Doctored Footage Fallout: Trump vs. the BBC

Trump’s lawsuit over the BBC’s doctored Jan. 6 clip now threatens to turn the broadcaster’s license-fee crisis into a full-blown reckoning over trust, bias, and billions.

It costs £174.50 a year to obtain a BBC license for a color TV. Technological atavists who are bargain-hunting can snag a license for a black and white TV for only £58.50 per year. For the year ending March 2025, the license fee raised £3.8 billion, 65 percent of the Beeb’s total income.

There is growing resentment about the fee. “Some people ask,” said one news report, “why they should be forced to pay for the BBC if they do not use its services.” Good question. However, it now appears that the BBC may need to significantly increase its fees to avoid insolvency.

That’s because Donald Trump is preparing to sue the storied news and entertainment company for between $1 billion and $5 billion. That “B” for “bankrupt.” “I have an obligation to do it,” Trump said Friday. Why? Primarily because the BBC meddled in the 2024 presidential election. How? In a Panorama program called “Trump: A Second Chance?” they tampered with footage from the January 6, 2021, Trump rally in order to make it seem as though Trump was urging his supporters to storm the Capitol. He wasn’t. The BBC then aired the doctored footage in October 2024, just a week before the election.

Trump said that he wants monetary damages. He wants to stop the BBC from doing to others what it did to him. He also said that he wants the BBC to explain in court why they created and aired the doctored video.

Why did they do it? I can answer that. They did it because they despise Trump and wanted to harm his chances of winning the election.

BBC Media Action, the BBC’s international charity, receives funding from USAID.
In the financial year 2024, USAID contributed approximately $3.23 million to BBC Media Action, making it the charity’s second-largest donor.
Purpose of Funding
The funding supports various initiatives aimed at strengthening local media and journalism in challenging contexts.
BBC Media Action focuses on delivering trustworthy information to communities in need, particularly in conflict zones and areas facing humanitarian crises.
Separation from BBC News
It is important to note that BBC Media Action operates independently from BBC News.
The charity relies on external grants and donations to fund its work, separate from the BBC’s news operations.

I thought I had read that the Britshit Broadcast Company received money from USAID. Anyone have insight on that?

https://x.com/i/grok?conversation=1990160000342167605

Yes, the BBC's international charity arm, BBC Media Action, has received funding from USAID (the United States Agency for International Development). However, this funding goes exclusively to the charity and does not support BBC News or the broader BBC organization, which is primarily funded by the UK TV licence fee.Key Details

Amount and Timeline: In 2023/24, BBC Media Action received approximately £2.6 million (about $3.2 million) from USAID, which accounted for roughly 8% of the charity's total income of £32.7 million that year. In the prior year (2022/23), it received £1.9 million, or about 5.5% of its income. This funding supported projects like journalism training, public education, and media development in over 30 countries, including Afghanistan, Kenya, Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Nigeria.
Purpose: USAID, the world's largest aid donor, provided grants to BBC Media Action for humanitarian and development initiatives, such as improving access to trustworthy information in crisis zones and supporting local media outlets. BBC Media Action is a registered UK charity focused on these non-journalistic efforts and operates independently from BBC News.

Context and Clarifications

Editorial Independence: BBC Media Action has emphasized that it is "completely separate" from BBC News, with no influence over the broadcaster's editorial decisions. All USAID funds are used solely for the charity's projects, not for news production.
Recent Developments: In early 2025, USAID faced scrutiny and partial shutdown under the Trump administration, leading to a freeze on these funds. This has impacted BBC Media Action's operations, prompting it to seek alternative donors. Claims that this funding was "hush money" or a "payoff" for favorable coverage have been widely debunked as unsubstantiated.
Misinformation Note: Social media posts and some outlets have wrongly implied that USAID directly funds the BBC as a whole, fueling debates about media bias. Fact-checkers confirm this is inaccurate—it's charity-specific support, not broadcaster funding.

This arrangement is common for international development organizations, with USAID also funding similar efforts by groups like Reporters Without Borders. For more on BBC Media Action's finances, see their 2023/24 annual report.

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