Fincham doomed after more Queen revelations
Peter Fincham, the Controller of BBC1, is likely to be sacked by the BBC on Wednesday after a meeting of the BBC Trust — the Corporation’s regulator. That is, if he doesn’t go sooner of his own accord.
It emerged last night that Fincham knew about the misleading editing of the autumn launch tape on Wednesday night, but failed to make a statement until lunchtime on Thursday, allowing the press to publish damaging headline stories about the Queen on Thursday morning. For a journalist, that’s an unforgiveable breach of trust.
The true story of the photoshoot was told by the photographer Annie Leibovitz in the June issue of Vanity Fair a month ago : “She entered the room at a surprisingly fast pace — as fast as the regalia would allow her — and muttered, ‘Why am I wearing these heavy robes in the middle of the day?’. She doesn’t really want to get dressed up anymore. She just couldn’t be bothered and I admire her for that.â€
No mention of a walk-out or a tantrum by HM, or any bad feeling. Yet on Thursday the press had a field day, and Her Majesty is said to be livid.
Peter Fincham’s almost inevitable demise will not leave him short of cash. He picked up a cool £62m ($125m) when he sold his own production company to work fulltime for the BBC.
Lucky for some. In days of yore he would be incarcerated in the Tower by now, having been rowed in through Traitors’ Gate.
Maybe a couple of nights in the tower would do him good. The Queen should put a stop to the whole program. Who knows what else they did!
By Cate on July 14th, 2007 at 11:44 am
Or fed to the corgis, Cate — the modern equivalent.
I also think the Queen should remove permission for the film to be shown. That would hurt the BBC, because they’ve already sold it to the U.S. and other countries.
By John on July 14th, 2007 at 11:51 am
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By LifeTimes » BBC in trouble with Queen on July 14th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
It is irresponsible journalism like this that give the press such a bad name. HM has every right to be livid and Fincham should lose his job over his lack of integrity. John perhaps you should give him a lesson on this fact, as your site is held to high standards of whats appropriate even when I get into trouble over some posts.
By Trudie on July 14th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
Thank you, Trudie, much appreciated.
Fincham is not BBC old school as he comes from outside. His standards as an independent operator would not have been the same as an old institution with almost a century of tradition of broadcasting the truth. That, I’m afraid is the standard of our times.
By John on July 14th, 2007 at 1:34 pm
You know, what I don’t understand–and it may admittedly be because I haven’t been obsessive enough to do the digging to find out–is why the tape was edited as it was in the first place.
The Beeb claims that the tape was never meant to be shown. That’s like calling someone a jerk and explaining away the insult by saying, “Oh, well, he wasn’t supposed to hear me.”
On a personal note, Angolophiles like myself always want to believe that things in Britain are smarter–better novels and novelists, better manners and most certainly better news. It bothers me that the BBC would make an error over something like this. Granted, it wasn’t a mistranslation of a key phrase in a speech by the Prime Minister of Japan. But it was a bizarre mistake, and I’m curious as to why the vid was made in the first place.
By Marie on July 14th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
It’s complex, Marie. The series was made by an outside production company, which put together a few scenes as a “first assembly”. This was intended as a suggestion for the BBC’s autumn schedule trailer. They say it wasn’t meant to be seen by anyone, except BBC editors. Fincham seems to have authorized its use without further editing or checking.
People who were at Wednesday’s press preview say that Fincham was going around boasting of the Queen’s “tantrum”, obviously trying to milk publicity for the film and the schedule.
From where I’m sitting, Fincham is the one at fault. His approach has been small-minded and not worthy of the BBC.
By John on July 14th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Ooh. Yeah. If that’s true, then he should go get a job at some tabloid station as a “ratings” expert.
By Marie on July 14th, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Frankly, I am not certain where Mr. Fincham might find employment suitable to his dubious talents, but one place I am very sure he does not belong is at the BBC. His audacity really is the limit.
By Gigi on July 14th, 2007 at 6:27 pm
If he was actually boasting about it….he might not have just been aware of it, but may have assisted or lead its creation.
I am actually quite surprised that the Queen participated in this in the first place. Wouldn’t this seem to invite the press more often than wanted? Really, what WAS she thinking?
I hate to say it, but is anyone really surprised by this? Who trusts the press? Why the BBC was wretched, shouldn’t something like this have been anticipated?
By Cate on July 15th, 2007 at 2:39 am
“I hate to say it, but is anyone really surprised by this? Who trusts the press?”
And this is what makes me sad–particularly since we are talking about the BBC.
I’ll never forget sitting in a cab after 9/11 in NYC and the taxi driver turning up the volume at our request. “Finally,” he said, “some real news.” That’s the way I want to feel about the Beeb.
By Marie on July 15th, 2007 at 4:42 am
The test of the BBC’s integrity now is how they deal with Fincham. We’ll know by Wednesday.
By John on July 15th, 2007 at 9:55 am
You are right, John. If Fincham goes, as he should, the BBC can perhaps restore their credibility, which is the only currency that matters in the world of media. I cannot imagine what is taking so much time. The BBC needs to boot Fincham out immediately. I hope he doesn’t know where all the bodies are buried or they may be stuck with him indefinitely.
By Gigi on July 15th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Well, Gigi, we’re hearing that the Queen has made an informal complaint about Fincham personally — which is unprecedented in my experience. Even Helen Mirren has had a go at the BBC.
Worse, it seems they did the same thing in a film about Gordon Brown, the new Prime Minister, although it didn’t alter the story as it did in HM’s case. Nevertheless, it may mean Mark Thomson, the Director General, going along with Fincham.
Hard times for the Beeb.
By John on July 15th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
I am sorry to be so unsympathetic, John, but Fincham has made his own PR meltdown by engaging in dishonest reporting. If he had not chosen to be deceitful, none of this would have happened. Actions have consequences. At least I hope so and the sooner the better!
By Gigi on July 16th, 2007 at 3:17 am
I agree, Gigi. Both Thompson and Fincham should go, I think.
By John on July 16th, 2007 at 8:09 am
At the risk of sounding like the Red Queen in “Alice in Wonderland,” I say “Off with their heads!!”
By Gigi on July 16th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
I mean that figuratively, of course.
By Gigi on July 18th, 2007 at 4:38 pm