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| Former BBC Radio 1 boss 'knew about Jimmy Savile sex abuse claims in 1970s' | Former BBC Radio 1 boss 'knew about Jimmy Savile sex abuse claims in 1970s' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The former head of Radio 1 knew in the early 1970s about accusations of sexual abuse involving Sir Jimmy Savile, an ex-press officer for the station has claimed. | The former head of Radio 1 knew in the early 1970s about accusations of sexual abuse involving Sir Jimmy Savile, an ex-press officer for the station has claimed. |
| Rodney Collins said on Wednesday that an ex-Radio 1 controller, the late Douglas Muggeridge, asked him to find out whether newspapers were looking into sex abuse claims about Savile in 1973. | Rodney Collins said on Wednesday that an ex-Radio 1 controller, the late Douglas Muggeridge, asked him to find out whether newspapers were looking into sex abuse claims about Savile in 1973. |
| Collins, who was head of press for Radio 1 when Savile was a DJ at the station, urged the BBC to launch a full internal inquiry and to examine who knew what and when. | Collins, who was head of press for Radio 1 when Savile was a DJ at the station, urged the BBC to launch a full internal inquiry and to examine who knew what and when. |
| "The BBC should now – having first of all said they knew nothing about this – there should be a full inquiry, they should co-operate with the police. If anyone working there at the time had some knowledge of this they should put their hands up," Collins told MediaGuardian. | |
| A BBC spokesman said: "The comments made by the former press officer reflect a conversation that he says he had during this time. The BBC has conducted searches of the BBC's files and has not found any written record of misconduct or allegations of misconduct by Jimmy Savile during his time at the BBC. We are of course keeping our searches for information under review as and when new information comes to light." | A BBC spokesman said: "The comments made by the former press officer reflect a conversation that he says he had during this time. The BBC has conducted searches of the BBC's files and has not found any written record of misconduct or allegations of misconduct by Jimmy Savile during his time at the BBC. We are of course keeping our searches for information under review as and when new information comes to light." |
| The BBC has examined all official records held about Savile and found no evidence of formal complaints or disciplinary proceedings. However, any informal conversations involving BBC executives are unlikely to have been officially recorded. | The BBC has examined all official records held about Savile and found no evidence of formal complaints or disciplinary proceedings. However, any informal conversations involving BBC executives are unlikely to have been officially recorded. |
| Collins said Muggeridge told him in 1973 that he had heard claims involving young girls relating to the Radio 1 programme Savile's Travels and wanted to know whether any newspapers were investigating. | Collins said Muggeridge told him in 1973 that he had heard claims involving young girls relating to the Radio 1 programme Savile's Travels and wanted to know whether any newspapers were investigating. |
| He added that he believed Muggeridge and the then managing director of BBC radio, Ian Trethowan, knew about the Savile claims. Trethowen, who died in 1990, later became director general of the BBC. | He added that he believed Muggeridge and the then managing director of BBC radio, Ian Trethowan, knew about the Savile claims. Trethowen, who died in 1990, later became director general of the BBC. |
| "What I don't know is where he [Muggeridge] got the information from. He was obviously told something," said Collins. "He said: 'Can you find out what Fleet Street knows?' I went to two tabloid papers and two London evening papers and I got from everybody the same story: 'Yes we'd heard rumours, but no we won't print anything.'" | "What I don't know is where he [Muggeridge] got the information from. He was obviously told something," said Collins. "He said: 'Can you find out what Fleet Street knows?' I went to two tabloid papers and two London evening papers and I got from everybody the same story: 'Yes we'd heard rumours, but no we won't print anything.'" |
| Collins added that Muggeridge and Trethowan would have acted if they believed the allegations to be true. | Collins added that Muggeridge and Trethowan would have acted if they believed the allegations to be true. |
| He said that after he reported back to Muggeridge that no papers were planning to print any stories, he doubted that the Radio 1 controller then ever questioned Savile directly about the claims. | He said that after he reported back to Muggeridge that no papers were planning to print any stories, he doubted that the Radio 1 controller then ever questioned Savile directly about the claims. |
| "Here was a man raising tens of thousands of pounds for charity and that makes newspapers think twice before frankly blowing a hole in someone's image," Collins said. | "Here was a man raising tens of thousands of pounds for charity and that makes newspapers think twice before frankly blowing a hole in someone's image," Collins said. |
| "At no point did anybody I spoke to in 1973 say to me the police know about this. Had anybody said this to me then I would have frankly gone to my boss and said, 'This is not for me. You need investigators on this.' All I was doing was checking with journalists." | "At no point did anybody I spoke to in 1973 say to me the police know about this. Had anybody said this to me then I would have frankly gone to my boss and said, 'This is not for me. You need investigators on this.' All I was doing was checking with journalists." |
| The questions about Savile in 1973 came two years before he launched the show he is most famous for, Jim'll Fix It. He had been a regular on Top of the Pops since the show launched in 1964, presenting the very first show, and joined Radio 1 in the late 1960s. | The questions about Savile in 1973 came two years before he launched the show he is most famous for, Jim'll Fix It. He had been a regular on Top of the Pops since the show launched in 1964, presenting the very first show, and joined Radio 1 in the late 1960s. |
| The Conservative MP Rob Wilson on Tuesday wrote to Lord Patten, the BBC Trust chairman, urging him to launch an independent internal inquiry into whether executives knew about the allegations stemming back to the 1970s. | The Conservative MP Rob Wilson on Tuesday wrote to Lord Patten, the BBC Trust chairman, urging him to launch an independent internal inquiry into whether executives knew about the allegations stemming back to the 1970s. |
| The BBC said last night it was "horrified" about the slew of fresh allegations that have emerged. The corporation vowed to co-operate with any police investigations after an intervention by the new director general, George Entwistle. | The BBC said last night it was "horrified" about the slew of fresh allegations that have emerged. The corporation vowed to co-operate with any police investigations after an intervention by the new director general, George Entwistle. |
| A woman who claims she witnessed sexual abuse by Savile has criticised BBC bosses for dropping its Newsnight investigation into the late entertainer. | A woman who claims she witnessed sexual abuse by Savile has criticised BBC bosses for dropping its Newsnight investigation into the late entertainer. |
| Karin Ward said she believed BBC executives were "absolutely appalled" by what Newsnight's investigation had uncovered – including several allegations that abuse took place on BBC premises – and pulled the plug. | Karin Ward said she believed BBC executives were "absolutely appalled" by what Newsnight's investigation had uncovered – including several allegations that abuse took place on BBC premises – and pulled the plug. |
| Ward initially told her story to Newsnight before agreeing to go public with an ITV News interview, to be broadcast later on Wednesday. | Ward initially told her story to Newsnight before agreeing to go public with an ITV News interview, to be broadcast later on Wednesday. |
| She said: "The producer of that programme was really into exposing Jimmy Savile and I think he got quite a lot, in fact I think he ended up getting far more than they [BBC executives] wanted. | She said: "The producer of that programme was really into exposing Jimmy Savile and I think he got quite a lot, in fact I think he ended up getting far more than they [BBC executives] wanted. |
| "I think that they saw what he got and were absolutely appalled. So they just pulled it. He [the producer] was genuine, he really really wanted to expose Jimmy Savile." | "I think that they saw what he got and were absolutely appalled. So they just pulled it. He [the producer] was genuine, he really really wanted to expose Jimmy Savile." |
| Ward said she discovered the 10-minute Newsnight programme had been dropped when she received a text message from a member of the production team. | Ward said she discovered the 10-minute Newsnight programme had been dropped when she received a text message from a member of the production team. |
| The Newsnight editor, Peter Rippon, has attempted to draw a line under questions about why its Savile report was dropped after several BBC insiders complained privately about the decision. | The Newsnight editor, Peter Rippon, has attempted to draw a line under questions about why its Savile report was dropped after several BBC insiders complained privately about the decision. |
| Rippon admitted that he consulted his superiors in BBC News about the investigation but denied he faced pressure from above to shelve the 10-minute report. | Rippon admitted that he consulted his superiors in BBC News about the investigation but denied he faced pressure from above to shelve the 10-minute report. |
| He said that it was dropped because Newsnight investigators were unable to stand up the public interest angle they were chasing, of institutional failure in relation to the Savile allegations. | He said that it was dropped because Newsnight investigators were unable to stand up the public interest angle they were chasing, of institutional failure in relation to the Savile allegations. |
| Rippon said in a blogpost on the BBC website late on Tuesday: "Did my bosses order me to do anything? No. I did discuss it with my bosses in news in the same way I do any contentious story we are working on. I was told in the strongest terms that I must be guided by editorial considerations only and that I must not let any wider considerations about the BBC affect my judgment." | Rippon said in a blogpost on the BBC website late on Tuesday: "Did my bosses order me to do anything? No. I did discuss it with my bosses in news in the same way I do any contentious story we are working on. I was told in the strongest terms that I must be guided by editorial considerations only and that I must not let any wider considerations about the BBC affect my judgment." |
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