Post by Teddy Bear on Mar 24, 2013 20:10:28 GMT
That some BBC staff use their position to exploit others is entirely in keeping with the mindset thy display throughout their reporting, so this story hardly surprises or shocks me. That like Savile, it only comes out after they're dead bothers me a lot.
Two senior Doctor Who staff 'used their jobs to sexually exploit young male fans of BBC show in 1980s'
By Rebecca Evans
The BBC was today facing a new sex scandal over claims that two senior Doctor Who staff abused their positions of power to exploit fans.
A new book alleges that John Nathan-Turner - the sci fi show’s longest-serving producer - and his partner and fellow production manager Gary Downie preyed on young male fans who visited the studio in the 1980s.
Many of the men, the book says, were in their late teens and below 21 - the homosexual age of consent at the time.
The damning allegations are made by former Blue Peter editor Richard Marson in his biography of Nathan-Turner, who died from liver failure in 2002, reported The Sunday Times.
In the book, JN-T: the Life and Scandalous Times of John Nathan-Turner, Marson says that he himself was propositioned in 1984 when he was 17 after visiting the studio to write a piece for the Doctor Who Magazine.
He wrote: ‘After the first time I was invited to see a recording of the show, he [Nathan-Turner] got a bit frisky, shall we say. I was a bit taken aback; I was only 17 and ... he said to me, “You’re so f****** provincial”’.
The following year, on the promise of some Doctor Who photographs, Marson made an after-hours visit to the studio, where he says he was then assaulted by Downie, who died from cancer in 2006.
In another incident, Marson says a wealthy fan supplied Nathan-Turner with male escorts in exchange for visits to the Doctor Who studio and souvenirs from the set.
He said that both men were always on the look-out for good-looking teenage fans who they thought would have sex with them because of their Doctor Who connections - dubbing these men ‘doable barkers’.
He also claimed that Nathan-Turner, who produced the series from 1980-89, once engaged in a sexual act in his BBC office while on the phone to Biddy Baxter, the then Blue Peter editor.
The accusations come in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal, with fears that the BBC DJ and Jim’ll Fix It host sexually abused up to 450 adults and children over a 50-year period.
The BBC was accused of a cover-up after dropping a Newsnight investigation in Savile’s crimes shortly after his death in 2011.
Since then, the broadcaster has established the Dame Janet Smith review, which will hear evidence from victims of the star whilst examining the culture at the BBC in Savile’s heyday.
During his time on Doctor Who, Birmingham-born bookmaker’s son Nathan-Turner arranged for a Doctor Who sketch to air on Savile’s Jim’ll Fix It.
But despite the allegations, Marson says that whilst researching the book, he has not found anyone willing to go to the police.
He wrote: ‘Although I did meet some people who felt that their treatment at the hands of John and Gary was inappropriate, it would not be true to say that I’ve found anyone willing to testify to coercion or abuse.’
He also does not believe that Nathan-Turner’s behaviour was ‘predatory’.
In a recent interview with the online sci-fi magazine, Starburst, he said: ‘What you had was a promiscuous gay bloke [who] ... had the opportunity to meet a lot of young people and liked getting off with young guys.
‘I don’t think he was predatory, particularly; I don’t think he forced himself on the unwilling. I was much more cautious about Gary, his partner. John was just “go with the flow, life is a party... I’ll try it on and if somebody says yes, that’s up to them”. I have a less benevolent view of Gary.’
A BBC spokesman said: ‘We cannot comment on individual cases but clearly allegations of this nature are extremely serious.
‘We have set up the Dame Janet Smith Review to help us understand how alleged incidents of this nature could have been committed and how we can avoid them happening ever again.
‘We would urge anyone with information to contact either the police or the review.’
- Producer John Nathan-Turner 'groomed young men who visited studios'
- Production manager Gary Downie was also involved, new book claims
- Book claims JNT once engaged in sex act in BBC office while on phone
By Rebecca Evans
The BBC was today facing a new sex scandal over claims that two senior Doctor Who staff abused their positions of power to exploit fans.
A new book alleges that John Nathan-Turner - the sci fi show’s longest-serving producer - and his partner and fellow production manager Gary Downie preyed on young male fans who visited the studio in the 1980s.
Many of the men, the book says, were in their late teens and below 21 - the homosexual age of consent at the time.
The damning allegations are made by former Blue Peter editor Richard Marson in his biography of Nathan-Turner, who died from liver failure in 2002, reported The Sunday Times.
In the book, JN-T: the Life and Scandalous Times of John Nathan-Turner, Marson says that he himself was propositioned in 1984 when he was 17 after visiting the studio to write a piece for the Doctor Who Magazine.
He wrote: ‘After the first time I was invited to see a recording of the show, he [Nathan-Turner] got a bit frisky, shall we say. I was a bit taken aback; I was only 17 and ... he said to me, “You’re so f****** provincial”’.
The following year, on the promise of some Doctor Who photographs, Marson made an after-hours visit to the studio, where he says he was then assaulted by Downie, who died from cancer in 2006.
In another incident, Marson says a wealthy fan supplied Nathan-Turner with male escorts in exchange for visits to the Doctor Who studio and souvenirs from the set.
He said that both men were always on the look-out for good-looking teenage fans who they thought would have sex with them because of their Doctor Who connections - dubbing these men ‘doable barkers’.
He also claimed that Nathan-Turner, who produced the series from 1980-89, once engaged in a sexual act in his BBC office while on the phone to Biddy Baxter, the then Blue Peter editor.
The accusations come in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal, with fears that the BBC DJ and Jim’ll Fix It host sexually abused up to 450 adults and children over a 50-year period.
The BBC was accused of a cover-up after dropping a Newsnight investigation in Savile’s crimes shortly after his death in 2011.
Since then, the broadcaster has established the Dame Janet Smith review, which will hear evidence from victims of the star whilst examining the culture at the BBC in Savile’s heyday.
During his time on Doctor Who, Birmingham-born bookmaker’s son Nathan-Turner arranged for a Doctor Who sketch to air on Savile’s Jim’ll Fix It.
But despite the allegations, Marson says that whilst researching the book, he has not found anyone willing to go to the police.
He wrote: ‘Although I did meet some people who felt that their treatment at the hands of John and Gary was inappropriate, it would not be true to say that I’ve found anyone willing to testify to coercion or abuse.’
He also does not believe that Nathan-Turner’s behaviour was ‘predatory’.
In a recent interview with the online sci-fi magazine, Starburst, he said: ‘What you had was a promiscuous gay bloke [who] ... had the opportunity to meet a lot of young people and liked getting off with young guys.
‘I don’t think he was predatory, particularly; I don’t think he forced himself on the unwilling. I was much more cautious about Gary, his partner. John was just “go with the flow, life is a party... I’ll try it on and if somebody says yes, that’s up to them”. I have a less benevolent view of Gary.’
A BBC spokesman said: ‘We cannot comment on individual cases but clearly allegations of this nature are extremely serious.
‘We have set up the Dame Janet Smith Review to help us understand how alleged incidents of this nature could have been committed and how we can avoid them happening ever again.
‘We would urge anyone with information to contact either the police or the review.’
