BBC names interim director-general amid Trump lawsuit
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Mr Rhodri Talfan Davies has been appointed interim director-general of British broadcaster BBC.
PHOTP" X/@BBCPRESS
- Tim Davie resigned as BBC Director-General after a dispute over a documentary that deceptively edited Donald Trump’s speech.
- Rhodri Talfan Davies has been appointed as interim director-general while the BBC seeks a permanent replacement.
- Trump launched a US$10 billion lawsuit against the BBC, which intends to dismiss the case, arguing lack of jurisdiction.
AI generated
LONDON – The BBC on Jan 28 appointed an interim director-general to take over from Mr Tim Davie, who resigned after a row about a documentary which misleadingly edited a 2021 speech by US President Donald Trump.
Mr Davie will stand down on April 2 and Mr Rhodri Talfan Davies “will act as interim director-general until a new, permanent director-general starts”, the British broadcaster said on its website.
BBC chairman Samir Shah said in a statement that Mr Davies was “an outstanding leader who brings deep editorial experience” as well as a “passionate commitment to the power of public broadcasting” to the role.
Mr Trump launched a US$10 billion (S$12.6 billion) lawsuit in 2025
The programme spliced together two separate sections of Mr Trump’s speech on Jan 6, 2021, making it appear that he had explicitly urged supporters to attack the Capitol.
The US leader is seeking “damages in an amount not less than US$5,000,000,000” for each of two counts against the BBC, for alleged defamation and violation of the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
The BBC intends to ask a US federal court in Florida to dismiss the suit, arguing that the Miami court lacks “personal jurisdiction”, according to court papers.
It will argue that Mr Trump “will not be able to prove” that the documentary, which aired before the 2024 election but not in the United States, “caused him any cognisable injury”.
Mr Davie resigned on Nov 9, 2025, and the process to appoint a new director-general is under way.
It was not immediately clear how long Mr Davies would serve as the interim director-general.
Mr Shah on Jan 28 thanked Mr Davie for his “extraordinary contribution to the BBC”.
Mr Davies, 54, was previously director of BBC Wales for nine years, before becoming head of nations in January 2021 overseeing programming for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
He had also been leading the company’s strategy on the BBC’s Generative AI project. AFP
