The BBC wanted Black listeners and turned to Tim Westwood, white son of a vicar. A parable for our times
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ore than 30 years have passed since Tim Westwood joined the BBC, 12 since he left and three since Guardian and BBC journalists by a man considered by the corporation to be the voice of hip hop. Then this week, some of the many concerns raised during his 19 years working there in the latest edition of one of the BBC’s weightiest and longest-running series, Official Reports into Men We Employ Behaving Very Badly.
Westwood’s career at the Beeb ended in 2013, amid a flurry of accusations and a sense of deja vu best summarised as “oh God, not another one”. But the 174-page report is well worth reading, not just for what it says about the BBC but, as so often with the media, what it says about attitudes in Britain.
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BBC sorry for ‘missed opportunities’ over DJ Tim Westwood’s ‘bullying behaviour’
The BBC board has apologised over “missed opportunities” to tackle “bullying and misogynistic behaviour” by former BBC Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood.
An independent report into what the BBC knew about Mr Westwood’s conduct was published on Tuesday, highlighting a series of incidents and allegations it said amount to a “considerable body of evidence” which it failed to investigate properly.
The report added the BBC had “inadequate record keeping and communication with people who raised complaints or concerns”, and “an insufficiently rigorous attempt to address the substance of concerns raised”.
The BBC had previously acknowledged six complaints about bullying and sexual misconduct. In a video that appeared on social media last year, the DJ said: “It’s all false allegations.”
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the allegations against Mr Westwood were “very serious” and there had been “far too many instances of appalling behaviour in the media industry”.
The BBC board admitted it did not “take adequate action”, saying: “It is clear that in the past, the BBC has not only been too siloed but too deferential to high-profile individuals.”
“The board also wants to take this opportunity to apologise on behalf of the entire BBC to anyone impacted by what the review has found,” it added.
“Your voice has been heard, and the findings of the review will further fuel the drive to ensure it does not happen again.”
Gemma White KC led the report commissioned by the BBC board in 2022.
More than 120 individuals contributed to the review and thousands of records from the time were examined.
The DJ’s solicitors told Ms White:
Mr Westwood, who has not responded to the BBC’s requests for comment, had a gig in Oyo state in Nigeria on Monday.
The report highlighted some staff felt uncomfortable raising grievances with management about the DJ.
Those who spoke to Ms White referenced:
She noted evidence of senior management “reacting firmly” to public complaints about the DJ, along with “evidence of their intention to create an environment in which employees would feel able to raise concerns”.
But the “lack of formality adopted” towards concerns raised about workplace misconduct, and the “type of material broadcast on air” were likely to have resulted employees not feeling confident that workplace conduct concerns about the DJ “would be properly addressed.”
The BBC board said: “Beyond assessing any alleged criminality, which is a matter for the police, it is clear there were times where the BBC, on learning about concerns regarding Mr Westwood’s behaviour, did not take adequate action.”
It cited “evidence of bullying and misogynistic behaviour on the part of Mr Westwood and the plain fact is that his general conduct was entirely incompatible with BBC values – not just now, but then”.
“The organisation fell short and failed people – including our own staff – who had a right to expect better from us,” it added.
The report has cost approximately £3.3m.
It found “there was no widespread or significant or BBC knowledge of allegations or concerns about predatory sexual behaviour by Mr Westwood”.
But it said there were “instances where the organisation missed opportunities that might have led to action.”
The BBC says it has since improved its processes.
Nandy, whose government brief covers the BBC, said she met with director general Tim Davie on Tuesday to discuss the Tim Westwood report.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told the BBC: “A full file of evidence remains with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for their consideration. Detectives from the Met continue to make enquiries, with support from prosecutors.”
The report follows a joint investigation by BBC News and The Guardian in 2022 which heard from women who made allegations of predatory and unwanted sexual behaviour and touching.
The allegations revealed by BBC News spanned the period from 1992 to 2017, when the 67-year-old was at the height of his career as a leading hip hop DJ.
In 2022, BBC News broadcast accusations by 18 women of predatory and unwanted sexual behaviour and touching by Mr Westwood, in alleged incidents from 1992 to 2017.
Following the joint investigation, Tim Davie said the claims against the DJ were “appalling”.
He added he had “seen no evidence of complaints” being made to BBC managers about Westwood’s behaviour in the past.
Mr Davie was director of audio and music, including BBC Radio 1, at the corporation at the time, between 2008 and 2012.
Westwood, 67, was a presenter on BBC Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra between 1994 and 2013, where he hosted the UK’s first nationally broadcast hip-hop show.
In July 2022, the BBC revealed it had received six complaints about alleged bullying or sexual misconduct by Mr Westwood, one of which had previously been referred to police.
Then in August, the Metropolitan Police confirmed it was investigating a man over allegations of of non-recent sexual offences in London in 1982, 1985, 2010 and 2016.
A Met spokesperson said on Monday: “A full file of evidence remains with the CPS for their consideration. Detectives from the Met continue to make enquiries, with support from prosecutors.”
The BBC’s report is set to examine what it knew about allegations of unwanted sexual behaviour by the former BBC Radio 1 DJ.
Police are investigating the ex-BBC Radio 1 hip-hop DJ over allegations of non-recent sexual abuse.
The former Radio 1 and 1Xtra DJ has denied claims of misconduct, calling them false.
The corporation is investigating complaints of misconduct against the DJ, which he denies.
The former BBC Radio 1 DJ is interviewed again under caution but no arrest has been made.
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