Tony Blackburn OMG

[katemiddletonsothermum]

No one from my teenage radio days has been free from aspersions.

Now then, careful now. No false allegations please. But according to the Mirror, he's been axed by the BBC as he's now linked to an incident in 1971.

The Mirror's Thursday front page

AIBU to think WTF?

Was Dirty Den not a convicted murderer in real life?
As Blanche said, as a society we should not further penalise ex offenders who have served time etc.

I think the BBC have (yet again) dealt with things clumsily and obliquely tbh - they do themselves no favours with their constant bungling.

BunnyTyler You are a wise Mumsnetter.

Dame Janet Smith has just said BBC had documents to show that TB was interviewed in 1971 in relation to this matters and she rejected TB's version of that he wasn't interviewed at all. She still says BBC handled this very poorly even in their own version of events.

Yes they're saying he was interviewed twice, he's saying never.

That does leave them with a bit of an issue given that one of the findings is that young women making complaints of assault 'were viewed as nuisances and not investigated'.

Except Dame Janet did not identify A7

I think the BBC have behaved appallingly yet again (remember their headline news about Cliff Richard and he has not been charged after over 12 months).

They are making TB a scapegoat and I hope he sues them big time.

Maybe he expected a leak?

Interestingly, a member of the girl's family claimed that she named Savile as an abuser in her diary. They did not say Blackburn was named.

Maybe he wasn't 'interviewed'? If someone just had a casual chat with him, not a formal interview with witness/es & someone else recording or writing what was said, why would he remember 45 years later?

It would be interesting to see what evidence of the alleged interviews the BBC produce.

A7 is TB though. It could well have been described FGT. Not necessarily something you would remember at all.

Even on BBC's best case, though, Dame Janet is very critical.

Tony Hall is just explaining now on tv

Hall confirms Blackburn sacked because Blackburn said he wasn't interviewed and Dame Janet Smith believes he was.

We need to see the evidence BBC has regarding these interviews.

Evidence that Blackburn actually did anything wrong back in 1971 seems pretty much to be non-existent and even if the BBC did interview him in 1971, they did it extremely badly, according to Dame Janet.

Yes I'm watching it now. I actually think sacking him because his memory doesn't accord with their records from 45 years ago is scapegoating him even if he just mistaken.

It would be interesting to see what evidence of the alleged interviews the BBC produce.

this. They must have evidence showing he was questioned or interviewed back then, to back up sacking him, surely?

Dame Janet Smith believes he was

Her beliefs will have something concrete behind them wont they? Something she can show?

If not the BBC are certainly in danger of looking as if they are lying. It's common knowledge that complaints WEREN'T routinely chased up back then. They are trying to show otherwise i guess. And it seems they thought TB would go along with it.

I'm with you Ghoul. Be very interesting to see how an employment tribunal is going to handle this one. You disagreed with me, so we're sacking you?

This is all very effective at muddying the waters isn't it?

This doesn't look like the BBC I thought I'd grown up with. For the first time ever I'm thinking that the organisation in its present form is not justifiable. That's been encouraged by recent and unpleasant dealings with TV Licensing. (Yes, I know that they're not the BBC itself but their nasty and bullying activities are sanctioned by the BBC.)

Blackburn is so far being proved right about the diary. In her report, Dame Janet admits that she has not seen the girl's diary, although the diary still exists. All she has seen is a photocopy of the final page. Her family refused permission for Dame Janet to read it. The police have a copy but will not allow Dame Janet to read it without family consent.

I think dismantling the BBC would be a way forward not sure I want to pay my license fee anymore.

Tony Hall has also confirmed that Blackburn was the only person in the report still employed by the BBC. Which does indeed smell of "let's get shot of him, then we're seen to be beyond reproach as none of them will still work for us".

Frankly, the notion of the report finding, that a huge number of junior staff knew what was going on with Savile but that NO ONE mentioned it to ANY senior staff due to fear seems so unlikely to my mind as to be almost unbelievable, especially in light of the fact that senior managers in BBC Manchester DID know about Hall. Especially if, as the BBC claim, they interviewed Blackburn in 1971 over a member of the public coming to them (who later retracted the allegation).

This is all quite shocking. I agree nauticant l usually look upon the BBC fondly and support the licence fee etc but I'm very disappointed by all this

The BBC are appalling. They have been complicit in cover ups and yet are able to point the finger without solid evidence or proper legal investigation.

It's about time they were banished, quite frankly.

If the senior management in the BBC knew nothing about Savile, how come one of their own Governor's banned Savile from appearing on Children In Need?

If the BBC news division was doing some investigative journalism into any other organisation, or Govt dept, and found that at least 117 junior staff members knew or saw something concerning Savile, but that the senior management knew nothing, the BBC news division would be at least "very sceptical" that that could possibly be true.

If one witness said they made a complaint about Savile to their manager and was told to "shut up", the whole pack of cards that management knew nothing immediately collapses - yet Dame Janet seems to overlook this.

Indeed. BBC needs shutting down - they can hardly point the finger now when at the time, they kept accusations quiet and didn't involve the legal system to prove/disprove allegations. Acting as their own authority on these issues? Utterly disgusting and they ought to be shut down immediately.

I don't like the BBC. Can you tell?

Distracting us from the actual contents of the report though isn't it......