BBC will broadcast a worldwide apology today for having compromised its editorial integrity through programmes involved in the recent “news fixing scandal”, according to news reports.

The UK’s The Independent today reported that BBC World News will be broadcasting the apology “from Kuala Lumpur to Khartoum” in four time slots.

NONE According to the daily, the apology begins, “A small number of programmes broadcast on BBC World News between February 2009 and July 2011 broke BBC rules aimed at protecting our editorial integrity.

“These rules ensure that programmes are free, and are seen to be free, from commercial or other outside pressures."

The scandal involves FBC Media (UK) that was exposed last year for having produced programmes on behalf of paying clients, to whitewash their public image.

“The company made eight pieces for the BBC about Malaysia while failing to declare it was paid £17 million (RM83 million) by the Malaysian government for ‘global strategic communications’. The programmes included positive coverage of Malaysia's controversial palm oil industry,” wrote The Independent .

According to the report, investigations into the scandal “uncovered 15 breaches of editorial guidelines” of which eight were related to FBC’s programmes on Malaysia.

The BBC apology adds:

"In the case of eight other programmes, all of which featured Malaysia, we found that the production company which made the programmes appeared to have a financial relationship with the Malaysian government.

“This meant there was a potential conflict of interest, though the BBC was not aware of it when the programmes were broadcast.”

Pricey glam job for gov't

The scandal was first uncovered by The Independent and reported by Sarawak Report , the whistleblower website founded by former BBC journalist Clare Rewcastle-Brown ( below ), the sister-in-law of former British prime minister Gordon Brown.

NONE It claimed that FBC was paid millions of ringgit by BN politicians, including Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and long-serving Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, to glam up their image overseas.

Last October Najib admitted in a written parliamentary reply that the government had paid RM83.8 million to media consultancy company FBC Media for the duration of three years from 2007 for  “consultancy services, advice and management of a communication campaign”.

The Independent 's report today added, “Since 2009 FBC has made at least four BBC documentaries dealing with Malaysia and controversial issues such as the country's palm-oil industry and its treatment of rainforests and indigenous people.

“The company has received millions of pounds in payments from the government of Malaysia...”