BBC chairman Samir Shah has reassured staff US President Donald Trump has “no basis for a defamation case”, over the editing of his speech for Panorama, adding: “We are determined to fight this.”
The president has said he will still sue the corporation despite an apology over the editing of a speech made ahead of the attack on the US Capitol.
The BBC said the edit of Mr Trump’s speech on January 6 2021 had given the “mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action”.
The broadcaster apologised and said the splicing of the speech was an “error of judgment” but refused to pay financial compensation after the US president’s lawyers threatened to sue for one billion dollars in damages unless a retraction and apology were published.
In a note to staff seen by the PA news agency, Mr Shah said: “There is a lot being written, said and speculated upon about the possibility of legal action, including potential costs or settlements.
“In all this we are, of course, acutely aware of the privilege of our funding and the need to protect our licence fee payers, the British public.
“I want to be very clear with you – our position has not changed. There is no basis for a defamation case and we are determined to fight this.
“Last week I took the opportunity to speak with the Executive team and am reassured of their resolute focus on ensuring the BBC continues to deliver on behalf of audiences and staff.
“I know they plan to spend as much time as possible with their teams over the coming weeks to reinforce the importance of that work and answer your questions.”
In an interview with GB News broadcast on Saturday, Mr Trump said he had an “obligation” to sue the BBC, adding: “This was so egregious. If you don’t do it, you don’t stop it from happening again with other people.”
Mr Trump also said the lawsuit would be likely to be filed “someplace in the US”.
The Panorama scandal prompted the resignations of two of the BBC’s most senior executives: director-general Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness.
The BBC has said it will not air the Panorama episode Trump: A Second Chance? again, and published a retraction on the show’s webpage on Thursday.
The corporation has also apologised for using the incorrect title for the Princess of Wales during coverage of Armistice Day.
A statement said: “During our coverage of memorials to commemorate Armistice Day we mistakenly referred to Catherine, Princess of Wales as Kate Middleton; these were errors during hours of live broadcasting for which we apologise.
“Throughout our Armistice Day coverage more broadly, we referred to Catherine by her correct title.”
