Tim Davie talked about the controversy after Edwards was sentenced on Monday at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London.
After entering a guilty plea to three charges of “making” obscene photographs of children, Edwards was handed a suspended sentence.
The court heard that between December 2020 and August 2021, the newsreader sent 41 illicit photos, seven of which were of the most dangerous kind, to a paedophile who demanded payment of up to £1,500.
In response to the question of how much the controversy had hurt the standing, Mr. Davie stated that there was “no doubt an affair like this impacts our reputation”.
Regarding the immediate effect on trust, I’m not sure yet,” he continued.
He stated that you can “maintain trust by doing the right things” and that faith in the news is “essential”.
The session’s host, presenter Amol Rajan, questioned Mr. Davie about why Edwards’ salary was still being paid even after the news was informed of his accusers.
According to Mr. Davie, they “wrestled with it” before deciding “that pay continues until someone is charged.”.
He continued: “I think it was the right decision based on current policy.”
Prior to the charges against Edwards being made public earlier this year, it was made known that, despite being off-air since July 2023, the former newsreader was one of the highest-paid celebrities of the previous fiscal year.
