Newsnight Producer Warned Of Savile Cover Up Accusations

The BBC was at risk of being accused of a cover-up, a producer tried to warn the editor of the dropped Newsnight investigation in the Jimmy Savile investigation.

Meirion Jones told the Panorama programme looking into the Savile scandal that he had emailed Newsnight editor Peter Rippon on 7 December 2011.

"I was sure the story would come out one way or another and... the BBC would be accused of a cover-up," he said.

The BBC says it will not comment while an investigation takes place.

Police say former BBC presenter and DJ Savile, who died in October 2011 aged 84, may have sexually abused many people, including young girls, over a 40-year period - sometimes on BBC premises.

In a chain of emails between Newsnight journalists and Mr Rippon, Mr Jones said his editor's emphasis on what the programme's report was about changed from revealing Savile as a paedophile, to being about establishing why the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped an investigation into sexual abuse claims regarding Savile made by several women.

Mr Rippon later said he felt the story had fallen short and decided not to pursue it further. He stressed in a posting on the BBC Editors' blog that he was in no way pressured into his decision.

He has also stressed the story was pulled for editorial reasons and not because of a potentially embarrassing clash with the planned BBC tributes to Savile over Christmas 2011 a claim for which Panorama found no evidence to contradict.

BBC director general George Entwistle, who will appear before MPs on Tuesday to answer questions about the BBC and Savile, announced two inquiries regarding the sex abuse claims.

One will look at why the Newsnight investigation was shelved and is being led by Nick Pollard.

The second will be led by former High Court judge Dame Janet Smith and will examine the culture of the BBC during the years that Savile worked there.

(H/CD)