Incoming New York Times CEO Mark Thompson on Wednesday denied any role in shelving an investigation while he was head of the BBC into allegations of sex abuse against late British TV star Jimmy Savile.
Thompson, who is set to take charge at America’s most prestigious newspaper next month, told the NYT he had heard about the probe from a reporter at a party last December and followed up with two BBC News officials.
‘I talked to senior management in BBC News and reported the conversation I had at the party and asked was there a problem,’ he said, adding that he was told the story would not be published ‘for journalistic reasons.’
Thompson, 55, who headed the British Broadcasting Corporation from 2004 to September 2012, said: ‘There is nothing to suggest that I acted inappropriately in the handling of this matter.
‘I did not impede or stop the ‘Newsnight’ investigation, nor have I done anything else that could be construed as untoward or unreasonable.’
Thompson said he was never told about the nature of the allegations against Savile, who died in October 2011 aged 84, nor did he ask, during his talks with the reporter and the officials.
‘Had I known about the nature of the allegations and the credible allegations that these horrific crimes had taken place during his time at the BBC and in the building at the BBC, I of course would have considered them very grave and would have acted very differently,’ he was quoted as saying.
The paper said it had conducted the interview ‘in the spare 16th-floor office at the Times building where he is expected to officially begin working next month’.
Thompson, who is set to take charge at America’s most prestigious newspaper next month, told the NYT he had heard about the probe from a reporter at a party last December and followed up with two BBC News officials.
‘I talked to senior management in BBC News and reported the conversation I had at the party and asked was there a problem,’ he said, adding that he was told the story would not be published ‘for journalistic reasons.’
Thompson, 55, who headed the British Broadcasting Corporation from 2004 to September 2012, said: ‘There is nothing to suggest that I acted inappropriately in the handling of this matter.
‘I did not impede or stop the ‘Newsnight’ investigation, nor have I done anything else that could be construed as untoward or unreasonable.’
Thompson said he was never told about the nature of the allegations against Savile, who died in October 2011 aged 84, nor did he ask, during his talks with the reporter and the officials.
‘Had I known about the nature of the allegations and the credible allegations that these horrific crimes had taken place during his time at the BBC and in the building at the BBC, I of course would have considered them very grave and would have acted very differently,’ he was quoted as saying.
The paper said it had conducted the interview ‘in the spare 16th-floor office at the Times building where he is expected to officially begin working next month’.