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| BBC producers 'had doubts about Jimmy Savile in the 1960s' | BBC producers 'had doubts about Jimmy Savile in the 1960s' |
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| BBC producers had initial doubts about hiring Jimmy Savile to present Top of the Pops in the early 1960s, it has been claimed. | BBC producers had initial doubts about hiring Jimmy Savile to present Top of the Pops in the early 1960s, it has been claimed. |
| However, their concerns are believed to have been over Savile's background as a club DJ and manager, rather than over allegations of sex abuse that have now engulfed the BBC and other public institutions including hospitals. | However, their concerns are believed to have been over Savile's background as a club DJ and manager, rather than over allegations of sex abuse that have now engulfed the BBC and other public institutions including hospitals. |
| A former Yorkshire committee member of the Royal Variety Club of Great Britain has also revealed that he was strongly opposed to Savile having anything to do with the charity in the 1980s and 1990s, because of his background in clubs and "reputation for entertaining young girls". | |
| BBC entertainment producers initially rejected Savile as a Top of the Pops presenter when they were planning what would become the long-running music chart show in the early 1960s, according to Paul Jackson, the producer of Red Dwarf and The Young Ones, and a former head entertainment at both the BBC and ITV. | BBC entertainment producers initially rejected Savile as a Top of the Pops presenter when they were planning what would become the long-running music chart show in the early 1960s, according to Paul Jackson, the producer of Red Dwarf and The Young Ones, and a former head entertainment at both the BBC and ITV. |
| Jackson, 65, was a teenager at the time and his father, T Leslie Jackson, was one of the BBC producers who attended planning meetings for what became Top of the Pops. | Jackson, 65, was a teenager at the time and his father, T Leslie Jackson, was one of the BBC producers who attended planning meetings for what became Top of the Pops. |
| His father had asked Jackson, then still at school, who the top DJs were and he suggested Savile, having seen him at a ballroom in the north-west. | His father had asked Jackson, then still at school, who the top DJs were and he suggested Savile, having seen him at a ballroom in the north-west. |
| "My dad had been rostered to go to a group meeting at the BBC," Jackson told MediaGuardian. "They were thinking of launching what became Top of the Pops. When he came back from it, it was almost as if he was saying to me, 'you made me look silly', as if I had been suggesting a gangster. | "My dad had been rostered to go to a group meeting at the BBC," Jackson told MediaGuardian. "They were thinking of launching what became Top of the Pops. When he came back from it, it was almost as if he was saying to me, 'you made me look silly', as if I had been suggesting a gangster. |
| "A few days later he said to me, 'he'll never work for the BBC'. I didn't know exactly why … these things get said. | "A few days later he said to me, 'he'll never work for the BBC'. I didn't know exactly why … these things get said. |
| "But literally, a year or less after dad said that, Savile was the first DJ on Top of the Pops, which started in 1964. When I queried this he said, 'things change'. But he was an obvious choice. He was the most prominent DJ of the time, on Radio Luxembourg." | "But literally, a year or less after dad said that, Savile was the first DJ on Top of the Pops, which started in 1964. When I queried this he said, 'things change'. But he was an obvious choice. He was the most prominent DJ of the time, on Radio Luxembourg." |
| Savile went on to become a regular Top of the Pops presenter for 20 years and returned for the final edition of the weekly show in 2006. | Savile went on to become a regular Top of the Pops presenter for 20 years and returned for the final edition of the weekly show in 2006. |
| Jackson said he believed the reason for the BBC's initial reluctance to use Savile on Top of the Pops was because of his background in the club scene. As well as DJing he was a club manager in the 1950s. | Jackson said he believed the reason for the BBC's initial reluctance to use Savile on Top of the Pops was because of his background in the club scene. As well as DJing he was a club manager in the 1950s. |
| "Savile was thought to be dodgy, there was a feeling he was heavy, you didn't cross him, he was a heavy dude," Jackson said. | "Savile was thought to be dodgy, there was a feeling he was heavy, you didn't cross him, he was a heavy dude," Jackson said. |
| He added that those who came through the clubbing circuit, flooded with cash and drugs, were tough: "They had bodyguards, they had sharp elbows, you had to protect yourself." | He added that those who came through the clubbing circuit, flooded with cash and drugs, were tough: "They had bodyguards, they had sharp elbows, you had to protect yourself." |
| John Sutherland, who was on the Yorkshire committee of the Royal Variety Club of Great Britain from 1981 to 1996, and its chairman in 1989, also had concerns about Savile's background in clubs. | John Sutherland, who was on the Yorkshire committee of the Royal Variety Club of Great Britain from 1981 to 1996, and its chairman in 1989, also had concerns about Savile's background in clubs. |
| "We didn't let him near the charity. Everyone knew, everybody I spoke to knew he was dodgy. It was widespread, it went back to when he was working at the Meccas, all over the UK, but also in Leeds," said Sutherland, who owned an ad agency based in Leeds until he sold out in 1999 and is now membership director of industry trade body the IPA. | "We didn't let him near the charity. Everyone knew, everybody I spoke to knew he was dodgy. It was widespread, it went back to when he was working at the Meccas, all over the UK, but also in Leeds," said Sutherland, who owned an ad agency based in Leeds until he sold out in 1999 and is now membership director of industry trade body the IPA. |
| "He had a reputation for entertaining young girls. He was the top DJ in Leeds. He was always chasing around with young girls, it goes back 30 to 40 years, and it just wasn't right, even when you consider it was the days of flower power and free love. He looked dodgy, he sounded dodgy, he was dodgy. And why did he always turn up with that motorised van?" | "He had a reputation for entertaining young girls. He was the top DJ in Leeds. He was always chasing around with young girls, it goes back 30 to 40 years, and it just wasn't right, even when you consider it was the days of flower power and free love. He looked dodgy, he sounded dodgy, he was dodgy. And why did he always turn up with that motorised van?" |
| Jackson witnessed at first hand the heady mix of frenzied fans and sexual freedom which characterised the broadcasting and music industries in the 1960s and said attitudes had clearly changed since then. | Jackson witnessed at first hand the heady mix of frenzied fans and sexual freedom which characterised the broadcasting and music industries in the 1960s and said attitudes had clearly changed since then. |
| "I was around at the BBC during the 1960s because of my dad. It was a different time. It wasn't now. The commissioners were fighting to keep the girls out of the dressing rooms," Jackson said. | "I was around at the BBC during the 1960s because of my dad. It was a different time. It wasn't now. The commissioners were fighting to keep the girls out of the dressing rooms," Jackson said. |
| "We had the Beatles, the Rolling Stones turning up at White City to do shows. There was buzz, then a scandal about payola. | "We had the Beatles, the Rolling Stones turning up at White City to do shows. There was buzz, then a scandal about payola. |
| "These were crazy times. It wasn't as if [Savile] was unique. But there was something that was not attractive about him to other stars I worked with. In the 1970s there were rumours about general bad behaviour, about young [girls], but not meaning underage girls … It was not thought he was raping any one under the legal age of consent." | "These were crazy times. It wasn't as if [Savile] was unique. But there was something that was not attractive about him to other stars I worked with. In the 1970s there were rumours about general bad behaviour, about young [girls], but not meaning underage girls … It was not thought he was raping any one under the legal age of consent." |
| Of the current flood of sexual abuse claims against Savile, Jackson said:" I am surprised by the scale, which is staggering, but not surprised by it. It is difficult to say we all knew, because you then face the question, why the hell didn't you do something about it? | Of the current flood of sexual abuse claims against Savile, Jackson said:" I am surprised by the scale, which is staggering, but not surprised by it. It is difficult to say we all knew, because you then face the question, why the hell didn't you do something about it? |
| "It is hard to know what came first, abuse or charity. Did he do charity to gain access to girls, or assuage his Catholic guilt? Or was it a calculated front? He did really work ceaselessly at charity fundraising. He was a weird mix. | "It is hard to know what came first, abuse or charity. Did he do charity to gain access to girls, or assuage his Catholic guilt? Or was it a calculated front? He did really work ceaselessly at charity fundraising. He was a weird mix. |
| "I hardly ever met him. I never witnessed anything, but there were always whispers and words. If I had walked into a dressing room and found him having sex with a woman, I would have said: 'Lock the bloody door next time, Jimmy.' But if it had been with a child, of course I would have reported it." | "I hardly ever met him. I never witnessed anything, but there were always whispers and words. If I had walked into a dressing room and found him having sex with a woman, I would have said: 'Lock the bloody door next time, Jimmy.' But if it had been with a child, of course I would have reported it." |
| Jackson joined the BBC as a production assistant in 1971 and worked on some editions of Top of the Pops in a junior role early in his career. His credits as a producer include The Two Ronnies, Three of a Kind and Saturday Live. | Jackson joined the BBC as a production assistant in 1971 and worked on some editions of Top of the Pops in a junior role early in his career. His credits as a producer include The Two Ronnies, Three of a Kind and Saturday Live. |
| After a varied career at the BBC, as an independent producer and managing director of ITV company Carlton, he became the corporation's controller of entertainment in 1997, several years after Savile had stopped working regularly for the organisation. | After a varied career at the BBC, as an independent producer and managing director of ITV company Carlton, he became the corporation's controller of entertainment in 1997, several years after Savile had stopped working regularly for the organisation. |
| In Louis Theroux's 2000 BBC2 documentary about Savile, he talked about how he dealt with troublemakers when he was working in clubs: "I never threw anybody out. Tied them up and put them down in the bloody boiler house until I was ready for them. Two o'clock in the fucking morning... We'd tie em up and then we'd come back and I was the judge, jury and executioner." | In Louis Theroux's 2000 BBC2 documentary about Savile, he talked about how he dealt with troublemakers when he was working in clubs: "I never threw anybody out. Tied them up and put them down in the bloody boiler house until I was ready for them. Two o'clock in the fucking morning... We'd tie em up and then we'd come back and I was the judge, jury and executioner." |
| Savile later told Theroux he was talking metaphorically and said he would never tie anyone up – only with words – but admitted "some of my people might have done". | Savile later told Theroux he was talking metaphorically and said he would never tie anyone up – only with words – but admitted "some of my people might have done". |
| He described drug dealers as "dirty slags". "If those people wanted to sell drugs, so be it, but it must not happen in my place. All there is to it. No arguments. I invented zero tolerance." | He described drug dealers as "dirty slags". "If those people wanted to sell drugs, so be it, but it must not happen in my place. All there is to it. No arguments. I invented zero tolerance." |