Media Confidential ‘Trump is a grifter. The BBC must not pay him a dime’
10 snips
Nov 13, 2025 In this discussion, Pat Younge, former chief creative officer of BBC Television and chair of the British Broadcasting Challenge, delves into the recent turmoil at the BBC. He shares his bewilderment over the controversial resignations of key executives and critiques the governance failures that led to such chaos. The conversation highlights the legal threats from Donald Trump regarding an edited Panorama episode, with Pat advocating for a strong defense of public interest journalism. He also offers insights on potential reforms and the future leadership of the BBC.
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Episode notes
Board Split Triggered Leadership Collapse
- The BBC suffered a sudden leadership collapse after a board meeting over the Prescott report and Panorama edit.
- The resignations exposed deeper governance and board dysfunction beyond the editorial error.
Weak Chairing Exposed By Slow Response
- The week-long failure to agree a swift apology revealed weak chairing and a fractured board.
- That governance weakness makes appointing a credible director general far more difficult.
Commercial Boards Lack Editorial Judgment
- Boards staffed mainly with commercial figures lack the editorial expertise to judge newsroom crises.
- This imbalance prevents decisive, informed responses during editorial controversies.