From:
Subject:
Date:
To:
Richard Hutt richard.hutt@bbc.co.uk
RE: Case number CAS-1876642-T7WTSZ
9 October 2013 18:06
Balding, David Joseph d.balding@ucl.ac.uk
Dear%Professor%Balding
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Thank%you%for%your%email.%%I%am%sorry%that%you%have%been%dissa;sfied%with%the%responses%you%have
received%thus%far%from%the%BBC%–%and%also%the%delays%you%experienced.%%I%hope%I%can%address%your
concerns%here%and%explain%how%I%propose%to%manage%this%maCer.%
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Firstly%I%should%explain%the%remit%of%this%unit.%%We%inves;gate%complaints%which%allege%that%specific
material%broadcast%or%published%by%the%BBC%was%in%breach%of%its%editorial%standards.%%It%is%therefore
open%to%us%to%look%at%what%was%broadcast%on%the%Today%programme%on%9%July%2012,%and%to%consider
whether%the%interview%was%materially%misleading,%lacking%in%due%impar;ality,%or%in%breach%of%the
standards%expressed%by%the%guidelines%on%product%prominence.%
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I%recognise%however%that%your%complaint%goes%beyond%your%concerns%about%the%editorial%content%of
that%par;cular%broadcast.%%%You%have%also%complained%about%the%handling%of%your%complaint%thus%far,
the%coverage%of%Mr%Moffat%and%his%business%across%the%BBC%as%a%whole%(including%in%The%One%Show
and%a%programme%on%Eddie%Izzard)%and%what%you%believe%is%a%conflict%of%interest%on%the%part%of%the
interviewer,%expressed%in%the%decision%to%interview%Mr%Moffat.%%All%three%points%fall%outside%our%remit
–%the%first%is%a%ques;on%for%BBC%Audience%Services,%who%I%would%expect%to%provide%an%explana;on%for
the%extended%delay%you%received,%and%the%brevity%of%the%eventual%response.%%The%second%takes%us
beyond%the%scope%of%this%unit,%and%would%therefore%require%a%response%from%someone%ale%to%take%a
view%across%the%coverage%across%the%piece.%%For%that%reason%I%am%exploring%the%possibility%of%a
response%from%the%DirectorXGeneral’s%office%on%this%point.%The%last%essen;ally%concerns%the%conduct
of%a%member%of%staff,%and%is%therefore%properly%a%maCer%for%senior%management%in%BBC%News.%%
News%would%also%consider%your%point%on%the%decision%to%interview%Mr%Moffat%in%the%first%place
(decisions%about%who%to%interview,%and%what%stories%to%cover,%are%considered%legi;mate%expressions
of%editorial%judgement%X%responsibility%for%complaints%about%them%therefore%lies%with%the%relevant
output%areas).%%However,%as%I%say,%your%substan;ve%complaint%on%the%problems%in%what%was%aired%in
Today%would%be%inves;gated%by%me.
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I%appreciate%that%this%may%appear%to%be%a%somewhat%convoluted%approach,%but%I%do%believe%that%it
offers%the%most%comprehensive%way%of%addressing%your%concerns.%%If%you%agree,%I%propose%to%pass
your%concerns%along%to%the%relevant%people%and%ask%them%for%their%response.%%It%may%be%that%in%order
to%simplify%correspondence%I%could%include%those%replies%when%I%issue%my%provisional%response%to
you.%
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I%would%be%grateful%if%you%could%let%me%know%if%this%proposed%handling%is%acceptable%to%you.%%%If%so,
we%will%aim%to%respond%to%you%with%the%provisional%results%of%our%inves;ga;on%by%27%November.%%If
you%disagree%with%them,%you%will%have%ten%working%days%in%which%to%let%us%have%your%comments,%and
our%finding%will%not%be%finalised%un;l%those%comments%have%been%taken%into%account.%I%am%now%on
leave,%but%will%respond%to%any%reply%from%you%on%my%return%next%week.
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Yours%sincerely
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Richard%HuC
Complaints%Director
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