A former BBC editor who supervised Radio 4’s Today programme is said to have left the corporation for a top position with Saudi Arabia’s state broadcaster.
Jamie Angus resigned as BBC News’ senior controller of output and commissioning in April for an unspecified new position after being passed over for the position of BBC director of news.
According to The Times, he has now secured a top position at Al Arabiya News, which is part of the Saudi conglomerate MBC Group.
His position is unknown, but sources speculate that he could be the station’s chief finance officer or chief operating officer.
According to Angus, Al Arabiya, an Arabic-language channel founded in 2003, is attempting to establish itself as one of the world’s most dynamic news outlets.
However, due to ethical concerns about Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations, his new job is not viewed favorably by BBC executives. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Al Salman has repeatedly denied any involvement in the infamous murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, in March 2018.
Al Arabiya is headquartered in Dubai, but employees began relocating to Riyadh in September. It is widely regarded as a rival to Qatar’s Al Jazeera, and the Saudi government is reportedly attempting to integrate its media operations.
In 2018, Ofcom fined Al Arabiya £120,000 for broadcasting what it claimed were ‘confessions’ from imprisoned Bahraini opposition leader Hassan Mushaima. The channel failed to inform viewers that Mushaima was tortured.
Fines for inaccurate or misleading reporting are rarely imposed by Ofcom and are reserved for the most serious violations of the UK broadcasting code.
Angus worked for the BBC for more than 20 years, from 2017 to 2021, on the Today programme.
He was also the deputy editor of Newsnight and was previously in charge of the BBC World Service, which carried BBC News Arabic.
Following the departure of Fran Unsworth as director of BBC News last year, Angus was considered a contender and was interviewed for the position.
According to multiple sources, he was disappointed not to have advanced past the first round of interviews, eventually losing out to ITN’s chief executive Deborah Turness, who will join the BBC this year.