Radio presenter Riley faces harassment inquiry amid frustration at BBC delays
Broadcaster suspended after complaints by female staff, claimed to have been made up to a week earlier
THE BBC has suspended a radio presenter following complaints of sexual harassment, after being accused of taking days to act following complaints by female members of staff, it has been claimed.
George Riley, the Radio 5 Live presenter, was absent from Saturday’s rugby league world cup coverage, and is being investigated by the corporation after a number of women complained, it is reported.
Mr Riley was still at work on Thursday as the complaints were looked into, with his suspension only emerging yesterday after a newspaper reported that women were frustrated that the corporation had “taken a week to act”.
The sports broadcaster is yet to speak about the claims publicly, and did not respond to a request for comment. The BBC insisted it would not comment on individuals, saying only that it does “treat any allegations seriously and have processes in place for investigating them”.
The complaints are understood to have been made with the encouragement and support of BBC Women, a group of senior broadcasters and managers set up in the wake of the pay gap dispute.
With prominent members including Mishal Husain and Victoria Derbyshire, the group has become a forum for women at the corporation to share their experiences and ask advice about equality issues.
Complaints against
Mr Riley and at least one other unnamed member of staff are now said to be under investigation by the BBC’S internal investigations team, led by Carol Ann Kinleysmith, a former Metropolitan Police detective.
The allegations will be a fresh embarrassment for the BBC, which has emphasised its lack of tolerance for bullying and harassment following the Jimmy Savile scandal. In 2013, it published an extensive “Respect at Work” review aimed at rooting out all bullying, inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment.
A week ago, Anne Bulford, deputy director-general, wrote to BBC staff to reassure them that reports about harassment would be taken seriously. “There’s been a lot of press coverage and comment recently about bullying and harassment in the entertainment industry, and more broadly,” she wrote, after the Harvey Weinstein story broke worldwide. “We have a duty of care to protect you – one we take extremely seriously.
“I just want to remind you what to do if you want to raise any concerns. Please be assured that we will continue to handle any issues raised sensitively.”
On Saturday, the Daily Mail reported allegations against an unnamed BBC radio presenter, saying he had remained in post and on air following complaints. The Sunday Times reported that Mr Riley had been suspended on Friday, and was absent from the coverage of the Wales v Papua New Guinea rugby match.
A source told the newspaper: “Complaints about these two men may just be the tip of the iceberg at the BBC.
“This group [BBC Women] is formed from some of the BBC’S most powerful female talent and editors. It will not stand for sexual harassment of women at the corporation.”
Mishal Husain later clarified that BBC Women had not sought to “expose sex pests”, but was concerned with wider issues of equality.
“Our group acts as a forum for female colleagues to come together, which many of us wish had existed earlier in our careers and which discusses a wide range of issues, offering support and advice where necessary.
“It is wrong to portray it as being focused on sexual harassment or targeting individuals.”