The dossier from retired judge Dame Janet Smith says Savile and Stuart Hall were able to operate with impunity at the BBC.
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“The BBC have made clear that they are not terminating my relationship with them because of any misconduct”, Blackburn adds.
The review – which will be made public today – will claim the BBC covered up allegations made by the mother of 15 year old Claire McAlpine that she was seduced by the DJ and several other celebrities at the BBC in 1971. He later told them it was their “little secret”.
Her report states: “Savile would gratify himself sexually on BBC premises whenever the opportunity arose and I heard of incidents which took place in virtually every one of the BBC premises at which he worked”. The presenter’s remote three-bedroom home in Glencoe was sold for £212,000 in 2013.
Mr Blackburn said Dame Janet’s report into Savile and the BBC makes no suggestion he was guilty of misconduct with the girl, nor did a coroner’s inquest or a subsequent police inquiry.
She found that while junior and middle-ranking individuals knew about his behaviour, there was no evidence that the BBC, as a corporate body, was aware.
My conclusion is that a number of BBC staff were aware of specific complaints about Savile’s conduct and in two cases were aware of his sexual interest in teenage girls, some of whom might have been underage. It said senior managers were not made aware of what he was up to, because of a prevailing culture in which staff were fearful of making complaints, especially about top stars known internally as “The Talent”.
Smith said the report should be “sorry reading” for the BBC, blaming a “macho culture” of sexism and an “atmosphere of fear” that kept employees silent on the issue.
Lewis Whyld/AP Jimmy Savile, who for decades was a fixture on British television, abused hundreds of victims, including many children, during his six decades at the station.
“I have repeatedly told Dame Janet and the BBC I was never interviewed by either man in this context and the BBC records are either very vague or have, conveniently, disappeared”.
In a statement, Ms Fairhead said she is “appalled” by what happened and said everything will be done to ensure that history does not repeat itself. There was an even stronger culture of deference towards the Talent.
“I have never seen the diary and neither has anyone at the BBC or the Dame Janet Review”. Quite naturally, I am devastated.
The BBC has not commented on the Tony Blackburn sacking, although director general Tony Hall is expected to make a statement on the inquiry findings later today.
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“The impression I have is that the BBC regarded these girls as something of a nuisance”.
