BBC chief Davie deeply regrets Bafta slur broadcast
BBC chief Davie deeply regrets Bafta slur broadcast
Tim Davie says the BBC profoundly regrets the Bafta slur broadcast, blaming a live-feed oversight and detailing two moments the edit team addressed.
Tim Davie, the BBC's outgoing director-general, says the corporation profoundly regrets the Bafta ceremony broadcast of a racial slur. In a written reply to MPs, Davie described the incident as a 'genuine mistake' for which the BBC takes full responsibility, adding that the slur was linked to a disability and an involuntary tic, but that it should never have been on air.
Two separate moments are at issue. First, during the presentation by Michael B Jordan and Delroy Lindo, the on-site broadcast team did not hear the slur on the live feed, so there was no editorial decision to remove it. Davie said this part is still under review. Second, when Sinners star Wunmi Mosaku accepted her award, the edit team did hear the word on the feed and cut it from the version that would be broadcast later that evening.
He noted that the confusion around the editing arose in part because of the time delay and the separation between the live feed and the final cut. He told the Culture, Media and Sport Committee this in a letter to chair Dame Caroline Dinenage, who had asked for an explanation. Davie’s comments come as the BBC faces ongoing scrutiny of its live operations and media handling. The CMS committee has said it wants answers, and the broadcaster says it is reviewing its processes to prevent a repeat.
