BBC sorry for ‘overlooked alternatives’ over DJ Tim Westwood’s ‘bullying behaviour’

The BBC board has apologised over “overlooked alternatives” to take on “bullying and misogynistic behaviour” through former BBC Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood.

An unbiased record commissioned in 2022 through the BBC into what the company knew about Mr Westwood’s behavior was once printed on Tuesday, highlighting a sequence of incidents and allegations that it stated quantities to a “substantial frame of proof” that it failed to analyze correctly.

The BBC board admitted it didn’t “take good enough motion”, pronouncing: “It’s transparent that previously, the BBC has no longer simplest been too siloed however too deferential to high-profile people.”

The BBC had in the past stated six court cases about bullying and sexual misconduct. In a video that gave the impression on social media remaining yr, the DJ stated: “It is all false allegations.”

The BBC board stated: “Past assessing any alleged illegal activity, which is an issue for the police, it’s transparent there have been instances the place the BBC, on studying about considerations referring to Mr Westwood’s behaviour, didn’t take good enough motion.

“There may be proof of bullying and misogynistic behaviour at the a part of Mr Westwood and the apparent reality is that his normal behavior was once solely incompatible with BBC values – no longer simply now, however then. The organisation fell quick and failed other folks – together with our personal workforce – who had a proper to be expecting higher from us.”

The record, which has value roughly £3.3m, discovered “there was once no common or vital or BBC wisdom of allegations or considerations about predatory sexual behaviour through Mr Westwood” however there have been “circumstances the place the organisation overlooked alternatives that would possibly have resulted in motion.”

The BBC says that it has since stepped forward its processes.

Gemma White KC, who led the record, highlighted that some workforce felt uncomfortable elevating grievances with control in regards to the DJ.

“Those that spoke or wrote to me referred to a sense that they might no longer elevate problems with the controller or people in senior control on account of the significance of the ‘skill’ to Radio 1/1Xtra.

“There was once a sense that presenters had been valued over manufacturing workforce and that senior control had been prone to facet with presenters.”

Ms White famous there was once proof of senior control “reacting firmly to public court cases relating to Tim Westwood” and that there was once additionally “proof in their purpose to create an atmosphere through which workers would really feel in a position to lift considerations”.

However she added the “mixture of the loss of formality followed in appreciate of considerations about administrative center misconduct which have been raised, and the kind of subject matter which was once broadcast on air” is prone to have resulted in an atmosphere through which workers didn’t really feel assured that administrative center behavior considerations in regards to the DJ “could be correctly addressed.”

Greater than 120 people contributed to the overview and 1000’s of information from the time had been tested, the BBC Board stated.

The BBC introduced main points of a overview into its administrative center tradition remaining yr, specializing in “combating abuse of energy and making sure everybody on the BBC conducts themselves consistent with our values”.

The company introduced the overview within the wake of revelations about Huw Edwards, previously its maximum senior information presenter, who dedicated offences involving kid abuse photographs.

It is anticipated to be printed later this yr.

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