Bishop Hill Boaden on the stand
Oct 29, 2012 BBC The BBC's Helen Boaden was on the witness stand today as Tony Newbery makes a last-ditch attempt to force the BBC to disclose who attended its mysterious seminar on climate change in 2006 (background here). If the Information Tribunal throws his case out, it's probably the end of the line.
Andrew Orlowski of the Register was there and describes what happened here. It looks like a fait accompli:
When it came to a cross examination by Newbery, David Marks QC, the presiding tribunal judge, threw a thick protective cloak around the BBC's star witness, refusing to allow the blogger to pose many of his questions to Boaden directly. As a result, most remained answered.
"If the BBC had no record of what was said," remarked Newbery, "the first part of the Chatham House Rule doesn't apply. I can't request it. It doesn't exist."
The judge sternly reminded Newbery that any line of enquiry that allowed the identity of the attendees to be inferred should not be allowed. Marks also stepped in where he thought Boaden may not have been able to answer. Marks even intervened to prevent one line of enquiry very germane to Newbery's case: the blogger wanted to know if the attendees were there in a private or public capacity.
”It could be both,” mused the judge. “I'm reluctant to allow Ms Boaden say anything about this. I doubt if she can add anything to what is a submission by you. You’re under a severe warning from me not to go anywhere near the question.”
[Update: Tony telephones, noting that he will be unable to report on what happened at his own blog for a few days. He's on the witness stand himself tomorrow.]
Reader Comments (63)
Helen Boaden is also embroiled in the Savile scandal:
Things now look worse for not just the hapless Newsnight editor, Peter Rippon, but his superiors – the head of news ,Helen Boaden and her deputy, Stephen Mitchell, depending on what they knew about the aborted film. from With Savile and the BBC, we have been asking the wrong questions
Maybe they didn't ask any scientists at all.
Mike Jackson: Richard D. North is not Richard North of EURererendum, but another one (hence the D)
"Richard D North is a right-wing commentator, a fellow of the Social Affairs Unit, media fellow of the Institute of Economic Affairs, and editor of The Right Sites"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/richard-d-north
Guido has picked it up...expect msm to follow
http://order-order.com/2012/10/30/under-fire-bbc-boss-boaden-faces-court-beeb-refusing-to-respond-to-climate-change-foi/#comment-1463877
I can't see how the CHR would apply to:
- asking who was considered but was not invited;
- asking who was invited, but declined.
None of those above would know who said what at the seminar, but would reveal something about the BBC's approach to policy.
!! Helen Boaden gave the keynote address - about 'holding power to account' -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/posts/helen-boaden-director-of-bbc-news-at-the-lse
who holds the BBC to account, Tony Newbury, a pensioner, with his wife beside him, is tryying to, in court.
A question to any climate scientists or scientists reading this.
That seminar, how do you know those attended, correctly gave the BBC an accurate represenation of climate science? The BBC won't tell you.
The BBC do not think other scientists ie you (ie members of the public aswell) have any right to know.
For the record, what was known on the secret seminar as summarised by James Delingpole, not long after Climategate.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100023145/why-the-bbc-will-always-be-wrong-on-climate-change/
The obligatory: I am not a lawyer.
It seems to me that the QC has to be very careful about the possibility of raising the CHR (which has no legal force) above the law (the FoIA), even if only in the eyes of the public.
Essentially, if he elevates the CHR above the FoIA, one problem will be that any BBC in-house or QC-led enquiry into the Savile disgrace will be worthless.
It would be worthless because (for such investigators) the CHR will have been raised above any requirement of such an in-house enquiry. In such circumstance, whatever the BBC reveal/report about its internal processes and procedures regarding Savile and the possibility of abuse involving the BBC cannot be regarded as unbiased and comprehensive by those outside the BBC, because we cannot know for sure if CHR is being used to conceal attendees and meetings where information and decisions concerning abuse were discussed.
Such a decision by the QC would seem likely to also have huge potential for abuse by paedophiles in other publicly-funded organisations, where like-minded contacts could then be protected from any initial non-criminal investigation by use of CHR. As proven by the initial identification of the Soham killer, police investigation can be very limited without the input of informed members of the public.
also for the record, see Boaden:
30 Oct: Guardian: MediaMonkeyBlog: Radio 4 Today editor 'recused' from Jimmy Savile reporting
The latest BBC executive to be "recused" from reporting on the Jimmy Savile scandal and its fallout at the corporation is Ceri Thomas, editor of BBC Radio 4's Today. Thomas has been appointed what might best be described as a "prisoner's friend" to Newsnight editor Peter Rippon and will accompany him at various stages of the Pollard inquiry into the shelved report. Others recused from taking responsibility for the way the BBC covers the Savile story include BBC director general George Entwistle, head of news Helen Boaden and her deputy, Steve Mitchell (along with Rippon himself, of course). Editorial coverage of Savile will be led by Radio 5 Live controller Adrian Van Klaveren.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediamonkeyblog/2012/oct/30/radio-4-today-jimmy-savile?newsfeed=true
for the record, deputised for Boaden:
BBC: Adrian Van Klaveren
Adrian Van Klaveren is the Controller of BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC 5 Live Sports Extra, a role he started in April 2008.
Adrian was formerly the Deputy Director of BBC News and Controller, News Production, with responsibility for developing and implementing News' production strategy and for overseeing new services, including news on-demand and the increasing use of user generated content. He also deputised for the BBC's Director of News, Helen Boaden.
Previously Adrian was Head of BBC Newsgathering, the world's biggest broadcast newsgathering operation. The department brings in coverage from Britain and around the world for all BBC news programmes on TV and radio, both in the UK and internationally.
Adrian is a former Head of Local Programmes for BBC West Midlands based in Birmingham, where he was responsible for the output of BBC regional television from Birmingham and five local radio stations.
He joined the BBC as a news trainee in 1983 and worked in television production, before progressing to senior editorial roles on the flagship BBC News programmes; the Nine O'Clock News, Panorama, and Newsnight.
Adrian was born in Bristol in 1961 and educated at Bristol Grammar School and St John's College, Oxford, where he read Modern History.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/news/adrianvanklaveren.shtml
29 Oct: BroadcastNow: 5 Live boss to oversee BBC News' Savile coverage
BBC Radio 5 Live controller Adrian Van Klaveren is to replace Peter Horrocks as the de-facto editor of the corporation’s news coverage on the Jimmy Savile scandal.
The director of the BBC World Service will be relieved of his duties under the so-called “recused” structure set up last week to deal separately with the Savile issue.
It is understood that the main reason for the change is that Horrocks is poised to take annual leave, meaning Van Klaveren will take the lead on BBC News’ coverage of the fast evolving story.
Responding to questions from media journalist Neil Midgley on Twitter about why the change had taken place, Van Klaveren said: “Apart from anything else, Peter about to go on holiday (sic). I can focus on this 100% with no news department to run.”
Director of BBC News Helen Boaden told staff in an email that Van Klaveren will oversee “the way BBC News covers itself as a story” over an “exceptionally demanding period”.
http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/news/broadcasters/5-live-boss-to-oversee-bbc-news-savile-coverage/5048287.article
29 Oct: Radio Today: Jonathan Wall to take control of 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live has appointed Jonathan Wall as Acting Controller whilst Controller Adrian Van Klaveren takes on a new role for two months...
http://radiotoday.co.uk/2012/10/jonathan-wall-to-be-acting-editor-5-live-wallj10/
final for the record:
The Radio Academy: Trustees
Adrian Van Klaveren (Deputy Chair)
Controller, BBC Radio 5 Live
http://www.radioacademy.org/about/trustees/
Wikipedia: The Radio Academy
The Radio Academy is a registered charity that is dedicated to 'the encouragement, recognition and promotion of excellence in UK broadcasting and audio production'...
The Telegraph recently labelled The Academy "the industry's most powerful body...
The following are members of the Academy's Hall of Fame:
(includes Jimmy Savile)
The following are fellows of the Radio Academy:
(includes Helen Boaden)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Academy
Having read as much of Richard Black as I could take, this sprung out at me in his reply to the first comment: “… it is far more nuanced than a simple question of "believers" against "sceptics" (or "deniers", if you will)…” which, I feel, quite definitely displays his bias.
I am constantly astounded by the notion of “NuScience” (ooh, that’s good! Can I trademark it?) that scepticism is a Bad Thing, that to disagree with the “consensus” should be actively discouraged, and that any opinion contrary to the appointed “majority” should not be allowed to be aired.
What I have yet to find out is what the BBC have to gain from this entrenched attitude; how much money does that organisation have invested in Mann-made climate change?
Oops, sorry. I should have clarified which Black article, as brought to our attention by Pharos: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/richardblack/2009/10/climate_issue.html
Anyone know how this ended?
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