BBC chief resigns over false child abuse report

London, Nov 11 (IANS) The BBC’s director general, George Entwistle, stepped down from his post Saturday night in the wake of the Newsnight child abuse broadcast which, he said, should have been never been broadcast.

In a statement given outside New Broadcasting House, Entwistle said: “I have decided that the honourable thing to do is to step down,” BBC reported.

Entwistle said the Newsnight report, which wrongly implicated ex-senior Tory Lord McAlpine should never have been broadcast. It covered cases of child abuse at north Wales care homes.

In a statement, he said: “In the light of the fact that the director general is also the editor in chief and ultimately responsible for all content, and in the light of the unacceptable journalistic standards of the Newsnight film broadcast Friday Nov 2, I have decided that the honourable thing to do is to step down from the post of director general.”

With his sudden resignation, Entwistle, who took up the post of director general Sep 17, has turned the shortest-ever serving BBC director general.

IANS 2012-11-11 06:28:08