The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Director-General Tim Davie and the CEO of BBC News Deborah Turness have also resigned in the wake of accusations of bias.
Davie said he had decided to leave the BBC after 20 years in the wake of the controversy over the speech edit in a Panorama documentary, in the edit of a speech by U.S. President Donald Trump, along with other instances of alleged bias.
“This is entirely my decision, and I remain very thankful to the Chair and Board for their unswerving and unanimous support throughout my entire tenure, including during recent days,” he said in a statement.
BBC Chairman Samir Shah said, “This is a sad day for the BBC. Tim has been an outstanding Director-General for the last five years. He has propelled the BBC forward with determination, single-mindedness and foresight.
Turness said the ongoing controversy around the Panorama on President Trump has reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC.
“As the CEO of BBC News and Current Affairs, the buck stops with me - and I took the decision to offer my resignation to the Director-General last night,” Turness said in a statement.
The BBC had been under pressure from the leaking of an internal report that cited failings in its coverage of a speech by Trump, the Israel-Hamas war and transgender issues.
“This is entirely my decision, and I remain very thankful to the Chair and Board for their unswerving and unanimous support throughout my entire tenure, including during recent days,” Tim Davie said in a note to staff.
“I am working through exact timings with the Board to allow for an orderly transition to a successor over the coming months.”
