Wilfred De'ath, 75, who produced a radio show for Savile, told the Telegraph newspaper online that he had been arrested at his flat in Cambridge. He said he was a victim of mistaken identity.
An actress had alleged that he had abused her when she was 14 in 1965 after seeing him on a TV documentary about Savile last month. But he insisted he had done nothing wrong.
Police confirmed that an unnamed man in his 70s was arrested today as part of the Savile probe, before being bailed.
De'ath is the third person arrested in the probe, after former glam rocker Gary Glitter and comedian Freddie Starr were held and bailed. Starr has strenuously denied any allegations of abuse.