BBC Set To Publish Workplace Culture Review In Less Than A Week As Chair Tells Staff: 'This Is An Important Moment For Our BBC'

Yahoo

22-04-2025

EXCLUSIVE: The BBC's workplace culture review, which was sparked by the revelations about ex-newsreader Huw Edwards, will publish in just a few days' time.
Deadline has seen an all-staff email from BBC Chair Samir Shah inviting the corporation's circa-21,000 employees to a town hall on Monday, at which point the findings of the review will be revealed. Following this 11 a.m. GMT (3 a.m. PT) meeting, we are told the report will be sent out to press and published, with insiders stressing that staff will be talked through the findings first. The town hall will take place in the BBC's Radio Theatre at New Broadcasting House HQ in London.
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'This is an important moment for our BBC, and I hope as many of you as possible, from across the entire BBC Group, can join us either online or in person,' Shah wrote in his all-staffer. He thanked all those who have contributed for 'helping to ensure that this is a valuable and meaningful piece of work for the BBC.'
The nation's oldest public broadcaster has not exactly been shy of publishing reviews over the past decade or so but this workplace culture deep dive, which was compiled by management consultancy Change Associates, is one of its highest profile.
The review was commissioned after ex-news anchor Edwards pled guilty to making indecent images of children a few months after exiting the corporation. A separate, more targeted review has already unearthed failings at the BBC with regards Edwards.
Led by Change Associates' Grahame Russell, the review has examined areas including 'whether there are further practical steps the BBC can take to ensure everyone at the BBC understands and commits to our Values and Code of Conduct,' 'how the BBC can ensure the consequences of inappropriate behaviour and abuse of power are understood by everyone' and 'whether there is more we can do to ensure people feel confident to speak up and for managers and leaders to act decisively.'
BBC Director General Tim Davie has previously said he wants Change Associates to make practical recommendations about how managers can create a culture where there is 'zero tolerance' for wrongdoing.
Insiders have previously told us they would dish dirt to the review, which has been forged as a string of top BBC talent have been outed for bad behavior including Jermaine Jenas, Gregg Wallace and, most recently, Breakfast boss Richard Frediani. A BBC review into Russell Brand, who is now facing criminal charges, has also published during this period.
Change Associates' review comes more than a decade after the BBC's 2013 Respect at Work Review led by barrister Dinah Rose in the wake of the Jimmy Savile allegations. This review resulted in a deluge of complaints about BBC power players from nearly 1,000 staff including allegations of a manager sexting graduates and a female journalist being offered a promotion on the condition of a sexual liaison at her boss's country cottage.
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