BBC inquiry into axed Jimmy Savile film to begin interviews next week

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/nov/01/bbc-inquiry-jimmy-savile-film

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Nick Pollard's independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the BBC's controversial decision to axe a Newsnight investigation into sexual abuse by Jimmy Savile last year is expected to begin formal interviews early next week, with the director general and head of news among those ready to attend.

Those summoned to appear have been asked to submit emails, notes and other relevant evidence this week, with BBC insiders indicating that George Entwistle and Helen Boaden were preparing to be interviewed about their knowledge of the Newsnight's proposed film and whether they put on any pressure for it to be cut.

Peter Rippon, the Newsnight editor at the heart of the row about the cancelled investigation, will also appear – as will the Newsnight journalists who produced the 10- or 12-minute film that was dropped in December. But sources close to Mark Thompson said the former director general, who ran the BBC at the time, had not yet been asked.

Rippon says that he decided to drop the Savile investigation last December for "editorial reasons". Last week Entwistle told MPs that Helen Boaden had told the Newsnight editor at the time that any investigation into the late presenter needed to weigh the evidence against Savile as if he was still alive. Newsnight journalists say that effectively amounted to "a kill order," because the evidence from the women who were abused as girls would not have stood up in a libel case.

There had been complaints that Pollard, a former head of Sky News, had been slow in getting his independent inquiry moving but several BBC insiders say that has changed dramatically this week, with his team actively demanding information.

It is also understood that the Pollard inquiry's terms of reference have also been widened to encompass the blog Rippon published early last month. That blog has since been corrected several times, and Rippon as a result was asked to step aside from his role at the beginning of last week.

Newsnight journalists complained about the accuracy of Rippon's blog to four different BBC executives over the past month, including David Jordan, the head of editorial policy, Stephen Mitchell, the deputy head of BBC News, and Ken Macquarrie, the head of BBC Scotland. It was only when the complaints were heard by Peter Horrocks, the head of the BBC World Service, that any action took place – with sources saying Horrocks told Lord Patten, the BBC Trust chairman, that the blog needed to be corrected.

The idea behind the face-to-face hearings in front of Pollard is to give those involved in the row a chance to make a personal statement, although if necessary individuals could be asked to give a second interview towards the end of next week, or in the first part of the following week – if aspects of their account need to be interrogated further.

It is not clear exactly when Pollard will compete his work, but BBC insiders believe that the earliest he is likely to finish his job is at the end of November. He will report to the BBC's executive board, from which Entwistle and Boaden will be excluded, and which will be chaired by Dame Fiona Reynolds.

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