Katty Kay, Former BBC journo, Resigns From Ozy Media Over Expose By NYT

katty kay
katty kay

Katty Kay has quit her role at Ozy Media after just 3 months. The announcement comes after an exposé by the New York Times that reported that a firm executive had tried to mislead potential investors.

Katty Kay had left the BBC after more than 30 years. She termed the allegation extremely troubling and said that she had to cut ties after being left with no choice.

Katty Kay took to Twitter to announce that she had been excited to join Ozy after her long association with the BBC. She said that she was supportive of their mission to present diverse voices and stories to the people. But the NYT allegations, which took her by surprise, were serious and had caused her trouble. She was left with little choice except to end her relationship with Ozy Media.

Katty Kay had moved to Ozy Media after hosting a podcast jointly produced by the BBC and Ozy Media, headed by Carlos Watson, the former CNN anchor.

Katty Kay’s Resignation Linked To Co-Founder’s False Claims To Bankers

The New York Times had reported that Samir Rao, co-founder of Ozy Media had impersonated a YouTube senior leader at a conference call with investment firm Goldman Sachs this February. The bank was considering a $40M investment in Ozy.

Mr.Rao had made false claims about the popularity of Ozy on YouTube. The deal did not go through as Goldman felt something wasn’t right. Mr. Watson had told NYT that Rao, the Chief Operating Officer, had been facing mental health issues and had been absent from work during the conference call.

Katty Kay’s move comes even as several top executives at the company moved after the NYT expose. Ozy launched an internal investigation into the internal practices of the firm and has asked Rao to take leave till the investigation continues. Ozy is backed by Alex Springer, a high-profile publisher, and GSV, venture capitalists.