Alot of BBC figures are now questioning the role of Shah, who is meant to lead the board and guide discussion. They blame him for allowing a vacuum that was ruthlessly exploited by the BBC’s opponents. Some describe him as weak and “not in charge of his board”. “There was a deafening silence and it got worse as the week went on,” said one figure. Another said Turness was blocked from commenting “by the chair”. A third said: “The Trump escalation could have been avoided if the board had listened and got ahead of it”

Samir Shah is the Chuck Schumer of the BBC

#BBC #UKPOL #UKPOLITICS #RobbieGibb #TimDavie #DebraTurniss #MichaelPrescott #RupertMurdoch #SamirShah #ChuckSchumer #Trump

Insiders say the truth is damning. They say figures within BBC News, including Turness, wanted to be far more proactive in responding. As early as Tuesday, there was talk of apologising over the Trump edit in order to clear the way for a robust defence against Prescott’s broader allegations of institutional bias. Several sources said Shah blocked this, opting to wait until the board could come to a collective view in its response to parliament’s culture, media and sport committee, whose Conservative chair, Caroline Dinenage, had been expressing criticism over the alleged failings included in Prescott’s letter.

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Gibb has been a hugely controversial figure among BBC staff for some time. He and Prescott have previously been reported to be friends - something they have not denied. All of that contributes to a sense among critics that instead of Gibb reaching a dispassionate view of Prescott’s report, the two men are instead allies in the same cause.

#BBC #UKPOL #UKPOLITICS #RobbieGibb #TimDavie #DebraTurniss #MichaelPrescott #RupertMurdoch