John Simpson: 'This is the worst crisis for the BBC'

A special one-hour BBC Panorama will look at how and why a BBC Newsnight investigation into allegations against Jimmy Savile was dropped before broadcast.

According to Newsnight staff involved, their inquiry was into accusations that he had sexually abused underage girls and not, as has been claimed, into whether the police and the crown prosecution service were right not to prosecute him in 2007 after receiving allegations against him.

BBC World Affairs Editor John Simpson says of the Savile case, "This is the worst crisis that I can remember in my nearly 50 years at the BBC.... I don't think the BBC has handled it terribly well. All we have as an organistion is trust from the people. If we start to lose that, that's very dangerous for the BBC."

Two independent inquiries have been set up by the BBC into what happened. The Commons culture, media and sport committee will be taking evidence from, among others, Director-General George Entwistle.

The committee's chairman, John Whittingdale, told the Today programme that Panorma is right and "brave" to look into these allegations.

"There's a big distinction between innuendo and rumour and actual proof," he says.

"From the BBC's point of you, what is damaging is the suggestion that this was covered up in the course of the last few months."