BBC director general Tim Davie says a review of how the BBC handled complaints made against Huw Edwards will report in the autumn
During an appearance before a House of Lords committee he says cannot give a "precise timeline" for the conclusion of the BBC's investigation into the allegations
Acting BBC chair Dame Elan Closs Stephens tells the Lords committee the board felt "huge pressure" to name the BBC presenter facing a series of allegations about his behaviour
The BBC is carrying out its investigation into the allegations made against the presenter after the police said there was no evidence of criminality
Senior leaders at the corporation were also grilled over cuts to local radio, star salaries and the future of the licence fee
Rob Corp
Live reporter
We're finishing our live coverage of the BBC director general and chairman's appearance before the House of Lords communications committee.
Thanks for being with us. You can can read a report on what was said this afternoon in our Culture team's news story.
This page was written by Malu Cursino, Emily Atkinson, Krystyna Gajda and Steven McIntosh. It was edited by Marita Moloney and me.
David Sillito
Media and Arts correspondent
It is perhaps not a surprise to learn that the BBC investigation in to the allegations about Huw Edwards will take weeks, possibly months to conclude.
Edwards’ wife’s statement that her husband has been hospitalised with serious mental health issues means the BBC, which has a duty of care, will have to act with a degree of caution.
However, we have learnt a few new facts. Tim Davie confirmed the BBC has now spoken to the "complainant".
It was the failure to reach them in the weeks before the Sun’s story that has become one of the main areas of criticism for the corporation.
It will also carry out a more wide-ranging review of its protocols and procedures.
The terms of reference for that inquiry will be published later this week and the full report is expected late in the year.
Steven McIntosh
Entertainment reporter
This afternoon's session was quite dry in places, but we did get to hear from Tim Davie about a few key issues.
He defended the star salaries paid to some of the BBC's top talent, commenting that big names bring audiences to the BBC and make their job look easier than it is.
Davie also acknowledged how difficult social media policy is for the corporation, following a row over a the impartiality of a Gary Lineker tweet earlier this year, and said the BBC is continuing to monitor and update its guidelines in this area.
On the issue of cuts to local radio, one of the areas Davie has been most criticised, he acknowledged that audiences have an intimate relationship with their local presenters.
But in a world of rapidly changing consumption habits, he said, it would not be right for his tenure as director general to end without having made further progress in the move towards online.
Image source, PA MediaMany people will have been watching today to see what he said about Huw Edwards. Davie said the BBC was looking at what lessons needed to be learned, adding that the corporation had been in contact with the original complainant.
Davie and Dame Elan Closs Stephens gave an assured performance, both were clearly well briefed, and there was even an acknowledgement from the committee that they both must still be reeling from all the issues that have been thrown at the BBC recently.
One thing is certain - Davie and Dame Elan will continue to face intense scrutiny in the weeks and months to come, particularly as the government starts to look more closely at the issue of how the BBC is funded.
Some of what we heard today was dense in places - indeed the chair noted the sometimes "esoteric" slant to the questions - and loaded with technical matters in others.
While we get our heads round the session, here's a recap of he key moments:
Let's bring you one of the key moments from today's session at the House of Lords Communications Committee.
BBC director general Tim Davie says his job is not only to push the licence fee as high as possible, but to make sure there is support for it.
Baroness Stowell, chair of the communications committee, closes proceedings by thanking her fellow members for their often "high minded questions".
She says the committee is "looking forward very much to hearing the fruits" of the work being done on the BBC's future strategy.
Stowell thanks the three BBC chiefs for giving up their time to the committee - and notes she is particularly pleased to have the recently appointed acting chair, Dame Elan, giving evidence.
Baroness Stowell of Beeston next asks the director general about the merger of World News and the News Channel.
Davie says he is happy with the merger overall, but it is important to look at audience data. He says the news team will be responsive to any audience data and it remains work in progress.
Tim Davie continues discussing social media policy, saying it is "not easy" when it comes to the issue of what BBC staff can say online.
Earlier this year, Gary Lineker was briefly taken off air after he made critical comments about the government's asylum policy, sparking an impartiality row.
Davie says: "It's about what really affects due impartiality, because there is so much noise, and people get offended by everything nowadays.
"So we understand, where is there real impact to the BBC's impartiality. This is about protecting something incredibly precious, which is the due impartiality of what we do.
"Getting that balance right is... it's not been easy, but we've got talented people, we're thinking our way through it, and hopefully we can find a way where we can settle, which triangulates the various objectives.
"But it's not easy, and I think over time it will evolve, and it's an area we're going to keep coming back to."
Lord Lipsey asks director general Tim Davie for an update on the social media guidelines for people seen on TV.
Davie says he has "one simple objective, which is the BBC is understood by people to be duly impartial" and there are different standards for the newsroom and general members of staff.
He acknowledges the BBC has high profile freelancers working for the corporation and a framework is needed where people can have their views without compromising the BBC.
"How we facilitate free speech is because you don't know how Chris Mason votes. I don't."
The director general says the BBC will publish its findings and instructions and a public social media policy is in the works.
Baroness Fraser of Craigmaddie takes the helm - and she's asking questions about how the BBC reflects people, nations and communities it represents, as well as the creative economy across the UK.
Davie says he's "thrilled" by the BBC's performance over the last number of years in shifting money and production out of London.
He says the BBC takes the matter of accessibility "very seriously". He notes, too, that more needs to be done.
We are seeing some good movement in places in terms of movement of output, Davie adds, before deferring to Sumner for more detail.
BBC policy director Clare Sumner then lists shows produced outside of London - such as Happy Valley and Blue Lights - and across the nations.
She also notes the boost to investment in local investigative journalism, which she says will benefit communities.
More from the exchange between Lord Young and the BBC director general on how much the corporation pays its top talent.
Davie says individuals who are paid more than £150,000 "deliver about 40% of our viewing and listening - they're where the action is for most people".
"We can debate whether other people could present these shows, but I believe some of these individuals do a difficult job extremely well."
But, he adds: "We continually look for opportunities to offer increased value for money. The market is hot for talent who carry an audience, and I think it's worth investing in at a very limited level."
Acting BBC chair Dame Elan Closs Stephens adds that a lot of presenters "make it look easy".
Davie jokes "we might be able to arrange a screen test at some point" for Lord Young.
Lord Young puts it to Tim Davie that the BBC pays large salaries for talent - using Gary Lineker as an example.
The BBC's annual report, published last week, showed the Match of the Day presenter was paid £1.35m in the last financial year, making him the best paid BBC presenter for the sixth consecutive year.
"Now, however good he is, he actually isn't the asset," Lord Young says. "The asset is Match of the Day. I could sell Match of the Day anywhere.
People think they're indispensable," he adds. "Jeremy Clarkson thought he was indispensable, but they're not, Top Gear goes on."
Lord Young says: "When you're being scrutinised, it's really time you took a long hard look at paying such extraordinary rates, when there is extraordinary talent out there who would do it for a much lower cost."
Mr Davie responds: I think overall we've done a good job bringing talent pay down, putting pressure on talent and senior pay.
"I actually don't agree that anyone can do this. I think broadcasters, someone who has played for England, is of immense value to us."
Asked about BBC local radio in England and the Channel Islands, Dame Elan says that "even with the reduction, 20 different programmes in the afternoon is more than anybody else offers".
Adding that the BBC is the only broadcaster to provide long-term differentiated speech radio.
"I understand that in order to do the online offer, we've had to take money from the afternoon and late evening and I do appreciate there may be people who feel a sense of loss in that".
But she adds that other audiences believe the BBC is a worthwhile institution in terms of their knowledge of their local community.
Labour's Baroness Healy of Primrose Hill now asks if the restructuring of local radio will impact on communities.
Davie says that despite budget pressures the BBC will maintain its investment in local news services.
He notes, however, that a "minority" of that money needs to be moved from linear broadcast (radio) to online delivery to ensure the right current affairs capabilities.
"I love local radio," Davie insists, but adds that the BBC has chosen to reduce the number of afternoon shows on local radio from 39 to 20 programmes.
He says while that is "painful", it is the right thing to do to move money across from linear programmes.
Most audiences over 55 are now getting their news online, he notes.
"I know the companionship of local radio is precious," he says, but adds that he can't at the end of his tenure as director general have to say he "didn't keep local relevant."
The bishop of Leeds asks Davie about the BBC's principle of universality.
Tim Davie says he wants to ensure the BBC is delivering value to audiences - but adds doing so is "fiendishly complicated".
He says the concept of "return on investment" is an easier concept in the corporate world, as there is a focus on profit and loss.
It is more complicated for the BBC as a public service broadcaster given its funding model, he says. The key question for the BBC, he adds, is: "What's the best way to spend that money that results in usage?
"What we don't want to do is do all the right things but they're not watched or not used.
"We know the licence fee is supported by people who use the BBC. Therefore, we need to be relevant, we need to make sure we are in the channels of distribution that people use."
Rt Rev Nicholas Baines, Bishop of Leeds, asks the three BBC bosses what they plan to do to cater to linear audiences, that may not be moving along at the same pace as other developments.
BBC director of policy Clare Sumner says that part of fair value for all audiences is ensuring that "you give something to everybody, but not necessarily meaning that you have to give it all to the same people".
Sumner says says "deprivation studies" carried out from time to time - where people have limited access to the BBC - show that even those who are not regular users access some form of BBC content with some degree of consistency.
Dame Elan adds that it is a balancing act between the corporation's global output and its local provision. She says the BBC has a universal obligation to cater to all types of audiences, but it has to carefully manage how it shifts its resources.
Dame Elan reminded the committee of the significance of the BBC during moments like the pandemic, where people used it to find out about lockdown restrictions as well as get access to education resources across the four nations.
BBC director general Tim Davie explains why he believes that internal complaints are handled properly.
He's giving evidence to the House of Lords Communications Committee.
Dame Elan weighs in now on questions over future evolutions of the BBC.
"We've got to get it right," she says.
"In view of the acceleration of change within our world - I would almost say a new industrial revolution - we need to be as open-minded, intelligent and ambitious as we can be to put something in place which will be flexible enough to take us through massive change that perhaps we haven't seen in our lifetime," Dame Elan adds.
She says this change is of a different order compared with what she has witnessed over her lifetime.
She says she hopes the government, the public, various pressure groups can come together to reach a resolution over what they want and how it would be paid for.
Lord Foster of Bath is now asking BBC director general Tim Davie what the BBC is doing to ensure there is fair value for audiences.
Davie says the corporation has done some work and the BBC's definition of universality needs to pass three thresholds.
Next to Liberal Democrat peer Lord Foster who poses questions about possible future changes to the BBC's funding model.
Should the government wait to carry out its own review on funding until the BBC's report is published, he asks.
No, Davie replies, but urges the committee to look outside the UK at other public service broadcasters "to see how precious the BBC is".
Davie says he is passionate about growing creative industries, while also noting the BBC has to deliver value for the audience.
On the second point, Davie says his job is not only to push the licence fee as high as possible, but to make sure there is support for it - "that people want to pay for it and think it is great value".