January 04, 2004
BRAWLING BROADCASTING CORPORATION
The inquiry into the death of David Kelly, which war opponents hoped would shame the Blair government, might end up turning the BBC on itself:
BBC reporter Andrew Gilligan has warned his managers that he will reveal their role in the "outing" of David Kelly if he is forced to resign as a result of the Hutton report.
The journalist fears he is to be scapegoated by the corporation if, as expected, Lord Hutton is highly critical of the BBC when his report into the circumstances surrounding the death of the weapons scientist is published next week.
Should be a fun read.
UPDATE. Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson is also warring with the BBC:
Posted by Tim Blair at January 4, 2004 10:27 PMRecently, when the program was bumped back a bit on the Sunday night lineup without much notice, presenter Jeremy Clarkson tried to regain the BBC's favor by offering to rename the show The Nelson Mandela Car Show while series regulars James May and Richard Hammond ostentatiously read copies of the leftwing Guardian and flashed their New Age sandals.
According to the Guardian/Observer he's going to be paid 250,000 pounds for his story in any case. see here
Posted by: ilana at January 4, 2004 at 11:04 PM
Gilligan: "I ain't rollin over see, if I'm going down I'm taking you wit me, see.."
BBC board: "Take that cigar out of your mouth Gilligan, your not a cartoonish nineteen fifties gangster and also this is a no-smoking building."
Posted by: Amos at January 4, 2004 at 11:12 PMWouldn't this equal to an admission by Gilligan that he lied to the Hutton inquiry? If he's threatening his bosses at the BBC to reveal their real role in the outing of Dr. Kelly, doesn't it mean that he didn't tell the whole truth about that when he had a solemn duty to do so (in the official inquiry, where I guess he swore to tell the truth?
Could he be prosecuted for that?
This thing gets more and more interesting by the day.
Posted by: Franco Alemán (Barcelona, Spain) at January 5, 2004 at 01:40 AMIn 2003 it was the U.S. press turning on itself and tearing itself into shreds. It looks like 2004 will be the year that the British press turns on itself and rips itself into shreds. Then, it looks like 2005 will be the year the Democrats turn on themselves and rips itself into shreds.
Damn, does it get any better than this?
Posted by: David Crawford at January 5, 2004 at 03:32 AM... if, as expected, Lord Hutton is highly critical of the BBC when his report into the circumstances surrounding the death of the weapons scientist is published next week.
On ABC Radio National this morning, the mention of the forthcoming report was in terms that could have been:
... if, as expected, Lord Hutton is highly critical of the British Government ...
I have yet to hear the ABC even mention the possibility that the BBC may be targetted.
Posted by: Stephen Dawson at January 5, 2004 at 09:40 AMI'm sure the head of the BBC will resign when the BBC is found to have been negligent and misleading. After all, that's what the BBC would demand of Tony Blair if the decision went the other way.
And if you're waiting for the ABC to mention that possibility, Stephen, Don't hold your breath. If the BBC is found to be in any way culpable, the ABC will ignore it completely as they do all inconvenient or off-message facts.
Posted by: Paul Johnson at January 5, 2004 at 11:54 AMWho made this report public? Whoever it was, it's wasted Andrew Gilligan's threat, since its now in the open that BBC management outed David Kelly. There's no reason for BBC management not to make him resign now.
This new leak in the Beeb would presumably not be on either Andrew's or the management's side, since neither side there would have any interest in spilling the beans.
Posted by: wv at January 5, 2004 at 05:22 PM