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Letter
from Richard Sambrook, Director BBC News, to Ben Bradshaw MP
Dear
Ben
Thank
you for your letter yesterday asking for a correction to our assertion
that the MOD were forewarned of the WMD story we broadcast on May
29th.
My
understanding, from contemporaneous programme notes, is as follows:
•
At 5pm on May 28th the Today programme put in a bid to the MOD for
an interview on cluster bombs.
•
At 6.30pm Andrew Gilligan spoke to Kate O'Connor, the MOD press
officer, about the Cluster bomb interview and added there would
be another story running on WMD.
•
Between 6.30pm and 7pm producer Martha Findlay spoke to MOD press
officer Richard Walley and confirms the bid has widened from cluster
bombs to include WMD.
•
Between 8 and 8.30pm the MOD calls the Today programme and confirms
an interview with Adam Ingram on Cluster bombs but does not confirm
that he will speak about WMD.
•
At 9.45 pm the MOD press office rings the Today programme to confirm
Mr Ingram will speak about WMD as well.
As
the transcript of his interview shows (see attached) Mr Ingram was
well briefed in advance on the item and able to respond to questions
with some detail.
In
light of this we see no need to correct John Humphrys' assertion
to you that the MOD was forewarned.
Downing
St's denial was also given prominence in the programme.
You
also asserted yesterday that Andrew Gilligan's report in some way
flouted the BBC's Producers' Guidelines. It did not. I attach the
relevant sections. An entirely proper editorial process was followed
in advance of broadcast.
Given
the prominence of your views yesterday I am releasing this letter
to the press.
Best
wishes,
Richard
Sambrook
Director,
BBC News
Today
programme interview with Adam Ingram MP, 29 May 2003
BBC
Producers' Guidelines - Achieving Accuracy
Notes
to Editors
Letter
from Stephen Whittle, Controller, Editorial Policy, BBC to Ben Bradshaw
MP (03.07.03)
Letter
from Andrew Gilligan, Today programme Defence and Diplomatic Correspondent,
to Phil Woolas, Deputy Leader of the House of Commons (28.06.03)
Letter
from Richard Sambrook, Director, BBC News to Alastair Campbell
(27.06.03)
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