As the saga unfolds - let us examine. I can see Tony Hall's point; Blackburn was fired for lying to Dame Janet's panel. But let's be honest; he might have forgotten both meetings (doubtful) or may have been terrified of the consequences of speaking out; after all he believed he had been exonerated of the false allegations. Stupid of Tony to say there were no meetings instead of that he could not remember them. I think the BBC were wrong to fire him, knowing the consequences that would inevitably result. However they were understandably nervous about seeming to support a proven liar. Dame Janet may well have been right, in that the allegations were not sufficiently dealt with at the time - judging by today's moral climate. However in the moral climate of then (the 70s?), such false claims were frequently made against celebrities. Usually it was by pregnant girls whose boyfriends had screwed them but they wanted wealthier and more famous fathers and DNA had not then been invented. So there was a plague of similar false allegations which were normally easily proven false and usually ignored ("oh it's another groupie claiming John Lennon is her brat's dad").

Did Dame Janet take that into account? I doubt it or people like myself would have been asked to give evidence about the social climate of the time. I think it was wrong of her to carry those rumours (disguised as "did the BBC behave correctly at the time, if morality and attitudes had then been as they are now?").

I wonder whether all the rock and pop stars on the show who had allegations made against them were asked to give evidence?
Or were those employees of the BBC regarded as too wealthy? Or did they never misbehave? Were there no groupies? Dame Janet obviously never read my books. Or examined the hundreds of BBC memos about such stars as the mighty David Bowie - a terrific talent who I knew well, who had sex with many more young people than Blackburn, Savile and the rest of the BBC DJs added together.

Or did she decide it might be wiser not to mention such stars (even as B7 or C7)? Or that their employment contracts made them "arms length" from the BBC?

The time has come (long ago) when society needs to deal with this problem of historical allegations inspired by changing morality. Have there been no allegations against huge rock stars? Will there now be no allegations against big media figures (like Tony Hall, wealthy Director General of the BBC and worth a few quid to ex girlfriends from the 1970s)?

A quote from Dame Janet's report (courtesy of the Mighty Raccoon)...

There are a few cases where I have not accepted the evidence of a complainant or have felt unable to reach any conclusion. I have not included those cases in this Report. I am not saying that I have rejected their evidence because I have concluded they are dishonestly seeking compensation; just that their evidence was, for a variety of reasons, unsatisfactory.

Perhaps Dame Janet might kindly have felt it fairer not to include A7's evidence?

And another quote via Anna



The police have simply recorded the nature and circumstances of the various allegations and, as I understand it, have designated them as crimes for the purposes of their records. I do not for one moment criticise the police for collecting this information. However, I do think that it is unfortunate that the impression has been given that every allegation was in fact true.

And Gambo has taken Blackburn's job. Way to go, Paul - I wonder how you would have covered it in your book if Blackburn had raced to accept your vacant job?

Bit unfair Pru; I suspect Gambo was called some time ago when we all knew what was going to happen.

BBC shouldn't have fired Tony, they should have suspended him at best.

Gambo tells me the rumour is untrue and comes from the (unapproved) replacement of Pick of the Pops this morning with a repeat of Gambo's show.

Good old Jim Moir on Newsnight refuting having heard anything worth 'reporting' - aka the voice that said "It's Number One - It's Top Of The Pops!" every week for 7 years.