BBC ADMITS IT ENGAGED IN AGE DISCRIMINATION, APOLOGIZES

The BBC has apologized to a former news anchor after an employment tribunal agreed that she had been the victim of age discrimination when she was removed as host of the rural affairs show Countryfile in 2008. “The BBC is committed to fair selection, and we clearly did not get it right in this case,” the BBC said in a statement following the verdict.”We will ensure that senior editorial executives responsible for these kind of decisions in the BBC undergo additional training in the selection and appointment of presenters, and produce new guidance on fair selection for presenter appointments.” At a news conference, the anchor, Miriam O’Reilly insisted that winning a large financial settlement from the BBC was not the object of her lawsuit. “I took this action because I wanted to work for the BBC. I’m really impressed that they have apologized. However, we have a long way to go with ageism in visual media — not just the BBC, the whole industry,” she said.