David Liddiment on BBC severance pay

What this episode covers

The BBC Trust came in for strong criticism this week in a National Audit Office report on severance payments for senior BBC managers. Following this, Public Accounts Committee chairman Margaret Hodge MP said "There are real issues for the Trust - what are they there for but to protect licence-fee payers interests?" She added the Digital Media Initiative project, recently shut down at a cost of £100m, as another case where the governance structure appeared not to be working properly. Steve puts the case for reform to BBC Trustee David Liddiment.Channel 4 is to broadcast a film of a murder trial next week, the first UK case to be shown in almost 20 years. It comes as the government confirms that Appeal Court hearings may be televised from October, subject to restrictions. The director of C4's "The Murder Trial", Nick Holt, discusses the programme and the issues with Simon Bucks, associate editor, Sky News and Frances Gibb, legal correspondent of The Times. The programme will be shown on C4 on 9th July at 9pm.And Nick Robinson, BBC political editor, updates Steve on developments in the press regulation process. This follows confirmation that the industry's alternative Royal Charter will be considered next week by the Privy Council, some three months before the possible date for considering the charter approved by Parliament.Presenter: Steve Hewlett Producer: Simon Tillotson Editor: Andy Smith.

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