Tony Blackburn sacked

Oh God. I'm sorry, but that made me laugh Gillybob.

Listening to the Jeremy Vine program on BBC Radio 2 , This lunch time, the discussion was (inevitably) about The Saville enquiry. I was disgusted (so much so that I felt the need to text the program) that during the grueling calls of victims, they played "Glory Days" and "do a little Dance, make a little love".

I was, and remain disgusted by the BBC and this to me just sums them up.

ana you're right.Senior moment.

But scantily-clad women, sexual innuendo and lecherous, pervy men were definitely the order of the day on both channels.

As a young teacher (this was in the mid-80's) I had my bum pinched by a year 7 boy. Outraged, I went to the Deputy Head who told me in no uncertain terms that I had "asked for it".

Wearing a fitting (but not revealing) top I was told I was "asking for it" by my mother (I was 15).

Women were fair game, regardless of age. We were not even regarded as "equal" to men until the mid-70's fgs.

The Benny Hill show was an ITV production, to be fair.

Now that's very odd. I have just listened to Any Questions on the radio expecting to hear about the Savile Enquiry and the sacking of TB - absolutely nothing, zilch !

Do you think the BBC vetoed these topics to cover their backs ?

Iam apparently TB was one of several men questioned in relation to the girl's suicide, and the events allegedly leading up to it. The girl's complaint was dismissed as fantasy, and at some point, although it's not clear when, the mother withdrew the complaint. The diary itself has not been made available for scrutiny, either.

Dame Janet has access to a memo (pictured in the press yesterday) that states that TB was interviewed over the affair by Billy Cotton, then Head of Light Entertainment, and another senior member of Bbc staff. Both are now deceased. However, TB is denying that the interview ever took place, and no notes of the interview are now in existence (if indeed they ever were).

What Dame Janet is saying is that TB lied when in fact he cannot remember being interviewed. And as she is unable to find any other evidence of the interview, surely she cannot then say with any real authority that the interview did in fact take place or draw any conclusions from evidence that does not exist, and 45 years after the event.

I don't think anyone is "blaming" the girls involved for what allegedly happened to them, merely stating that times were very different then, which indeed they were. It was perfectly possible for a 15 year old girl to pass for much older in order to gain access to drink, pubs, TOTP recordings etc and yes, there were girls who did hang around much older men.

And the Beeb in the 70s is the organisation that brought us such shows as Benny Hill, where scantily clad women being chased around by lecherous men was classed as family viewing. It's not really surprising that the Corporation turned a blind eye to activities which would today be completely unacceptable.

I think I read that she named several people, not just TB, then she withdrew the allegation about TB.

I still believe the furore about TB is to deflect attention from the shocking truth of the culture of the BBC and the culpability of those in charge and all who must have known about it at the time.

Iam64 I fail to see what you think he would hope to of gained by denying he'd been questioned? It is possible he just forgot after all this time but even so what was there to gained by lying? All his confirmation would of done is confirm that the BBC had interviewed him. His saying it didn't take place if true, shows the BBC were lax in its investigation of the girls complaint. Her complaint may well of been justified but that is not what this thread is about.

I'm always surprised by the number of comments on threads like this that put blame on the "groupies", "troubled teens" etc rather than the men who were much older than them and exploited them (at the very least)

I'm dot know whether the 15 year old girls allegation that TB 'seduced' her when he took her to his flat. He was 28 at the time. She killed herself soon after this incident. I'm confused as to why when questioned by Dame J he denied having been questioned about it after the girls mother made a complaint to the BBC. I genuinely don't see how anyone questioned about something so potentially life changing could have forgotten.

The comments made by many on here that criticise girls could equally apply to the young women who gave evidence against their abusers in the Rotherham trial that concluded today when the perpetrators received long sentences.

I'm not suggested that TB is an abuser, I have some sympathy for his situation. I'm suggesting we don't know enough about the evidence given to Dame J to say she reached the wrong conclusion, which seems to have been that TB lied to her.

Reading the post by adaunas makes me think about how girls who chased pop stars etc years ago were known as groupies. If asked they may well have lied about their age as I sadly admit I did when I used to go under
age to nightclubs, as did my friends. Are these people now seeing themselves as victims.
I acknowledge that there do seem to have been some sleazy people out there. It must be very hard to clear your name, so many accusations are being made. Who next?
I will miss Tony Blackburn. I have enjoyed listening to his music, his music tastes being the same as mine. A lonely elderly neighbour of mine has phoned into TB's local radio show several times and TB is always so pleasant to him and others.

Yes, struggling, the girl did name TB as perpetrator of something. The teenager in question was in the habit of bunking school to go to the TOTP studio where she was subjected to some form of abuse (?) which she then noted in her diary. She was obviously a troubled girl, and her mother complained to the Beeb, but the girl was dismissed as a fantasist. According to Dame Janet, TB was interviewed about this incident but the only record available of this was a memo referring to an interview which had taken place between TB and senior members of staff.

I don't know if the alleged abuse of the girl and her subsequent suicide were ever linked.

The mention of TB was in connection with the disclosure of a young person who later took her own life. Mental illness & suicide are often linked to past sexual abuse. Am I missing something? I thought that this young person named TB as the perpetrator! As stated I am not making any assumptions of guilt or innocence, I just wanted to make a point!!!
And yes Anniebach "parents". It's a sad world but thankfully the majority of people are loving and caring.

Am I missing something.

This is nothing to do with whether or not Tony Blackburn committed any sexual offence so why is it posts seem to be linking his sacking to such conduct.

And the parents

I have spent the best part of my working life as a social worker, I worked in Children's Teams, dealing with investigations into child abuse. The last 10 years in management of section 47 investigations under the 1989 Children Act. One thing I quickly learnt is that ( unfortunately) abusers are not identifiable by type, looks, personality, gender ect ect. They are that nice old grandpa, the friendly scout master, the man next door, the nice lady at the nursery school!
I am not saying that TB is guilty or innocent, I just want to make the point that children & young people suffer abuse at the hands of people quite skilled at masking their behaviour which is why they often get away with it!

So where are the 'powers that be' in the BBC who at that time tolerated and probably envied Jimmy Savile and the others who treated young girl's as objects to be used! Who are they, were they sacked? They seemed to have got away with it! I hope Tony Blackburn clears his name and shows the BBC up for what they are.....disgusting and hypocritical!

To misquote Shakespeare = "Something is rotten in the state of the BBC."

TB has been hung out to dry.

QED Tony Hall's sinecure remains unassailable.

He might have had a memory lapse. He's getting on a bit. Seems strange to sack him just for that. Weird.

Perhaps they are being on the safe side, just in case.........

It's understandable if he lied, he was questioned over forty years ago and considering how many celebs have been charged recently even though innocent over alleged allegations forty or more years ago ,

I think I'll wait to see what emerges before I make any judgements about this.

I remember thinking 'Rolf Harris? Never!'

Today's papers (DMail and Mirror ) both print copies of a memo that confirms TB was interviewed. The language used by Dame Janet suggests she found TB an unreliable witness.

Jalima - I'm as surprised as you are at the suggestion we'd have said we were older than we were, if the man asking the question was attractive.

Ok, so there was no documentary evidence of this alleged interview, therefore how can Dame Janet refer to it as a basis to declare Blackburn's"failings"? He can't defend himself against any allegations because the beeb can't produce any evidence against him, it seems.

If Dame Janet does, in fact, have knowledge of a document then she needs to produce that document, confront TB with it; TB can then form his response.

TB may well have been involved, for all we know. There may well have been rumours circulating about him, or other members of staff, back in the 70's.

But these issues should have been dealt with as they arose, not forty years later. Especially if any evidence is no longer forthcoming.

Sometimes we forget how things were in the 60,s . There was very little rules or knowledge about protecting children. It was only in 1974 after the death of Maria Colwell things began to change and even later than that that people became more aware of sexual predators.

But by the time Jim'll Fix It came on people should have been aware. Seems incredible what went on. I know people did report their concerns. My daughter wrote to the show and is thank full she wasn't chosen.

It isn't the BBC who said they didn't find TB's evidence "credible" - it was Dame J and the BBC's sacking of TB are purported to be in response to that very significant comment. You don't need documentary evidence to say "I have been told that you were interviewed by ...................... and what was the outcome?" If someone, as has been suggested, denies that he was ever interviewed, but then gives conflicting or evasive responses on different occasions, that would presumably make them appear less credible.

On the other hand, if it is accepted that TB is deliberately being made a scapegoat of, then presumably we might entertain the possibility that Dame J is some sort of establishment "stooge" whose comment was made deliberately in order to detract attention away from the BBC's failings - or, alternatively, that the BBC had treated her comment as more significant than she had intended.

I still say only those who have had access to the huge amount of evidence are really at all equipped to come to any sort of conclusion.

The first thing any new bloke said to you was "How old are you?" Your answer probably depended on how attractive he was.
Is it just me, but I find that quite shocking and not the sort of conversation I remember at all with a new boyfriend. Perhaps I was just not part of the London scene.