Tony Blackburn says he will sue the BBC after alleged sacking

[muriel_volestrangler]

The broadcaster issued a lengthy statement on the eve of publishing the report by former court of appeal judge, Dame Janet Smith, into the BBC’s culture and practices during the years Jimmy Savile worked there.

The 73-year-old claimed he had been sacked because his evidence to Smith shows that a cover-up, of which he had no knowledge, had taken place. His sacking, he claimed, had been a decision taken, personally, by the BBC’s director general.
...
Telling his followers on social media that he was “devastated,” the DJ published the statement on his Twitter account, where he referred to an allegation made in 1971 by the mother of a teenage girl who took her own life shortly after claiming she was assaulted by an unnamed BBC DJ.
...
Blackburn said that he had repeatedly told Smith and the BBC that he had never been interviewed in this context. He also denied what he said were suggestions that he had been interviewed as part of a BBC inquiry into became known as the payola scandal.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/feb/25/tony-blackburn-says-he-will-sue-the-bbc-after-alleged-sacking

[Bad Dog]

1. I just read this on the BBC

DJ Tony Blackburn says he has been sacked by the BBC after a disagreement over his evidence to an inquiry into Jimmy Savile.

He says the Dame Janet Smith report, due later, includes a claim he was among a number of celebrities who seduced a 15-year-old girl.

The Radio 2 DJ says he was cleared of any wrongdoing, but says the decision to end his contract relates to an investigation into the matter.

The BBC has yet to comment.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=post&forum=1088&pid=9368

At 73 he's hardly had his career nipped in the bud. He should let someone else have a go. At this rate they won't be able to show any old TOTPs. The Savile and Lee Travis ones are already out.

[Ironing Man]

2. ...

listening to the press conference it looks pretty clear cut.

Blackburn says that neither of the two men spoke to him in that context. the two men say they did, and the inquiry seems pretty satisfied that the contemperanous notes say they did.

one is tempted to ask why Blackburn would have been interviewed by a QC investigating the matter - as he seems to accept - but not asked about what the QC was investigating...

Nicey bites the dust - though given that they had accepted Blackburns version of events, that he was not involved, it does seem a rather odd thing for the BBC to get all het up about. if i was being cynical it i might think that the BBC was so desperate to protect themselves from reputational damage that they'd thrown Blackburn to the wolves over a difference of opinion over whether the matter had been investigated, not whether he'd been noncing or not.

in which case, same old, same old - BBC not interested in truth, but in what looks bad...

[Bad Dog]

3. From the BBC website.

DJ Tony Blackburn has "parted company" with the BBC after failing to fully co-operate with the Jimmy Savile inquiry, director general Tony Hall has said.

Lord Hall said Dame Janet Smith's inquiry had rejected Mr Blackburn's evidence.

Earlier, the ex-Radio 2 DJ said the report contained details of an accusation he was among celebrities who "seduced" a 15-year-old girl.

Mr Blackburn, 73, denies the allegation and says he was cleared of wrongdoing.

In a statement, he accused the BBC of making him a "scapegoat" and has threatened to sue the corporation.




Lord Hall told a news conference in the wake of the publication of Dame Janet's report: "My interpretation is that Tony Blackburn fell short of the standards of evidence that such an inquiry demanded."

He said it was "one of the most important inquiries in the BBC's history and that has put an even greater responsibility on everyone who took part in that inquiry to co-operate fully and to be open".

"So many survivors and witnesses have honestly and openly co-operated fully - and at great personal cost to themselves.

"As Dame Janet has said, she's rejected his evidence and she's explained very clearly why. I have to take that extremely seriously."

In his statement released on his Twitter account, Mr Blackburn said the claim made in 1971 was quickly withdrawn.

The girl at the centre of the allegation took her own life later that year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35656367