Page 2 - Bbc

Amazon to bring BBC shows to India as battle with Ambani heats up

From Thursday, Amazon's India-based Prime Video members will be able to watch popular British mainstays including The Great British Bakeoff and Strictly Come Dancing on BBC Player

British police assess info from BBC over presenter paying teen for photos

British detectives met representatives of the BBC on Monday over allegations that a leading presenter paid a teenager for sexually explicit photos. The UK's publicly funded national broadcaster has suspended the male star, who has not been named, over allegations he gave a youth 35,000 pounds (USD 45,000) starting in 2020 when the young person was 17. Though the age of sexual consent in Britain is 16, it's a crime to make or possess indecent images of anyone under 18. London's Metropolitan Police force said detectives were assessing the information discussed at the meeting and further enquiries are taking place to establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence being committed. "There is no investigation at this time," the force said. The Sun newspaper, which first reported the allegations, said the young person's mother had complained to the BBC in May but that the presenter had remained on the air. The BBC said in a statement on Sunday that it first became aware of a

Syria revokes BBC's media accreditation, accuses it of spreading fake news

Syria's Information Ministry has cancelled the BBC's media accreditation, accusing the British public broadcaster of biased and fake news in its coverage of the war-torn country. The announcement came days after BBC Arabic released an investigative documentary about the illicit drug trade in Syria, where they highlighted links between the estimated multibillion-dollar industry and the Syrian army as well as members of President Bashar Assad's family. The Syrian Information Ministry in a statement late Saturday said the decision was made after warning the channel more than once that it has broadcasted its misleading reports relying on statements and testimonies from terrorist entities and those hostile to Syria." Damascus revoked the licenses of both the British broadcaster's radio and television correspondents in Syria, as well as their videographer. We speak to people across the political spectrum to establish the facts, the BBC said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press,

BBC suspends presenter over claims he paid a teenager for explicit photos

The BBC said Sunday that it has suspended a leading presenter who is alleged to have paid a teenager for sexually explicit photos. As senior British politicians urged a rapid investigation, the broadcaster said it was working to establish the facts of a complex and fast-moving set of circumstances. The UK's publicly funded national broadcaster was scrambling to head off a worsening crisis after The Sun newspaper reported allegations that the male presenter gave a youth 35,000 pounds ($45,000) starting in 2020 when the young person was 17. Neither the star nor the youth was identified. Amid speculation on social media about the identity of the presenter, several of the BBC's best-known stars spoke up to say it wasn't them. Though the age of sexual consent in Britain is 16, it's a crime to make or possess indecent images of anyone under 18. The Sun said the young person's mother had complained to the BBC in May but that the presenter had remained on the air. The BBC said in a state

Court sends fresh summons to BBC, Wikimedia, Internet Archive via Law Min

A court here on Friday issued fresh notices to BBC, Wikimedia Foundation and US-based digital library Internet Archive through the Union Ministry of Law and Justice after noting that they were foreign entities and thus subject to rules formulated under the Hague Convention. Additional District Judge (ADJ) Ruchika Singla was hearing a criminal complaint filed by BJP leader Vinay Kumar Singh seeking to restrain them from publishing or broadcasting a documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots or any other material defamatory to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). "It is clear that as per the rules formulated under the Hague Convention and by the Government of India, the summons/notices in foreign countries can be effected only through the Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India, which has admittedly not been done in the present case," the judge said. "Hence, it is directed that the summons be issued afresh to the .

BBC communicates to I-T Dept on unpaid taxes, probe still underway

British broadcaster BBC has communicated to the income-tax department that some of its past income, for its operations in India, could have gone unreported during the statutory filing of returns and hence it would like to amend it, official sources said on Wednesday. The development comes in the backdrop of the tax department conducting a three-day long survey in February at the offices of the organisation in Delhi as part of an alleged tax evasion investigation against them. I-T sources, however, said that the purported BBC communication has "no legal value" till it pays the due taxes. They also refused to quantify the possible amount of tax evaded or avoided by the company, saying their investigation was still on. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the administrative authority of the tax department, said they do not comment on individual cases. The company responded to PTI's queries in this context saying it continues to cooperate with the tax authorities. The BBC is ...

British govt appoints new acting chair for BBC to 'provide stability'

The British government appointed a new acting chair for the BBC on Friday, five weeks after the resignation of Richard Sharp, who was found to have failed to disclose a potential conflict of interest over his role in arranging a loan more than two years ago for then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer appointed Elan Closs Stephens to serve as acting chair for 12 months starting June 27 or until a new permanent chairperson is appointed, whichever is sooner. Stephens has been on the governing body of the publicly funded national broadcaster since 2010. Frazer said Stephens has the unanimous support of the board and will provide stability for the BBC. Stephens said the board, under her leadership, will ensure the BBC is a vital partner for the U.K. creative industries, maintain trust, and drive change to make the BBC fit for a fast-changing media landscape,. Her time at the helm may well be a sensitive time for the BBC, as the U.K.'s next general election has

HC notice to BBC on plea claiming documentary cast slur on India reputation

The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notice to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on a plea by an NGO claiming its documentary "India: The Modi Question" casts a slur on the reputation of India and makes false and defamatory imputations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian judiciary. Besides the BBC (UK), Justice Sachin Datta also issued notice to the BBC (India) on the plea filed by Gujarat-based NGO Justice On Trial. The plea said BBC (UK) is the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom and has released the news documentary -- "India: The Modi Question" -- which has two episodes and BBC (India) is its local operations office. It said the two episodes have been published in January 2023. The documentary relates to the 2002 Gujarat riots when Modi was the state's chief minister. The high court said, "Issue notice to the respondents through all permissible modes", and listed it for further hearing on September 25. The government had banned the documentary

Delhi HC summons BBC in defamation suit for documentary on PM Modi

The Delhi High Court on Monday issued summons to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on a defamation suit filed by an NGO claiming that its documentary cast a slur on the reputation of India, its judiciary and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Besides the BBC (UK), Justice Sachin Datta also issued notice to the BBC (India) seeking its response on the suit filed by Gujarat-based NGO Justice for Trial. The plea said BBC (India) is the local operation office and BBC (UK) has released the documentary -- "India: The Modi Question" -- which has two episodes. Senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for the NGO, said the suit for defamation against the BBC is in relation to the documentary which has "defamed" India and the whole system including the judiciary. He contended that the documentary also makes insinuation against the prime minister. It was argued on behalf of the plaintiff that the documentary makes defamatory imputation and cast slur on the reputation of the country. The h

Documentary row: BBC says court doesn't have jurisdiction to try case

The BBC and Wikimedia Foundation Thursday submitted in a Delhi court that it does not have jurisdiction to try a criminal complaint filed by a BJP leader seeking to restrain them from publishing a documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots, or any other material defamatory to the RSS and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). The court had on May 3 issued summonses to the BBC, Wikimedia and Internet Archive on the criminal complaint. According to complainant Vinay Kumar Singh, the two-part BBC documentary "India: The Modi Question" had defamed organisations like the BJP, RSS and VHP. "Counsel for defendants no. 1 (BBC) and 2 (Wikimedia Foundation) submit that they are appearing under protest as they have not been served properly as defendants are foreign entities. Further, counsel for defendants... submit that this court does not have the jurisdiction to try the present matter," Additional District Judge (ADJ) Ruchika Singla noted. The court further noted the submissions by the counsel for the .

Documentary row: Delhi court summons BBC, others on defamation complaint

A Delhi court on Wednesday issued summonses to the BBC, Wikimedia and Internet Archive on a criminal complaint filed by a BJP leader seeking to restrain them from publishing a documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots, or any other material defamatory to the RSS and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). The complainant had said the BBC documentary "India: The Modi Question" has defamed organisations like the BJP, RSS and VHP. The court was told that though the documentary has been banned by the government, a Wikipedia page dedicated to the series provides links to watch it and that the content is still available on Internet Archive. Wikimedia Foundation funds Wikipedia while Internet Archive is a US-based digital library. "Issue summons of the suit for settlement of issues to the defendant (BBC, Wikimedia and Internet Archive)," Additional District Judge (ADJ) Ruchika Singla said, posting the matter for May 11. Complainant Vinay Kumar Singh said he is a state executive committee member of the

BBC chairman quits amid furore over role in Boris Johnson loan in 2021

The chairman of the BBC quit Friday after a report found he breached government rules governing public appointments. The publicly funded national broadcaster has been under pressure after it was revealed that Sharp, a Conservative Party donor, helped arrange a loan for then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2021, weeks before he was appointed to the BBC post on the government's recommendation. Sharp said he was quitting to prioritize the interests of the BBC after making an inadvertent breach of the rules. A report on the incident by senior lawyer Adam Heppinstall is due to be published on Friday.

HC sets aside DU order debarring student over screening of BBC documentary

The Delhi Court on Thursday set aside a Delhi University order debarring an NSUI leader for a year for his alleged involvement in the screening on the campus a controversial BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav said action against Lokesh Chugh, a PhD scholar and NSUI national secretary, was taken in violation of the principle of natural justice, and "reasons are necessary to be assigned by the administrative authority" in the order. "The court is unable to sustain the impugned order dated March 10, 2023. Impugned order is set aside. The admission of the petitioner is restored. Necessary consequences will follow," the judge ordered. Attorney General R Venkataramani represented the university and opposed the petition. The court clarified that since the debarment order was being set aside for a lack of adherence to the principle of natural justice, the university is free to taken action against the petitioner in accordance with law. Senior advo

BBC docu: Debarred PhD scholar urges Delhi HC to allow thesis submission

The DU had told the High Court on Monday that the action of students screening the banned BBC documentary without permission, and organising protests, despite imposition of prohibitory orders, amounts

DU in HC opposes NSUI leader's plea over BBC documentary screening

The Delhi University on Monday opposed in the Delhi High Court a plea by a leader of the Congress' students wing against his debarment for one year for alleged involvement in the screening of a controversial BBC documentary on the 2002 Gujarat riots, saying he indulged in gross indiscipline which tarnished the image of a premier educational institution. The university, in its reply filed to the petition by Ph.D. scholar and NSUI national secretary Lokesh Chugh, said it has acted on the basis of a newspaper report on "banning the BBC documentary" and several persons, including the petitioner, assembled on the campus to screen the documentary in violation of Section 144 (issuance of prohibitory orders) of Code of Criminal Procedure imposed by police authorities. The leader of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) claimed in his plea that he was not involved in the screening, and to his knowledge, there was no prohibition on the screening of the documentary. But the DU said that

Will continue to cooperate fully with Indian authorities: BBC on ED probe

The BBC will cooperate fully with the Indian authorities, the UK-headquartered media organisation said on Thursday in response to reports from India of a new investigation launched by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into alleged foreign exchange violations by the British public broadcaster. A spokesperson for the British taxpayer-funded licence fee-backed media corporation told PTI that the BBC would comply with its obligations for operating in India. The statement came in response to a query about reports that the ED has reportedly called for documents and statements of some company executives under provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). "We will continue to cooperate fully with the Indian authorities to ensure that we comply with all our obligations, a BBC spokesperson said. According to official sources in Delhi, the ED probe is reportedly looking at purported foreign direct investment (FDI) violations by the company in India. It follows the Income-Tax (I-T)

Orwellian state being created where freedom of press is clamped down: Cong

The Congress on Thursday slammed the Centre after the Enforcement Directorate registered a case against news broadcaster BBC India, alleging that the government is determined to impose a "dictatorial government" where there is "tyranny of the executive." The ED has registered a FEMA case against BBC India with allegations of foreign exchange violations, official sources said Thursday, two months after the Income-Tax department surveyed its office premises. A deputy managing editor of the news company has deposed before the agency. The ED has called for documents and the recording of statements of some company executives under provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), the officials said. The probe is essentially looking at purported foreign direct investment (FDI) violations by the company, they said. Asked about the development at a press conference at AICC headquarters, Congress spokesperson Anshul Avijit said, "We know the atmosphere that is being created by the .

ED initiates FEMA investigation against BBC India; calls staffers for probe

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered a case under FEMA against BBC India for alleged foreign exchange violations and called its staffers for questioning following which a deputy managing editor of the broadcasting company deposed on Thursday, official sources said. The action by the central agency comes nearly two months after the Income-Tax department surveyed the office premises of the British Broadcaster in Delhi and Mumbai in February. According to officials, the case under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) was registered nearly two weeks ago to essentially probe purported foreign direct investment (FDI) violations by the company and related instances. The ED has called for documents and the recording of statements of some company executives and a team of lawyers representing the company has already submitted some financial documents last week, they added. There was no immediate reaction from the broadcaster. Reacting to the ED action, ...

ED files FEMA case against BBC India for foreign exchange violations

The probe is essentially looking at purported foreign direct investment (FDI) violations by the BBC India, sources said

Twitter tags BBC as 'government funded media', British broadcaster objects

Elon Musk-owned Twitter has labelled the BBC as a "government funded media" on the microblogging site, leading to a sharp reaction from British public broadcaster which on Monday objected to the move. The taxpayer-funded licence fee supported UK media corporation said it has contacted the social media giant over the designation on its @BBC account to resolve the issue "as soon as possible". "The BBC is, and always has been, independent. We are funded by the British public through the licence fee," the BBC statement said. An email exchange with Twitter chief Elon Musk suggests that he is considering providing a label that would link all media organisations to "exact funding sources". "We are aiming for maximum transparency and accuracy. Linking to ownership and source of funds probably makes sense, Musk's email to BBC reads. "I do think media organisations should be self-aware and not falsely claim the complete absence of bias. All organisations have bias, some obviously much more