BBC apologizes to Trump over Panorama edit but rules out compensation
Britain’s BBC has issued a formal apology to U.S. President Donald Trump for a misleading edit of his January 6, 2021 speech in a Panorama documentary, but the broadcaster is rejecting his demand for financial compensation, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
In a letter sent to the White House, BBC chair Samir Shah said the corporation was “sorry” for the way the speech had been edited in Trump: A Second Chance?, acknowledging that the splice created the “mistaken impression” that Trump had issued a direct call for violent action. The BBC also confirmed it would not rebroadcast the documentary on any of its platforms.
But despite the apology, the broadcaster insists the issue does not meet the threshold for defamation. In its formal response to Trump’s lawyers, who have threatened a $1bn lawsuit unless the BBC retracts, apologizes, and compensates the president, the corporation said it “strongly disagrees” that there is a basis for such a claim.
BBC lawyers argue that the documentary never aired in the U.S., the edit was not malicious, and Trump suffered no demonstrable harm, particularly given his subsequent election victory in 2024.
Earlier, Kazinform News Agency reported that the U.S. President threatened a $1bn lawsuit over edited speech segment.