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| Jimmy Savile exposé revealed 'open civil war' at Newsnight | Jimmy Savile exposé revealed 'open civil war' at Newsnight |
| (7 months later) | |
| The BBC Panorama investigation into Newsnight's axed exposé of Jimmy Savile was met with "mystification" and "unhappiness" inside the corporation, its editor has said. | The BBC Panorama investigation into Newsnight's axed exposé of Jimmy Savile was met with "mystification" and "unhappiness" inside the corporation, its editor has said. |
| Tom Giles, editor of the BBC1 current affairs show, said Panorama exposed "open civil war conflict" at Newsnight in the hour-long film broadcast in October last year. | Tom Giles, editor of the BBC1 current affairs show, said Panorama exposed "open civil war conflict" at Newsnight in the hour-long film broadcast in October last year. |
| Panorama's film, Jimmy Savile – What the BBC Knew, helped tip the corporation into full crisis mode as it highlighted internal tensions at Newsnight over the dropped Savile programme. | Panorama's film, Jimmy Savile – What the BBC Knew, helped tip the corporation into full crisis mode as it highlighted internal tensions at Newsnight over the dropped Savile programme. |
| In a 29-page transcript of his interview with the Pollard inquiry, Giles said he was told that there was "a lot of unhappiness" inside BBC News at the Panorama film, which aired hours after Newsnight editor Peter Rippon stepped aside over his handling of the affair. | In a 29-page transcript of his interview with the Pollard inquiry, Giles said he was told that there was "a lot of unhappiness" inside BBC News at the Panorama film, which aired hours after Newsnight editor Peter Rippon stepped aside over his handling of the affair. |
| At this point in late October then-BBC News director Helen Boaden and her deputy, Stephen Mitchell, had also been "recused" from Savile-related coverage, with other executives stepping in. | At this point in late October then-BBC News director Helen Boaden and her deputy, Stephen Mitchell, had also been "recused" from Savile-related coverage, with other executives stepping in. |
| "It was difficult when it [the new BBC news management structure] first started getting tested and we were told that there was a lot of unhappiness that we were doing what we were doing. There probably still is a lot of unhappiness that we did what we did," he said. | "It was difficult when it [the new BBC news management structure] first started getting tested and we were told that there was a lot of unhappiness that we were doing what we were doing. There probably still is a lot of unhappiness that we did what we did," he said. |
| Asked where he believed the unhappiness came from, Giles told the Pollard review: "I think unhappiness probably in some parts of [BBC] News, those that would certainly see it as being unfair on Peter Rippon, and maybe some mystification in parts of [BBC] Vision and parts of the rest of the BBC as to why on earth the BBC can do this." | Asked where he believed the unhappiness came from, Giles told the Pollard review: "I think unhappiness probably in some parts of [BBC] News, those that would certainly see it as being unfair on Peter Rippon, and maybe some mystification in parts of [BBC] Vision and parts of the rest of the BBC as to why on earth the BBC can do this." |
| Giles defended the decision to air the programme. He maintained that Panorama would only have added to the BBC's woes if it had decided not to touch the issue, even though it had evidence that some of the corporation's public statements had been inaccurate. | Giles defended the decision to air the programme. He maintained that Panorama would only have added to the BBC's woes if it had decided not to touch the issue, even though it had evidence that some of the corporation's public statements had been inaccurate. |
| "I mean, that was very much my starting point with this: if we don't do it, it will look like Panorama is asleep at the wheel, or Panorama has something to hide, or it is not willing to take on big difficult stories," he told Nick Pollard, the former Sky News boss who ran the review into the BBC's handling of the Savile crisis. "If I had that sort of information about any other corporation, I would go for it." | "I mean, that was very much my starting point with this: if we don't do it, it will look like Panorama is asleep at the wheel, or Panorama has something to hide, or it is not willing to take on big difficult stories," he told Nick Pollard, the former Sky News boss who ran the review into the BBC's handling of the Savile crisis. "If I had that sort of information about any other corporation, I would go for it." |
| Giles claimed that Newsnight briefly attempted to say it was going to investigate the circumstances surrounding its own shelved Savile film – but that was "quickly stopped" by Fran Unsworth, the acting head of BBC News, because it was "too surreal". "Yes, it was already getting pretty surreal, but that was obviously regarded as a step too far," he said. | Giles claimed that Newsnight briefly attempted to say it was going to investigate the circumstances surrounding its own shelved Savile film – but that was "quickly stopped" by Fran Unsworth, the acting head of BBC News, because it was "too surreal". "Yes, it was already getting pretty surreal, but that was obviously regarded as a step too far," he said. |
| The Panorama editor was careful not to condemn Rippon's decision in December 2011 not to broadcast the Savile film, but said he found it "absolutely baffling" that he told the Newsnight producer, Meirion Jones, to stop working on the investigation. | The Panorama editor was careful not to condemn Rippon's decision in December 2011 not to broadcast the Savile film, but said he found it "absolutely baffling" that he told the Newsnight producer, Meirion Jones, to stop working on the investigation. |
| He told the Pollard review: "On a programme like Newsnight, you know you can come back to things. So I'm not condemning the decision not to broadcast … I myself would probably have taken a different decision. | He told the Pollard review: "On a programme like Newsnight, you know you can come back to things. So I'm not condemning the decision not to broadcast … I myself would probably have taken a different decision. |
| "What I just find absolutely baffling is the sense that you kill the whole thing, you kill the entire investigation and worse, you tell your journalists the worst thing you can tell any investigative journalists, which is: 'Just stop doing it, don't think about it, do something else, preferably go to Azerbaijan, please, whatever you can do, please don't look at this'." | "What I just find absolutely baffling is the sense that you kill the whole thing, you kill the entire investigation and worse, you tell your journalists the worst thing you can tell any investigative journalists, which is: 'Just stop doing it, don't think about it, do something else, preferably go to Azerbaijan, please, whatever you can do, please don't look at this'." |
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