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| Jimmy Savile: MPs to question BBC director general | Jimmy Savile: MPs to question BBC director general |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| BBC director general George Entwistle will be questioned by MPs later about the corporation's handling of sexual abuse claims against Jimmy Savile. | BBC director general George Entwistle will be questioned by MPs later about the corporation's handling of sexual abuse claims against Jimmy Savile. |
| It comes a day after Newsnight editor Peter Rippon stepped aside amid an inquiry into why the programme dropped an investigation into the presenter. | It comes a day after Newsnight editor Peter Rippon stepped aside amid an inquiry into why the programme dropped an investigation into the presenter. |
| Karin Ward, who had been interviewed by Newsnight, told Panorama she was hurt her claims of abuse were not aired. | Karin Ward, who had been interviewed by Newsnight, told Panorama she was hurt her claims of abuse were not aired. |
| Meanwhile, two charities set up in Savile's name are to close. | Meanwhile, two charities set up in Savile's name are to close. |
| The Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust and the Jimmy Savile Stoke Mandeville Hospital Trust said they had considered continuing under new names, but felt they would always be linked in the public's mind with the late presenter. | The Jimmy Savile Charitable Trust and the Jimmy Savile Stoke Mandeville Hospital Trust said they had considered continuing under new names, but felt they would always be linked in the public's mind with the late presenter. |
| They said all their funds would be distributed to other charities. | They said all their funds would be distributed to other charities. |
| Mr Entwistle will appear before the Commons culture, media and sport select committee at 10:30 BST where he is expected to be asked about a reported conversation with BBC director of news Helen Boaden at an awards lunch on 2 December, in which she told him about the Newsnight investigation and its possible impact on planned tributes to Savile. | Mr Entwistle will appear before the Commons culture, media and sport select committee at 10:30 BST where he is expected to be asked about a reported conversation with BBC director of news Helen Boaden at an awards lunch on 2 December, in which she told him about the Newsnight investigation and its possible impact on planned tributes to Savile. |
| She is said to have told him - in his then role of director of vision - that if the Newsnight investigation went ahead he might have to change the Christmas schedules. The conversation is said to have taken "less than 10 seconds". | She is said to have told him - in his then role of director of vision - that if the Newsnight investigation went ahead he might have to change the Christmas schedules. The conversation is said to have taken "less than 10 seconds". |
| MPs will want to ask Mr Entwistle about the decision by Newsnight's editor Peter Rippon to pull his programme's investigation into Jimmy Savile last December. | MPs will want to ask Mr Entwistle about the decision by Newsnight's editor Peter Rippon to pull his programme's investigation into Jimmy Savile last December. |
| Was he subjected to pressure from BBC managers? Was his decision affected by the knowledge that the BBC had a special tribute to Jimmy Savile scheduled over Christmas? | Was he subjected to pressure from BBC managers? Was his decision affected by the knowledge that the BBC had a special tribute to Jimmy Savile scheduled over Christmas? |
| Mr Rippon spelt out the reasons for his decision in a blog earlier this month; but former members of his team gave a rather different account to Panorama, and the BBC has now admitted that some of the details in the Rippon version of events were "inaccurate or incomplete". | Mr Rippon spelt out the reasons for his decision in a blog earlier this month; but former members of his team gave a rather different account to Panorama, and the BBC has now admitted that some of the details in the Rippon version of events were "inaccurate or incomplete". |
| So MPs may also want to ask why the BBC's managers accepted what their editor told them, rather than probing more deeply. All of these questions the BBC hopes will be answered in due course by an internal inquiry. | So MPs may also want to ask why the BBC's managers accepted what their editor told them, rather than probing more deeply. All of these questions the BBC hopes will be answered in due course by an internal inquiry. |
| But the toughest question of all for George Entwistle may be one that only he can answer. Why, when he was told in advance in his previous job as head of television that Newsnight was investigating Jimmy Savile, did he not scrap that Christmas special? | But the toughest question of all for George Entwistle may be one that only he can answer. Why, when he was told in advance in his previous job as head of television that Newsnight was investigating Jimmy Savile, did he not scrap that Christmas special? |
| BBC News correspondent Nick Higham said why Mr Entwistle had not scrapped that Christmas special, after learning of the Newsnight investigation, could be "the toughest question of all" for him to answer. | BBC News correspondent Nick Higham said why Mr Entwistle had not scrapped that Christmas special, after learning of the Newsnight investigation, could be "the toughest question of all" for him to answer. |
| John Whittingdale, chairman of the culture, media and sport committee, said: "He was in the process of commissioning the most fulsome tributes to Jimmy Savile, which went out on the BBC over that Christmas, and I just find it very surprising that, having been told by the director of news, given a warning, he didn't think it appropriate at least to ask what the investigation was about". | |
| The BBC was being "damaged very badly by the stream of revelations and by the apparent mishandling of them" in recent weeks, Mr Whittingdale said. | |
| Newsnight interviewed Ms Ward, an ex-pupil at Duncroft approved school for girls in Middlesex, in November last year, when she was ill with cancer. The interview was shown for the first time on Panorama on Monday. | Newsnight interviewed Ms Ward, an ex-pupil at Duncroft approved school for girls in Middlesex, in November last year, when she was ill with cancer. The interview was shown for the first time on Panorama on Monday. |
| Ms Ward said she had been abused by Savile and recalled seeing Gary Glitter, now a convicted paedophile, having sexual intercourse with a girl from the school in Savile's dressing room. Glitter denies the latest allegations. | Ms Ward said she had been abused by Savile and recalled seeing Gary Glitter, now a convicted paedophile, having sexual intercourse with a girl from the school in Savile's dressing room. Glitter denies the latest allegations. |
| She told Panorama she had been angered when her interview was not aired: "It was hurtful, and it was difficult because I had been pushed so hard to do it when I didn't want to... | She told Panorama she had been angered when her interview was not aired: "It was hurtful, and it was difficult because I had been pushed so hard to do it when I didn't want to... |
| "In the end I said OK, and for all that stress, that's what made me angry, the fact that I'd gone through all that stress when I really needed to concentrate on getting well, and then they never used it - because somebody higher up didn't believe me". | "In the end I said OK, and for all that stress, that's what made me angry, the fact that I'd gone through all that stress when I really needed to concentrate on getting well, and then they never used it - because somebody higher up didn't believe me". |
| Predatory | Predatory |
| Panorama reported allegations the Top of the Pops programme was a centre of abuse - and Savile was not the only one involved. | Panorama reported allegations the Top of the Pops programme was a centre of abuse - and Savile was not the only one involved. |
| Liz Dux, a lawyer for some of the victims, told Panorama: "The stories that I'm hearing from some of the victims are that they did report the abuse and that no action was taken." | Liz Dux, a lawyer for some of the victims, told Panorama: "The stories that I'm hearing from some of the victims are that they did report the abuse and that no action was taken." |
| She added: "There are some quite serious allegations that a paedophile ring was operating." | She added: "There are some quite serious allegations that a paedophile ring was operating." |
| Newsnight carried out its investigation last year, during which it learned of a dropped Surrey Police inquiry into Savile in 2007, and the programme planned a report. However, editor Peter Rippon "applied the brakes", said Panorama. | Newsnight carried out its investigation last year, during which it learned of a dropped Surrey Police inquiry into Savile in 2007, and the programme planned a report. However, editor Peter Rippon "applied the brakes", said Panorama. |
| Earlier this month, in a blog, Mr Rippon explained the editorial reasons behind his decision to axe the report. He said it was "totally untrue" he had been ordered to do it by bosses as part of a BBC cover-up. | Earlier this month, in a blog, Mr Rippon explained the editorial reasons behind his decision to axe the report. He said it was "totally untrue" he had been ordered to do it by bosses as part of a BBC cover-up. |
| On Monday the BBC issued a correction to this blog, calling it "inaccurate or incomplete in some respects". | On Monday the BBC issued a correction to this blog, calling it "inaccurate or incomplete in some respects". |
| In response to Panorama, a BBC spokesman said an internal inquiry it had launched, the Pollard inquiry, was the forum to "resolve detailed issues relating to BBC programming and the Newsnight investigation". | In response to Panorama, a BBC spokesman said an internal inquiry it had launched, the Pollard inquiry, was the forum to "resolve detailed issues relating to BBC programming and the Newsnight investigation". |
| Meanwhile, a spokesman for former BBC director general Mark Thompson, said Mr Thompson was asked by a journalist at a party last year about a Newsnight investigation into Savile which he had until then been unaware of. | Meanwhile, a spokesman for former BBC director general Mark Thompson, said Mr Thompson was asked by a journalist at a party last year about a Newsnight investigation into Savile which he had until then been unaware of. |
| He later mentioned the conversation "to senior colleagues in BBC News and asked if there was a problem with the investigation" but was told it had been dropped by Newsnight for journalistic reasons. | He later mentioned the conversation "to senior colleagues in BBC News and asked if there was a problem with the investigation" but was told it had been dropped by Newsnight for journalistic reasons. |
| The Metropolitan Police has launched a criminal inquiry into the allegations against Savile. | The Metropolitan Police has launched a criminal inquiry into the allegations against Savile. |
| Police have described him as a predatory sex offender, and believe he may have sexually abused many people, including young girls, over a 40-year period. | Police have described him as a predatory sex offender, and believe he may have sexually abused many people, including young girls, over a 40-year period. |
| Savile died last October, aged 84. | Savile died last October, aged 84. |
| The Panorama programme, Jimmy Savile - What the BBC Knew, can be seen again on the BBC iPlayer. | The Panorama programme, Jimmy Savile - What the BBC Knew, can be seen again on the BBC iPlayer. |