Amid fallout from the Panorama editing controversy, an online petition launched by a broadcast consumer has gathered more than 45,000 signatures urging the BBC not to pay compensation to Donald Trump following his billion-dollar legal threat. Amid the petition, BBC has refused to pay to $1 billion lawsuit.
The petition says, “My TV license fee shouldn't be used to pay Trump.”
Read more: BBC looking into allegations over another Trump speech edit
The BBC has apologised, rejects compensation demand
The BBC has apologised to Trump and has said that it will not broadcast the Panorama episode in any form again.
Chairman Samir Shah has sent a personal apology letter to the white house for editing the speech, the Independent reported.
However, the BBC has denied any defamation claim, saying that it was “an error of judgment” and has rejected the request for compensation of $1 billion to Trump.
The petition and public reaction
The petition, initiated by one of BBC's license-fee payers, Ian Fisher, explicitly addresses the issue of how the public’s mandatory contributions to the BBC might be used.
Fisher in the petition demands that “any compensation paid should be refunded to TV-licence payers,” The Independent reported.
{{/usCountry}}Fisher in the petition demands that “any compensation paid should be refunded to TV-licence payers,” The Independent reported.
{{/usCountry}}The petition crosses a noteworthy threshold for public digital activism in the UK broadcasting domain. Fisher told The Independent, “I expected a couple of 100 signatures; it has crossed an excess of 42,000, shows that it is an important topic.”
His petition comes in response to Trump’s threat of a $1 billion lawsuit against the BBC over a mis-edited 6 January speech in a Panorama programme.
The case that triggered the resignations of BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News Chief Deborah Turness.
Read more: ‘I guess I have to, why not?’ Trump on suing BBC over edited Capitol speech
“It seems like an interference and an invasion…of news media in the UK”
Fisher and supporters of the petition argue that using public funds to compensate a high-profile figure such as Trump undermines the ethos of public service broadcasting.
Fisher says in the interview with The Independent, “It seems like an interference and an invasion into the impartiality of news media in the UK.”
Fisher also raises the point that since he watches and records live TV, it is by law that broadcast consumers have to pay the license fee. He says, “ Often there is any compulsion for the BBC to do anything with a commercial responsibility. They just realize the fact that they will get the money regardless.”
The BBC was approached for comment by The Independent, but had not responded at the time of publication.
The lawsuit states that the BBC has until November 14, Friday to President Trump's threat.