LONDON, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- BBC Chair Samir Shah has told staff that the company is "determined to fight" any legal action by U.S. President Donald Trump over an editing row, according to British media on Monday.
"There is a lot being written, said and speculated upon about the possibility of legal action, including potential costs or settlements," Shah wrote in an email to staff. "There is no basis for a defamation case and we are determined to fight this."
The remarks followed Trump's confirmation that he intends to sue the broadcaster for 1 billion to 5 billion U.S. dollars over a documentary that stitched together separate parts of his Jan. 6, 2021 speech.
The program was criticized for splicing together the clips in a way that allegedly gave the misleading impression that Trump urged his supporters to march to the U.S. Capitol and "fight like hell."
A letter dated Nov. 9 sent to the BBC by lawyers acting for Trump demands that the BBC issue "a full and fair retraction of the documentary," apologize, and "appropriately compensate" Trump for "the harm caused," or face "legal action" for no less than 1 billion U.S. dollars in damages.
The BBC issued an apology on Thursday, but refused the demand for financial compensation. It also confirmed that the program will not be shown again. ■
