BBC Faces Criticism Over Princess Diana 'Fake Interview'... License Fee Cuts and Personnel Reshuffle Expected

UK Government Negotiates with BBC over License Fee Cut
Police Actively Investigate the Case... Calls for Internal Reform Also Raised

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The British public broadcaster BBC has been found to have engaged in fraudulent activities behind the scenes of the Diana interview 26 years ago, prompting the UK government to reportedly take measures such as reducing the license fee and personnel reshuffling.

According to foreign media including The Times of the UK on the 22nd (local time), the UK government is negotiating with the BBC over plans to reduce or freeze the license fee. The Times quoted a senior UK government official as saying, "The BBC has damaged its reputation as a world-leading broadcaster, and this could affect the negotiations."

The BBC's license fee revenue amounts to about ?3.2 billion annually (approximately 5.1 trillion KRW). Households in the UK bear a high license fee of ?159 per year (about 250,000 KRW), which has continued to rise in line with inflation since the 2015 agreement with the government.

The BBC is also reportedly under pressure for personnel reform. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed sympathy towards royal family members regarding the investigation results of the BBC interview the day before, stating, "I hope the BBC takes all necessary measures to ensure this never happens again."

Tony Hall, former BBC Director-General who was in charge during the fraudulent interview, resigned from his position as chairman of the National Gallery. He was the head of news at the time of the interview broadcast in 1995 and was criticized for concluding in a 1996 investigation that Martin Bashir was a "honest and honorable person" without charges.

UK Justice Secretary Robert Buckland stated, "We are also looking into whether there are governance issues at the BBC." Ofcom, the UK broadcasting and telecommunications regulator, said significant issues regarding the BBC's transparency and accountability have been raised. The Telegraph reported that a separate board composed of former journalists, distinct from the current board handling company strategy, is being considered to handle complaints related to reporting.

Earlier, Sir Dyson, who independently investigated the 1995 Diana interview, released a report the previous day stating that Martin Bashir, then an unknown journalist, fabricated bank statements and lied to approach Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, which led to the interview.

Immediately after the report's release, Prince William strongly criticized, saying, "It is indescribably sad to recognize that the BBC's wrongdoing was a significant cause of my mother's fear, paranoia, and isolation," and added, "What is most heartbreaking is that if the BBC had properly investigated, my mother would have known she was deceived."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.