LONDON — The BBC’s top executive resigned yesterday after the broadcaster’s marquee news magazine wrongly implicated a British politician in a child sex-abuse scandal. The mistake deepened a crisis that exploded after it decided not to air similar allegations against one of its own stars who police now say was one of the nation’s worst pedophiles.
In a statement outside BBC headquarters, George Entwistle said he decided to do the “honorable thing” and step down after just eight weeks in the job.
“The wholly exceptional events of the past few weeks have led me to conclude that the BBC should appoint a new leader,” he said.
It was a rapid about-face for Entwistle, a 23-year BBC veteran who earlier yesterday had insisted he had no plans to resign despite growing questions about his leadership and the BBC’s integrity in the wake of the scandals.
John Whittingdale, chairman of the Britain’s Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said Entwistle had no choice but to go, as the BBC’s management appears to have “lost their grip” on the organization.
“I think that what has happened in the last few days has immensely weakened his authority and credibility,” Whittingdale said. “It would have been very difficult for him to continue in those circumstances.”
Entwistle assumed the mantle as head of the BBC two months ago from Mark Thompson, who is set to become chief executive of The New York Times Co. staring tomorrow. Thompson has faced calls from staffers at the paper to fully explain his role in the scandal.
A month after Entwistle took over, the BBC was thrown into crisis with allegations that Jimmy Savile, the renowned BBC TV host who died last year, sexually abused up to several hundred children — some of them on BBC premises — and the revelation that the BBC’s own “Newsnight” program had shelved an investigation into the allegations.
The decision to call off the sex-abuse investigation prompted assurances from Entwistle that he would get to the bottom of the decision.