC between 2013 and 2020, also called for an end to the process of reviewing the broadcaster’s agreement or charter every ten years, which he argued was being used as a way to “subvert” the organisation.

He argued that halting the need for future refurbishment would strengthen the company’s independence and be “a great legacy from this government”.

Speaking to staff by phone on Tuesday morning, outgoing chief executive Tim Davie outlined three main reasons for his departure.

BBC News reported that he said the brutality of the role, the impending renewal of the Charter and criticism of the Panorama documentary about Trump were contributing factors.

Britons have said they will stop paying TV licensing fees if Trump successfully sues the BBC.

One caller to BBC 5 Live said: “I’m sorry if we have to pay Trump a penny but I won’t be paying for my TV licence.”

Others said they did not think the BBC “had any interest in this” other than paying compensation.

A majority of Britons believe the BBC should apologize to Donald Trump after his speech was edited into a panorama documentary.

A new YouGov poll found 57 per cent of respondents believed the BBC should have apologized, 25 per cent believed it should have apologized and 18 per cent did not know.

90 per cent of Reform voters believe the BBC should apologize, compared to 75 per cent of Conservatives, 55 per cent of Liberal Democrats and 51 per cent of Labor voters.

While only 35 percent of those aged 18-25 believed that the publisher should apologize, this rate was 70 percent of those over 65.

BBC staff and leading political figures are calling for Sir Robbie Gibb to resign from the BBC board.

Katie Rosseinsky asks who the Tory ‘agent’ at the center of the tangled web of politics and media is: