EXCLUSIVE: BBC Director General Matt Brittin is among several senior industry figures expected to attend an emergency meeting called by the UK Culture Secretary next week, following the scandals involving Russell Brand, David Walliams and the cancellation of Married at First Sight.
The Culture Secretary, Nandy, will warn attendees that if the sector’s response to the recent claims is judged inadequate, she may consider bringing forward legislation to compel broadcasters and producers to provide funding for the newly launched CIISA anonymous whistleblowing service.
Speaking in Parliament earlier today, she said: “I want to be clear that if protections are insufficient, the government will not hesitate to take further action. For too long, too many people have had to choose between their careers and safety. People must be safe in their jobs, whistleblowers must be protected and those who abuse their position must no longer be able to hide.”
Deadline has learned that invitations to Nandy’s meeting were sent to the major broadcasters and to Sky yesterday. Brittin is understood to be very likely to attend. Other organizations are still deciding who will represent them, but it’s expected they may send their most senior executives—especially if Brittin goes. Earlier this week Brittin sent an internal email to all BBC staff titled “Building the culture we want,” saying more work is needed to engage employees and better reflect their views as part of efforts to address these issues. He also mentioned he would be in talks with trade unions about immediate changes and potential measures for the next charter. Deadline understands that Phillipa Childs, who leads broadcasting union Bectu, will be at Nandy’s meeting.
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Sources say the meeting could be convened as early as Monday. Nandy has made tackling poor behavior in television a defining priority of her tenure as Culture Secretary and has been angered by the most recent high-profile cases.
One option being floated by Nandy is to require major broadcasters and production companies to make annual contributions to CIISA. This is not a new idea: Deadline reported nearly two years ago—before CIISA was fully operational—that the Culture Secretary was weighing legislation that would obligate UK broadcasters to provide regular funding for the body, which was formed in the wake of the Noel Clarke scandal and the Time’s Up UK movement.
The whistleblowing service officially launched a few weeks ago, but it will need steady financial support to remain operational—especially if a wave of complaints follows the recent allegations. CIISA has ambitions to broaden its remit in future to include services such as arbitration. CIISA representatives have been invited to attend Nandy’s meeting, and we understand the organization is planning an event in Parliament later this month.
CIISA has indicated its running costs would be roughly £1.5 million ($2 million) in year one, rising to just over £2 million in year two to cover staff and operations. It has proposed a funding formula based on an ongoing annual contribution capped at 0.1% of an organization’s turnover. Initial financial supporters include the BBC, ITV, Sky and several large production companies.
Nandy and other senior ministers are also concentrating on the use of non-disclosure agreements. Bridget Phillipson, the UK’s women and equalities minister, told Sky News that NDAs should not be “abused in order to silence women.”
All of this has helped create a sense across the industry that the status quo is no longer acceptable.
An open letter, circulating among actors, writers and directors and titled “Let’s make this a turning point,” has been signed by dozens of industry figures urging concrete action.
“We call on every union, every company and every industry organisation to stop enabling a systemic cycle of abuse, whether through unconscious inaction or deliberate distraction,” the letter says. “Review your processes. Protect those who speak out. Become less offended by your inaction being named than you are by the actions you are being asked to recognise.”
Brand was sentenced earlier this week to ten-and-a-half years in prison for rape and sexual assault; the case has highlighted failings within the TV sector, including that one of the women he assaulted was employed by Channel 4 at the time. This week The Guardian and ITV News published allegations accusing Walliams of sexually exploitative behavior toward women and girls—claims he denies. Separately, Channel 4 pulled Married at First Sight last week following rape allegations.
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