BBC Appoints Tony Hall As New Director-General

The BBC has appointed its new director-general as it seeks to rebuild after a tumultuous few weeks dogged by scandal.

Tony Hall, Baron Hall of Birkenhead and currently the chief executive of the Royal Opera House, will take over the £450,000 post next year.

Lord Hall replaces George Entwistle, who was forced to resign after just 54 days in the job in the wake of the Jimmy Savile and Lord McAlpine scandals.

The new BBC chief, who is expected to start in early March, is a former trainee at the corporation where he worked for 28 years.

He was head of news and current affairs from 1996 to 2001 but left after he was beaten to the top job by Greg Dyke.

BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten said his background in news "will prove invaluable as the BBC looks to rebuild both its reputation in this area and the trust of audiences".

He added: "Tony Hall has been an insider and is a currently an outsider. As an ex-BBC man, he understands how the Corporation's culture and behaviour make it, at its best, the greatest broadcaster in the world.

"And from his vantage point outside the BBC, he understands the sometimes justified criticisms of the Corporation - that it can be inward looking and on occasions too institutional."

Lord Patten issued a letter to all BBC staff saying that it was a significant day for the broadcaster and marked a new chapter.

He made clear there were still "very serious questions" to answer about the dropped Newsnight investigation into the Savile abuse claims and BBC culture at the time the star worked there.

But he continued: "It is also marks the beginning of a new phase for the BBC. And the key challenge will be re-establishing our reputation with the public. I hope you will all support Tony Hall as he goes about the important work of doing just that."

Lord Hall said: "This organisation is an incredibly important part of what makes the United Kingdom what it is. And of course it matters not just to people in this country - but to tens of millions around the world too.

"It's been a difficult few weeks - but together we'll get through it."

The peer did not apply for the director-general position when Mark Thompson quit but he was the only candidate approached by the Trust following Mr Entwistle's resignation earlier this month.

Lord Hall, who became a cross bencher in the House of Lords in 2010, has been successful at the helm of the Royal Opera House and praised for initiatives such as the relay of performances to screens across the UK.

He sits on a number of boards but will be stepping down from those roles before taking up his position at the corporation.

Tim Davie will stay on as acting director-general until he arrives in the spring.

Veteran broadcaster David Dimbleby welcomed the appointment, calling him a "good public face" for the corporation.

"I feel like I'm serving in the Royal Navy when the message came in: 'Winston is back'," he said.

"I think most people will be thrilled at this choice and will also get the leadership that is needed from somebody who is a creative man and a good administrator - and a calm man in a time of crisis."

The actor, Stephen Fry, also approved the decision, writing on Twitter: "I think Tony Hall is a really good DG choice, TBH. He's not a 'process' man, he's behind the best of BBC's digital moves in the past."

The announcement followed the revelation that Mr Entwistle refused to leave his post without a £450,000 pay off - twice as much as he was entitled under his contract.

BBC trustee Anthony Fry told the Public Accounts Committee that the Trust had to choose between accepting his terms or facing a lengthy legal battle that could have increased the payout by £80,000.

He also revealed that Mr Entwistle received a pension pot of £833,000 - worth up to £40,000-a-year, private medical cover, up to £35,000 for legal fees connected to his resignation and his evidence to the Savile inquiries and £10,000 for public relations.

MPs were incensed to learn that he will continue to have his private medical bills paid for over the next year.

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