A Panorama investigation into charity pay and charity investments has been postponed and may never air, according to news reports today.

According to The Mirror, the documentary was planning to examine Comic Relief’s investments and staffing costs.

According to Comic Relief’s most recent accounts, the number of people earning over £90,000 at the organisation rose from one in 2011 to six in 2012.

Sources had told civilsociety.co.uk that the programme was going to examine pay packets at other charities too.

But, a BBC source told The Daily Mirror that a number of executives had refused to take decisions about the programme and so it has been shelved.

“It has already been put back once and the worry is this investigation will never see the light of day," the source reportedly said.

“This is causing huge problems within the Corporation, opening a can of worms some would rather stayed closed.

"We’re struggling to find other execs to take the place of those who ruled themselves out due to a conflict of interest. This is the BBC in full-on post-Savile self-flagellation mode.”

A BBC spokesman said: “At any one time the BBC is working on any number of investigations. We don’t comment on these.”

Matchlight, the independent production company that produced the investigation, declined to comment.

A Comic Relief spokeswoman said: “We can assure the public that Comic Relief takes the issue of managing money very seriously indeed and we publish full details of the approach taken on our website.

"These claims are inaccurate, misleading and show a total lack of understanding of the actual position. The charity has done nothing wrong. Comic Relief keeps its costs under close control and abides by all Charity Commission regulations. 

"Importantly, Comic Relief is committed to making sure that every pound the charity gets directly from the public is a pound that goes towards helping transform the lives of poor and vulnerable people.”