BBC asks Huw Edwards to return salary paid since sex-offence arrest
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
BBC's former news anchor Huw Edwards was receiving a yearly salary of up to £479,999 pounds (S$809,000) until he quit.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Follow topic:
LONDON – Britain’s BBC said Huw Edwards, its former news anchor who pleaded guilty in July to making indecent pictures of children, should return the salary he was paid after his arrest last November, adding he had not been up front about the charges.
Edwards was the BBC’s highest-paid journalist and top news presenter until he quit in April, receiving a yearly salary of up to £479,999 pounds (S$809,000), according to its annual report.
He had not been on screen since last July following allegations he paid a young person for sexually explicit photos
The board of the BBC, which is funded by a fee paid by television viewers, said it authorised the broadcaster’s management to seek the return of the salary of around £200,000 that Edwards was paid between the time of his arrest and his resignation.
“Edwards pleaded guilty to an appalling crime
“Had he been up front when asked by the BBC about his arrest, we would never have continued to pay him public money. He has clearly undermined trust in the BBC and brought us into disrepute.”
The BBC said previously it was aware of the arrest but not the severity of the charges Edwards was facing.
The board said it supported the BBC management’s handling of the matter given the knowledge it had at the time. It also said it would commission an independent review on strengthening its workplace culture.
It said while the charges against Edwards related to his personal life, the case also put a spotlight on the question of power imbalances in the workplace.
The government welcomed the decision to launch a review.
“The BBC is a hugely valued and important player in the public service broadcasting landscape that reaches millions every day and it is vital that the public has complete trust and faith in the organisation and in how it is run,” Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said.
“BBC staff must be able to feel safe in the workplace and be confident that if non-editorial complaints are raised they will be acted upon and dealt with fairly and decisively.” REUTERS
