The BBC is preparing to issue a direct apology to President Donald Trump in a bid to avoid his threatened $1billion (£762million) lawsuit.
The broadcaster acknowledged that a Panorama episode aired just one week before last year’s presidential election gave the impression Mr Trump had made a “direct call for violent action”.
Just over a week ago, a memo leaked by The Telegraph revealed that two separate parts of his speech, delivered hours before the Capitol riots on January 6, were spliced together in the programme.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told GB News viewers on Wednesday the BBC was a “leftist propaganda machine” which is “unfortunately subsidised by British taxpayers”.
The public broadcaster acknowledged that the Panorama episode gave the misleading impression the President had made a ‘direct call for violent action’
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PAMs Leavitt labelled the “bias” Panorama episode as a “classic example” of “fake news”.
She told reporters: “We see it in the United States all the time, we see it now in the United Kingdom.
“As you know, the president’s external legal counsel has filed a lawsuit against the BBC.
“We expect that to continue and whether they apologise or not is up to them.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt slammed the BBC as a ‘leftist propaganda machine’
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POOLBBC chairman Samir Shah told Ministers earlier this week that the corporation “would like to apologise for that error of judgment”.
It is expected to deliver the same message directly to Mr Trump, who has given the BBC until tomorrow to respond to a legal notice claiming the episode caused the President “overwhelming financial and reputational harm”.
Mr Shah has also informed staff that the search for a new director-general is now underway following Tim Davie’s resignation over the controversy.
He said the BBC board was working “24/7” to find a leader capable of steering the broadcaster through one of its most serious crises in recent years.
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Samir Shah informed staff that the search for a new director-general is now underway
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PAThe BBC chairman told a staff meeting that the director-general role is “not an easy job” due to intense levels of personal attacks, adding: “Why would somebody of huge stature do this job, if that’s what they face?
“I’m absolutely clear that we’re asking a lot of a director-general.”
It is understood that the search for Mr Davie’s replacement could take several months.
A start date for the new BBC boss may not occur until September 2026 if the corporation opts for a candidate externally, according to headhunters.
During a board meeting on Monday, BBC non-executive directors agreed that choosing the next chief executive would be their “most important decision.”
Insiders have suggested that candidates with a strong background in journalism and news are likely to be front-runners for the role.
A BBC source said: “There is definitely interest in having a news person.
“That has been the way it has been historically.”