Jackanory

I listened to the BBC's director general - George Entwistle - giving evidence to a select committee of MPs yesterday.

To be honest George looked completely out of his depth which is rather strange especially as he is  paid  a huge salary - worth hundreds of thousands of pounds a year - from the public purse.

The director general's performance was like a cross between 'Yes Minister' and 'Jackanory' - two of the BBC's best loved productions down the years - except without the talented acting or convincing storyline.

The fact of the matter is that the BBC shelved a major investigation into Jimmy Savile - which was resurrected by the Beeb's rivals at ITV several months later.

George Entwistle knew about the investigation into Jimmy Savile as he oversaw a schedule of BBC Christmas programmes in December 2012 - including a special tribute lionising the former BBC presenter - who now turns out to have been a serial sexual predator.

Yet George did not stop and ask himself - or anyone else either - whether it was wise to continue with the process of turning Jimmy Savile into something of a modern-day saint.

Jimmy Savile has been found guilty - which he surely is - but on the basis of evidence  which would not be sufficient to gain a criminal conviction in our courts.

So it's not just the BBC which has tough questions to answer - it is society more widely - because as things stand our criminal justice system is not capable of dealing with this kind of sex crime.

Justice of a sort is now being served - but only after Jimmy Savile has been long dead and buried.