First Wednesday: Trouble at the BBC – Savile, management and public trust

The last time the BBC set up an internal inquiry of the scale of the Pollard Inquiry it resulted in a shake up that saw the resignation of the Director General and the Chairman. Nearly ten years on from the Hutton Inquiry pressure is again mounting at the BBC and there are calls for those at the top to “fall on their swords”.

Join us as we ask whether the criticism levelled at the BBC and its management is fair and how damaging it could be. Does the failure to adequately justify and explain the reasons for dropping the Newsnight investigation into Jimmy Savile’s past point to a larger problem with decision-making at the BBC?

Chaired by Steve Hewlett, a writer, broadcaster and media consultant.

With:

Sian Kevill, runs independent production company, Make World Media. Previously she was editor of the BBC’s Newsnight programme where she won two BAFTA and two RTS awards, she also worked on BBC World News where she had overall editorial responsibility.

Stewart Purvis, professor of television journalism at City University London. He is a former Editor-in-Chief and CEO of ITN, and Ofcom’s partner for content and standards.

David Elstein, chairman of the board of openDemocracy Ltd and of the Broadcasting Policy Group. Previously he launched Channel 5, worked for Sky as head of programming and began his career at the BBC as a producer and director.

Jean Seaton, Professor of media history at the University of Westminster.