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Deadline

High-Ranking BBC Exec Resigns Amid Controversy

Dec 3, 2015  •  Post A Comment

A veteran BBC executive has stepped down amid a brewing scandal. The broadcaster announced the departure of Alan Yentob, who has been BBC’s creative director for the past decade, Deadline.com reports.

Yentob had been with the BBC since 1968. His departure comes amid a scandal involving the Kids Company charity, and follows the exit of Director of Television Danny Cohen back in October.

“Yentob, who was also the chairman of the board of trustees of Kids Company, has been accused of a conflict of interest and trying to influence the BBC’s coverage of it,” Deadline reports. “The charity ceased operations in August as questions swirled about its performance and management and as it emerged that police were investigating a report of alleged sexual abuse on its premises and philanthropists withdrew funding.”

Yentob issued a statement today in which he says: “The BBC is going through particularly challenging times and I have come to believe that the speculation about Kids Company and the media coverage revolving around my role is proving a serious distraction. So I have spoken to [BBC Director-General] Tony Hall and told him that I think it best that I step down from my senior management role as Creative Director at the end of this year and focus on program making and TV production.”

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