Bbc

NKorea documentary was worth risking lives for: BBC

London: Striking a defiant tone, the BBC has defended its decision to send an undercover team with a group of London School of Economics students on a trip to secretive North Korea, saying that it was worth risking their lives. The BBC has faced calls to pull Panorama special by John Sweeney who smuggled himself into North Korea alongside his wife and a cameraman by attaching them to a group of 10 London School of Economics (LSE) students who visited the country in March.

Defending the decision, BBC News Head of Programmes Ceri Thomas said, "This is an important piece of public interest journalism." Asked whether that justified putting student lives at risk, he replied, "We think it does."

Had the journalists' identity been discovered by the North Korean authorities, the entire group could have been arrested and faced punishment. The BBC insists the students were fully aware that the reporting team were present but the LSE has reacted furiously, accusing the corporation of using "deception from the outset" and endangering the safety of their students, the Independent reported.

The incident has pitted one of Britain's most prestigious universities and the BBC into an argument over journalistic ethics. Reporters often pose as tourists to enter North Korea and take part in state-sanctioned trips where access is severely monitored by officials....more    

LSE attacks BBC over covert North Korea trip

London: A leading British university criticised the BBC on Sunday for arranging an academic trip to North Korea to make an undercover documentary, saying it had put students who were unaware of the plans in danger. The London School of Economics (LSE) said three BBC journalists - including the respected reporter John Sweeney - joined a student society trip at the end of March, posing as tourists to make a...  

BBC under fire for compromise over Thatcher's 'The witch is dead' song

London: Britain's public broadcaster came under fire on Friday for compromising over the song 'Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead' that was sent flying up the UK charts by a campaign to celebrate former prime minister Margaret Thatcher's death. The song from the 1939 film 'The Wizard of Oz' is vying for the No 1 slot in the UK's weekly list of the top 40 best-selling singles that are usually...  

Watch: 'Margaret Thatcher, The Long Walk To Finchley'

Watch the full movie 'Margaret Thatcher - The Long Walk to Finchley', a 2008 BBC Four TV drama based on the early political career of Thatcher who passed away on April 8, 2013 at the age of 87. ...  

BBC says radio broadcasts being jammed in China

Radio broadcasts in English from the BBC World Service are being jammed in China, the British broadcaster said on Monday, suggesting the Chinese authorities were behind the disruption. "The BBC strongly condemns this action which is designed to disrupt audiences' free access to news and information," the BBC said in a statement. ...  

Popular show 'Mastermind' back with family twist

BBC's popular game show 'Mastermind' returns to India as 'Disney Q: The Family Mastermind'. ...  

BBC broadcaster Stuart Hall charged with rape, assault

Police say that a well-known BBC broadcaster has been charged with one count of rape and 14 counts of indecent assault. ...  

BBC bans bananas from new 1bn pound headquarters

The BBC has gone bananas - and banned the humble fruit at its new 1 billion pound headquarters after a staffer warned the fruit could kill her. Posters have been put up warning colleagues not to eat them at work. ...  

BBC faces probe over huge pay-offs to 200 managers

The National Audit Office of Britain will launch an investigation after the BBC reportedly gave 200 senior managers pay-offs of more than 100,000 pounds each in the past three years, the Daily Telegraph reported. Lawmakers have said that leaving the BBC was like "winning the lottery". ...  

Late BBC star Savile suspected of 199 crimes: UK police

British television star Jimmy Savile is suspected of carrying out an unprecedented number of sex offences including 31 rapes, police said on Wednesday in their most comprehensive review of the scandal. Revelations about Savile, who died last year, provoked outrage across Britain where he had been a household name since the 1960s. ...  

Meet Monty, a dog who can be your designated driver

Meet Monty, your designated driver, a dog who is fully trained to drive around and he's a lot better than just a decent driver. ...  

Sex abuse row: BBC to pay 185,000 pounds in damages

London: The BBC reached a settlement on Thursday with the Conservative politician wrongly implicated in a child sex abuse scandal. The BBC has already apologised for linking 70-year-old Alistair McAlpine, a member of the House of Lords, to child sex abuse that happened decades ago in Wales. The mistaken report, broadcast nearly two weeks ago, has caused turmoil within BBC management ranks and led to the resignation of its chief....  

Stop tweeting our troubles, BBC chief tells staff

London: The beleaguered BBC is asking its staff to tone down the tweets. Britain's national broadcaster is in crisis over its bungled reporting of a child sex-abuse scandal. Its top executive has resigned, two more have temporarily stepped down and others are facing disciplinary proceedings. Unsurprisingly, some of the BBC's 20,000 staff, including well-known personalities, have taken to social media to discuss its woes. The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on...  

BBC Newsnight error: Two senior editors step down

More heads are rolling at the BBC over its false report over a child abuse sex scandal aired on its flagship programme Newsnight. Two more top editorial employees resigned on Tuesday pending a probe. ...

Rupert Murdoch gleeful at BBC debacle in Britain

London: Few seem to be enjoying the management meltdown at the venerable BBC more than Rupert Murdoch, the News Corp. chief whose rival British newspapers have been caught up in their own lengthy, embarrassing and expensive phone-hacking scandal. But the troubles for both media organizations highlight that the news industry in Britain is at rock-bottom in public esteem, and could face increased restrictions from the government of Prime Minister David...  

BBC under pressure to restore trust after scandal

London: The bungling of reports that powerful Britons sexually abused children has thrown one of the largest and most respected broadcasters in the world into a deep crisis. It is hard to overstate the importance of the BBC in British society; its influence stretches throughout the former British empire and beyond. Over the years, the BBC has been behind almost all of the UK's broadcast milestones, serving as a voice...  

BBC chief quits over sex abuse row

London: The BBC's top executive resigned on Saturday night after the prestigious broadcaster's marquee news magazine wrongly implicated a British politician in a child sex-abuse scandal, plunging the network into further uncertainty amid a controversy that exploded after it decided not to air similar allegations against one of its own stars who police now say was one of nation's worst pedophiles. In a brief statement outside BBC headquarters, George Entwistle...  

BBC apologises for airing false child sex abuse report

London: BBC on Saturday apologised for airing a report that led to a former Tory politician being wrongly implicated in child sex abuse, and admitted it was facing a "crisis of trust". A BBC report in which an abuse victim accused an ex-Tory leader of sex abuse should not have been broadcast, BBC director general George Entwistle said on Saturday. He apologised unreservedly to Lord McAlpine after the report led...  

BBC Radio settles broadcast dispute with BCCI

BCCI were demanding an extra £50,000 ($81,000) from BBC in addition to the already-agreed fee for broadcasting rights. ...