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| Tony Blackburn 'parts company' with BBC over Savile inquiry | Tony Blackburn 'parts company' with BBC over Savile inquiry |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 denies the allegation and says he was cleared of any wrongdoing. | |
| 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." | 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". | 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. | "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." | |
| Mr Blackburn says the claim made in 1971 was quickly withdrawn. | |
| The girl at the centre of the allegation took her own life later that year. | |
| Who is Tony Blackburn? | |
| The son of a doctor from Guildford, Tony Blackburn was the first DJ to broadcast on Radio 1 when it launched in September 1967. He spent 17 years at the station and also presented Top of the Pops and was a weekly fixture on Noel's House Party. Prior to all that, he had broadcast on Radio Caroline South and then Radio London. | |
| After Radio 1, he was one of the launch presenters on Capital Gold. He has also hosted Radio 2's Pick Of The Pops as well as regular bank holiday specials for the stations. He has also had shows on BBC London 94.9, BBC Radio Berkshire, the Magic network, BBC3CR and KMFM. | |
| In 2002 he won the ITV reality TV programme I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! | |
| Mr Blackburn said that neither Dame Janet's report into Savile, nor the BBC, make any suggestion he was guilty of misconduct with the girl, nor did a coroner's inquest or a subsequent police inquiry. | |
| He says that, during her review, Dame Janet saw BBC records allegedly showing he was interviewed about the girl's diary by a senior BBC executive, Bill Cotton, and by a senior lawyer. | |
| The DJ says he repeatedly told the review that he was never interviewed by either man. | |
| He said in a statement: "They are destroying my career and reputation because my version of events does not tally with theirs." | |
| "Sadly what is happening to me now seems entirely in keeping with the past BBC culture of whitewash and cover-up." |