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| Savile BBC abuse report to be published – live updates | Savile BBC abuse report to be published – live updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 9.44am GMT | |
| 09:44 | |
| Kevin Cook, one of Savile’s victims said he was abused by the star when he was just nine years old. “He was almost god-like, one of the biggest stars”, he told the BBC’s Victoria Live programme. | |
| Compelling, heart breaking, interview with one of Jimmy Savile's victims on #Derbyshire now @VictoriaLIVE pic.twitter.com/YmK7oksYVm | |
| 9.37am GMT | |
| 09:37 | |
| While we wait for Smith’s report to be published it’s worth pointing out that Tony Blackburn has repeatedly denied that he witnessed any abuse by Savile. | |
| In a 2014 TV interview with Piers Morgan, he said “were always rumours about him [Savile] but I never saw him do anything wrong. I didn’t realise how bad he was.” | |
| Blackburn said it was is a “sin” that Jimmy Savile will not pay for his crimes. | |
| Blackburn, who worked with Savile at Radio 1 for many years, said none of his colleagues “liked him particularly”, adding: “He was an oddball. I didn’t like him as a person. It was always this silly Jimmy Savile. He never talked to you in a normal way.” | |
| Blackburn says he had been sacked by the BBC because his evidence to Smith shows that a cover-up, of which he had no knowledge, had taken place. | |
| Here’s a profile of the veteran broadcaster: | |
| Related: Tony Blackburn: BBC presenter's career spans six decades | |
| Updated | |
| at 9.38am GMT | |
| 8.57am GMT | 8.57am GMT |
| 08:57 | 08:57 |
| Welcome to live coverage of the publication of Dame Janet Smith’s report into the BBC’s failure to prevent abuse by the TV star Jimmy Savile. | Welcome to live coverage of the publication of Dame Janet Smith’s report into the BBC’s failure to prevent abuse by the TV star Jimmy Savile. |
| Smith’s report, which is expected to criticise the BBC and its deferential culture, will be published at 10am. | Smith’s report, which is expected to criticise the BBC and its deferential culture, will be published at 10am. |
| Jane Martinson, the Guardian’s head of media, sets the stage: | Jane Martinson, the Guardian’s head of media, sets the stage: |
| The review is expected to offer a searing indictment of the BBC and its culture, which did nothing to stop the abuse “in virtually every corner” of the corporation. | The review is expected to offer a searing indictment of the BBC and its culture, which did nothing to stop the abuse “in virtually every corner” of the corporation. |
| A draft of the report, leaked in January, criticised the corporation’s “deferential culture”, with “untouchable stars” and “above the law” managers. | A draft of the report, leaked in January, criticised the corporation’s “deferential culture”, with “untouchable stars” and “above the law” managers. |
| The report also found that while new safeguards had made sexism and abuse far less frequent than they were in the 1970s, the culture of fear which stopped employees speaking out had actually got worse. Short-term and freelance contracts meant a workforce “with little or no job security”, which was even less likely to speak out about the behaviour of colleagues. | The report also found that while new safeguards had made sexism and abuse far less frequent than they were in the 1970s, the culture of fear which stopped employees speaking out had actually got worse. Short-term and freelance contracts meant a workforce “with little or no job security”, which was even less likely to speak out about the behaviour of colleagues. |
| But the BBC cannot be criticised for failing to uncover Savile’s “sexual deviancy”, it said, given the failure of law enforcement agencies to do the same thing. | But the BBC cannot be criticised for failing to uncover Savile’s “sexual deviancy”, it said, given the failure of law enforcement agencies to do the same thing. |
| The inquiry took evidence from more than 475 witnesses into whether BBC bosses were, or ought to have been, aware of inappropriate sexual conduct on its premises, and will look to identify any lessons to be learned and consider whether the BBC’s current child protection and whistleblowing policies are fit for purpose. | The inquiry took evidence from more than 475 witnesses into whether BBC bosses were, or ought to have been, aware of inappropriate sexual conduct on its premises, and will look to identify any lessons to be learned and consider whether the BBC’s current child protection and whistleblowing policies are fit for purpose. |
| Launched by the BBC at the height of the Jimmy Savile scandal in October 2012, the inquiry was linked to a separate inquiry by Dame Linda Dobbs into the activities of Stuart Hall, the former It’s a Knockout presenter who was jailed in 2013 after he admitted indecently assaulting 13 girls, one as young as nine, between 1967 and 1985. Now 85, he was released in December 2015 after serving half his sentence. | Launched by the BBC at the height of the Jimmy Savile scandal in October 2012, the inquiry was linked to a separate inquiry by Dame Linda Dobbs into the activities of Stuart Hall, the former It’s a Knockout presenter who was jailed in 2013 after he admitted indecently assaulting 13 girls, one as young as nine, between 1967 and 1985. Now 85, he was released in December 2015 after serving half his sentence. |
| Savile died in October 2011 aged 84 without having faced trial for any of his crimes. Indeed, he was awarded the OBE in 1971 and was knighted in 1990. | Savile died in October 2011 aged 84 without having faced trial for any of his crimes. Indeed, he was awarded the OBE in 1971 and was knighted in 1990. |
| Following the leak, published by the Exaro website, Smith released a statement describing the version of the report as “out of date” and said significant changes had been made to the final report. | Following the leak, published by the Exaro website, Smith released a statement describing the version of the report as “out of date” and said significant changes had been made to the final report. |
| Meanwhile, veteran radio DJ Tony Blackburn says he is planning to sue the BBC after he was reportedly sacked ahead of Smith’s report. 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. | Meanwhile, veteran radio DJ Tony Blackburn says he is planning to sue the BBC after he was reportedly sacked ahead of Smith’s report. 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. |
| Some reporters, including the Guardian’s Jamie have been early sight of the Smith report at lock-in at the BBC. | Some reporters, including the Guardian’s Jamie have been early sight of the Smith report at lock-in at the BBC. |
| I'm at the BBC to read Dame Janet Smith's report on Jimmy Savile abuse at the BBC. pic.twitter.com/h679tLx32Q | I'm at the BBC to read Dame Janet Smith's report on Jimmy Savile abuse at the BBC. pic.twitter.com/h679tLx32Q |
| After publication at 10am, Smith is expected to give a press conference at around 10.15am. | After publication at 10am, Smith is expected to give a press conference at around 10.15am. |
| Tony Hall, director general of the BBC, and Rona Fairhead, chair of the BBC’s Trust will then respond on behalf of the corporation. | Tony Hall, director general of the BBC, and Rona Fairhead, chair of the BBC’s Trust will then respond on behalf of the corporation. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 9.03am GMT | at 9.03am GMT |