The Newsnight editor responsible for dropping a report into claims Sir Jimmy Savile sexually abused people is stepping aside, the BBC has said.
His move is for the duration of an inquiry into Newsnight's handling of the report last year.
In an editor's blog, Mr Rippon explained the editorial reasons behind his decision to axe the report.
The BBC has now issued a correction, calling the blog "inaccurate or incomplete in some respects".
Police have launched a criminal inquiry into Savile after saying that the former BBC presenter and DJ, who died in October 2011 and has been described by officers as a predatory sex offender, may have sexually abused many people, including young girls, over a 40-year period - sometimes on BBC premises.
'Regrets errors'BBC director general George Entwistle, who will appear before MPs on Tuesday to answer questions about the BBC and Savile, has also announced two inquiries regarding the sex abuse claims.
The first is looking into why the Newsnight investigation was shelved and is being led by former head of Sky News Nick Pollard. It is expected to report in December.
The second will be led by former High Court judge Dame Janet Smith and will examine the culture of the BBC during the years that Savile worked there. The results are expected in spring 2013.
In a statement on Monday, the BBC issued a correction to Mr Rippon's blog.
3 Oct: ITV broadcasts a programme into Sir Jimmy Savile abuse claims - Exposure: The Other Side of Jimmy Savile
13 Oct: BBC director general George Entwistle announces two inquiries surrounding the Savile claims
- Former Sky News head Nick Pollard is leading an inquiry into the decision to drop Newsnight's report - with results expected in December
- Former Court of Appeal judge Dame Janet Smith will lead another review into the culture and practices of the BBC during Savile's time at the corporation. It will begin after police indicate it can start
- The Smith review will also examine if the BBC's child protection and whistleblowing policies are fit for purpose
19 Oct: Police launch a formal criminal investigation into sexual abuse involving Savile and others - following 400 lines of inquiry
It said: "The BBC regrets these errors and will work with the Pollard Review to assemble all relevant evidence to enable the review to determine the full facts.
"In addition, the BBC has announced that Peter Rippon is stepping aside with immediate effect from his post while the review by Nick Pollard... into the management of Newsnight's investigation, is carried out."
The corrections relate to:
- Claims Newsnight had no evidence that any staff from the Duncroft approved school could or should have known about allegations of abuse involving pupils
- An assertion Newsnight had no evidence against the BBC - the correction states there had been some allegations of abusive conduct on BBC premises
- A statement in the blog saying all the women spoken to by the programme had contacted the police independently already and that Newsnight had no new evidence against any other person that would have helped the police
In a statement, Prime Minister David Cameron said: "The nation is appalled - we're all appalled - by the allegations of what Jimmy Savile did and they seem to get worse by the day.
"And so, every organisation that was involved with him, whether the NHS or whether the BBC, needs to get to the bottom of what happened.
"The developments today are concerning because the BBC has effectively changed its story about why it dropped the Newsnight programme about Jimmy Savile - so these are serious questions.
"They need to be answered by these independent reviews that the BBC has established and I'm sure that they will be," he said.
'Cover-up' accusationsA statement from the BBC Trust said it was "deeply concerning" that there had been "inaccuracies in the BBC's own description of what happened in relation to the Newsnight investigation".
It confirmed the Pollard review would "fully investigate" the inaccuracies and how they were handled, adding the Trust - like the public - wanted to know "exactly what happened".
"The inquiry will reach its conclusions independently of the BBC Trust and the executive board, and the Trust will publish the reports along with any actions it sees necessary as a result," it said.
Meanwhile, a BBC Panorama programme due to be aired on Monday night challenges the BBC's explanation for the dropping of the Savile investigation.
Mr Rippon has argued he took the decision for editorial reasons because the report would have been much stronger if Newsnight could have proven some institutional failure by the police over Savile's abuse - which the programme failed to do.
But the film's producer and reporter say they had been investigating whether Jimmy Savile was a paedophile - and claim they had enough evidence and interviews for a transmission date to be set.
Panorama says it found no evidence to suggest that Mr Rippon was pressured from above to drop the report. It also says individuals named in the programme have not yet responded to the specific points raised.
Panorama: Jimmy Savile - What the BBC Knew, BBC One, Monday, 22 October at 22:35 BST and then available in the UK on theBBC iPlayer.
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