Sun Savile Hypocrisy Exposed

As the hour for publication of Dame Janet Smith’s report into the activities of Jimmy Savile draws near, a draft copy has been secured by independent publisher Exaro News, and this was dutifully reported by the BBC, on whose premises much of Savile’s inappropriate behaviour took place, in its main 2200 hours news bulletin yesterday evening. But that was not enough for the Corporation’s sternest critics.

She did nothing about him either ...

So it came to pass that the Sun has told its unfortunate readers “£10m Jimmy Savile review into BBC is a whitewash that will fail his victims … Extracts of Dame Janet Smith's 500-page draft criticises [sic] complacent Beeb bosses”. Tom Wells’ article is then fraudulently billed as “exclusive”, something with which the folks at Exaro might wish to take issue. And the Sun’s stance is all too easy to dismantle.

“THE long awaited report into Jimmy Savile's multiple sex attacks at the BBC is a whitewash that will fail scores of his victims, The Sun can reveal”. Opinion being passed off as fact, but do go on. “Dame Janet criticises senior managers in the 70s and 80s for not paying attention to endless rumours of the DJ's huge sexual interest in young girls”. Not even the Sun would make accusations based solely on rumour.

Then it gets plain silly: “She also attacks the booze-fuelled BBC management culture of the time which left staff too afraid to speak out”. Like, er, the booze-fuelled management culture of Fleet Street in the 70s and 80s, that left staff too afraid to speak out, especially about the excesses of Sun editor Kelvin McFilth, which ultimately led to the Hillsborough disaster front page splash that shamed the paper.

... and NOR DID HE

And there’s more: “But in a move that is likely to enrage victims she ultimately refuses to condemn the BBC saying no senior bosses ever had any ‘hard evidence’ against the monster”. Once again, the inference is that something should have been done on the basis of no evidence at all. Then the Murdoch faithful take the biscuit.

The report is claimed to say ”Bosses should have heeded a series of interviews with Savile in The Sun where he told of picking up girls”. The Sun goes on to tell “The Review also says a three-part series of interviews with Savile printed by The Sun in 1983 should have made senior bosses realise he was unsuitable to present TOTP and Jim'll Fix It … In the interviews the DJ boasted of chasing teenage girls for sex after running marathons”. So, obedient Murdoch doggies, WHAT DID THE SUN DO AT THE TIME?

Readers don’t get to find out, for reasons unknown to us mere mortals. So let me fill in the blanks. The Sun did those interviews with Savile, secured all those confessions, acquired all that information …and then did nothing. And the Sun is still doing nothing about those 1983 interviews, although its editor at the time now writes a twice-weekly column for the paper. So when are the hacks going to quiz Kelvin McFilth on his lack of action?

Never mind slagging off the Beeb - the Sun needs to come clean as to why it got all that dirt on Jimmy Savile and did nothing about it. We’re waiting, Murdoch gofers.