BBC abuse scandal clouds incoming NYT boss

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BBC abuse scandal clouds incoming NYT boss

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The New York Times is on the defensive about his final days as head of the BBC.

24 October,2012 10:00 pm

The child abuse scandal that has enveloped one of Britains most respected news organizations is now hitting one of Americas, as the incoming president of The New York Times is on the defensive about his final days as head of the BBC.Mark Thompson was in charge of the BBC in late 2011 when the broadcaster shelved what would have been a bombshell investigation alleging that the late Jimmy Savile, one of its biggest stars, was a serial sex offender.The BBC scandal has horrified Britain with revelations that Savile, a popular childrens television presenter, cajoled and coerced vulnerable teens into having sex with him in his car, in his camper van, and even in dingy dressing rooms on BBC premises.Police say there could be more than 200 victims, leading one child protection charity to state that Savile could rank among Britains most prolific child sex predators.In a sign of how the scandal may spread, the BBC said Tuesday it was looking into claims of sexual abuse and harassment against nine other current and former employees and contributors.As increasing numbers of BBC executives come under the microscope over what they knew about Savile and why the posthumous expose about his sexual crimes was blocked Thompson is being quizzed about his role as well.In a letter to Conservative lawmaker Rob Wilson, Thompson laid out his defense, saying he never worked with Savile, never worked on any of the entertainers programs and indeed never met the man. Referring to the increasing number of BBC employees who have come forward to say that Saviles interest in young girls was widely rumored, Thompson said he had never been aware of the whispers.If I had, I would have raised them with senior colleagues and contacted the police, said Thompson, 55.The controversy was compounded when it emerged that an investigation into Savile by the BBCs Newsnight program was shelved last year only weeks before the BBC aired a glowing holiday tribute show to Savile.Now journalists and lawmakers are asking whether BBC bosses canned the show to protect their star, a prodigious charity fundraiser who was widely eulogized following his death last year at age 84.The corporation denies a cover-up, although Newsnight editor Peter Rippon recently stepped down as the BBCs internal investigation got under way. After weeks of standing by Rippon, the BBC has said his explanation about why the Savile show was not broadcast was incomplete and inaccurate.With Thompson about to move from one of the most important jobs in the British media to one of most important jobs in American journalism, exactly what he knew and when he knew it could be critical to his future career.In a statement last week, Thompson said he had never heard any allegations or received any complaints about Savile during his time as BBC director-general, from 2004 to 2012.But an Oct. 7 story by Londons Sunday Times appeared to contradict him, reporting that a BBC journalist had tipped Thompson off about the Savile investigation.The Sunday Times is published by News International, an arm of Rupert Murdochs global News Corp. empire, and has no corporate ties to The New York Times.