BBC may stop showing Top of the Pops repeats

By ANTHONY BARNES
Published on 22/11/2012 01:32

BBC may drop its archive repeats of Top Of The Pops in the wake of the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal.

The programmes have been screened since early last year, but editions have had to be examined closely since Savile’s reign of abuse was uncovered, with some shows dropped.

Last week, an edition fronted by Dave Lee Travis was dropped following his arrest last week over claims that he groped two women.

BBC4 controller Richard Klein said yesterday he had not come to a decision about whether to continue the programmes next year.

The channel has been showing programmes from 1976 onwards, in sequence, and next year it would have been due to screen editions from 1978.

Mr Klein said: “At the moment we haven’t actually scheduled 1978. We’ve only done it the last two years, so if we didn’t do it again it wouldn’t be the end of the world, and audience figures have declined.”

The BBC had defended showing archive editions of the programme featuring sex offender Gary Glitter – which prompted viewer complaints – because it said it did not want to rewrite history.

But following a further arrest this month, Glitter will not be featuring in the programmes. Mr Klein said “showing him would be wrong – that’s a decision that has been made”.

He went on: “These are judgment decisions we’re making, about what we think is right.

“It’s largely case-by-case and it requires us to be cautious and careful, without overreacting.”

He added: “Whether I choose to continue it, I don’t yet know.”