Tony Blackburn sacked

Don't all the DJs have short-term contracts? So his contract could just not be renewed, in effect sacking him?

Apparently he has worked at the BBC for 49 years. His Saturday show is still hugely popular so I can't see why they would have not renewed his contract. I still think that maybe they are trying to shut him up or worse still make his scapegoat for what went on with the monster Saville when the people at the top covered up his abuse "because he was a VIP" .

Says who? We really don't know the true story yet, just unsubstantiated claims.

Mardler123

He has worked at the BBC for 49 years. Fact.

His Saturday show is hugely popular. Fact.

"I still think......" which is clue that it is only my opinion.

"The covering up Saville's abuse as he was a VIP". Fact.

I have just received a text update to my phone from the BBC saying that they have "parted company with long-standing DJ TB, over his evidence to abuse enquiry"

Read into that whatever you like, but I know what I think (again just an opinion).

sounds like his fellow broadcasters are backing him

The old adage, 'there's no smoke without fire' comes into play immediately someone is accused as we often jump on the 'guilty' bandwagon. The accusation could be true - or not: we can't possibly tell.

I do agree that attitudes are very very different and the cultural norm now has moved on from the 60's, thank goodness.

On a more minor note, I do admit to some antipathy to TB as my DD1 managed to get through to him on his radio show when she was about 10. There was a quiz and DD1 was through to the 'final' and it was between her and a boy. TB asked the question and she gave the correct answer. There was a pause and TB said to DD1 that he had heard voices in the background so she must have had help. It was the OTHER contestant's family who helped him and he walked away with a computer (extremely avant-guarde and a glittering prize at this time) and she nothing. All very hard to deal with when you are ten and feel very cheated! As did I! Never forgiven him!!!

It's all in the name Jimmy SaVILE - he was a VILE man but I do not believe Tony Blackburn to be so. I think he's a decent bloke.

I agree with you nottooold about how difficult it must be to prove or disprove things that have happened so long ago. Things were so different in the 60s as well. I used to go to some of the radio shows when I was 14 or 15 and many of the girls were of similar age and were draping them selves all over the DJs in order to get their attention. The DJs themselves weren't very old and it would have taken a very strong character to not give in to that sort of adoration! We were all dressed in mini skirts and crop tops and many of the 15 year olds had jobs. We didn't consider ourselves to be children! (Very different circumstances to the JS abuse obviously)

We thought Rolf Harris was a decent bloke too.

Oh don't!

Oh did you FarNorth ? I was never so sure... all that "tying down" and "two little boys" Creepy.

I did wonder whether this was an over reaction to their lack of action over Saville. I hope he fights to clear his name.

Beeb is so anxious about its own past misdeeds that it has to be seen to be acting quickly now. I find it difficult to believe TB is guilty but even if it isn't true it won't stop the media frenzy. I agree with Jalima on this one.

It's terrible that Claire took her own life. Whether her accusation was true or not true, the pressure of being under the spotlight and having to relive or remember and repeat and re repeat what she claimed would have been terribly distressing for her.

It is true though that things were different, though that doesn't make them acceptable either then or now. I was at school with fans of pop stars who followed them avidly and claimed to have been snogged or squeezed, sat on the knee of, or invited into the dressing room by their favourite. Some things they said were highly improper, but were something to boast about AND they went back for more.
I wonder how many of those in charge at the BBC at the time sleep uneasily at the moment, wondering if they will be next to be justly or unjustly accused.

Now the BBC are saying that he has parted company with them because he failed to fully co-operate with the Jimmy Saville enquiry.
Will the truth ever be told!

Seems creepy in retrospect, gillybob, not to mention the "extra leg" , but I never thought anything at the time.

Not that I'm saying anything against TB. As I said, already, looks like he's blown their cover.

Exactly FarNorth Deedle-eedle-eedle-um Gross. (as close to creepy as I could find)

The BBC sat on this report since Monday, waiting until the sacking of Tony Blackburn surfaced, so that this news would cover the essence of the report, which was that the BBC behaved scandalously in doing nothing about Saville until his behaviour was revealed in the newspapers. I can't see that TB did anything to warrant sacking. He's just a scapegoat.

Whatever happened to innocent until PROVEN guilty ?

Now you're assumed guilty by default and even if you're then innocent your life is ruined. I firmly believe in punishment for proven guilt , less so of trial by media .

Yup, no evidence of anything. IMHO he failed to agree with something, the Beeb (amidst some rather desperate backpedalling) didn't like it and Blackburn has now been sacked over....nothing. He wasn't even accused of anything.

Just saw Janet Smith on the News-her report seems to be a face-saving measure by an increasingly desperate Beeb.

Absolutely disgusted at the beebs trestment of Tony Blackburn.........words fail me

I wish Ester Ranzen would stop the innocent act. Mistress for nine years then married the Head of general features at the Beeb but she only heard a few rumours

Telling the truth doesn't serve you well in the UK.

Tony Blackburn's statement

Oh I completely take back my op. He wasn't behaving atrociously at all (from what I can tell anyway). Having read his statement and looking at it all properly he does seem to be blameless in this all - although it appears to me that the Beeb does have some answering to do.

From my own experience both personally and professionally, I know that virtually the whole culture in the 70's (and before) was to disbelieve anyone who suggested that sexual abuse of minors may be happening and to pillory the person/child making the allegation. Where Health and Care professionals were concerned, Freud's theory of the Oedipus Complex (that children harboured sexual fantasies about their parents - male/female), was very influential. Getting someone in authority to believe your claims was virtually impossible even as a professional never mind as a child.