New York Times CEO Mark Thompson will return to London this week to testify in front of Parliament over allegedly excessive severance packages to two former managers at the BBC.
Thompson — a former director general at the BBC — will face questions over whether the exit packages were vetted by management.
In a statement to Parliament ahead of the Monday appearance, Thompson said the BBC Trust governing body was aware of the payments, disputing claims made by the organization.
“They were fully informed in advance about the proposed settlements to these two managers, and had every opportunity to intervene had they so chosen,” Thompson said in a separate emailed statement.
“I look forward to giving evidence to the committee next Monday.”
At dispute is the level of severance payments made to Mark Byford, a deputy director general, and Sharon Baylay, a marketing executive. Byford was paid about 1 million pounds ($1.6 million), while Baylay received 394,000 pounds.
Thompson will join former and current BBC officials at the hearing to discuss the payouts to the managers, who left the BBC in 2010.
The government’s watchdog in July said the BBC broke rules on severance payments in spending 25 million pounds over three years to cut top jobs, paying some managers more than they were entitled to, either to keep them as consultants or ensure they left quickly. The BBC handed out 150 severance packages over three years ending in December 2012.
The BBC is funded by British residents through an annual license fee charged to households that own televisions. The current fee is 145.50 pounds for a color TV license.
“The level of some of these payments was wrong,” current BBC Director General Tony Hall said in a statement after the auditor’s report was released. “The BBC lost its way on payments in recent years.”