The broadcaster apologized and said the splicing of the speech was an “error of judgment” but refused to pay financial compensation after the U.S. president’s lawyers threatened to sue for $1 billion in damages unless a retraction and apology were published.
In a note to staff seen by the PA news agency, Shah said: “There is a lot being written, said and speculated upon about the possibility of legal action, including potential costs or settlements.
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“In all this we are, of course, acutely aware of the privilege of our funding and the need to protect our licence fee payers, the British public.
“I want to be very clear with you; our position has not changed. There is no basis for a defamation case, and we are determined to fight this.
“Last week I took the opportunity to speak with the executive team and am reassured of their resolute focus on ensuring the BBC continues to deliver on behalf of audiences and staff.
“I know they plan to spend as much time as possible with their teams over the coming weeks to reinforce the importance of that work and answer your questions.”
In an interview with “GB News” broadcast on Saturday, Trump said he had an obligation to sue the BBC, adding: “This was so egregious. If you don’t do it, you don’t stop it from happening again with other people.”
Trump also said the lawsuit would be likely to be filed someplace in the U.S.
The Panorama scandal prompted the resignations of two of the BBC’s most senior executives: director-general Tim Davie and news Chief Deborah Turness.
The BBC has said it will not air the “Panorama episode “Trump: A Second Chance?” again and published a retraction on the show’s web page on Thursday.
The corporation has also apologized for using the incorrect title for the Princess of Wales during coverage of Armistice Day.
A statement said: “During our coverage of memorials to commemorate Armistice Day we mistakenly referred to Catherine, Princess of Wales as Kate Middleton; these were errors during hours of live broadcasting for which we apologize.
However, throughout our Armistice Day coverage more broadly, we referred to Catherine by her correct title.
dpa/NAN
