This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/23/world/europe/after-scandals-bbc-appoints-new-director-general.html

The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
After Scandals, BBC Appoints New Director General After Scandals, BBC Appoints Opera Chief As New Director General
(35 minutes later)
LONDON — Seeking to overcome one of its worst crises in decades, the British Broadcasting Corporation said on Thursday that it had appointed Tony Hall, the chief executive of the Royal Opera House, to be its new director general, replacing George Entwistle who resigned earlier this month in a burgeoning scandal over the corporations’ reporting of sexual abuse. LONDON — Seeking to overcome one of its worst crises in decades inspired by botched reporting of sexual abuse, the British Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday appointed Tony Hall, a former BBC news executive who went on to head the Royal Opera House, to be its new director general.
The BBC quoted Chris Patten, head of the supervisory BBC Trust, as saying Lord Hall, 61, a former director of news at the BBC, was “the right person to lead the BBC out of its current crisis” and his experience in journalism would be “invaluable as the BBC looks to rebuild its reputation.” He is to take up his position in March. Lord Hall, 61, will replace George Entwistle who resigned earlier this month, becoming the highest-profile casualty of the burgeoning abuse scandal.
Mr. Entwistle resigned on Nov. 10 after disclosures that a flagship BBC current affairs program, “Newsnight,” had wrongly implicated a former Conservative politician in allegations of sexual abuse at a children’s home in North Wales in the 1970s and 1980s. The same program had canceled an investigation a year ago into allegations of sexual abuse of hundreds of minors by television host Jimmy Savile at a time when other departments of the corporation were planning Christmas tributes to him. Mr. Savile died in October 2011 at age 84. When the new director general takes over in March, the BBC said, his principle task will be to restore public trust and confidence in an organization that is not only a national institution and Britain’s public broadcaster, but also a sprawling bureaucracy funded by a compulsory license fee levied on most television set owners.
Chris Patten, head of the supervisory BBC Trust, said Lord Hall, a former head of news at the BBC during a 28-year career before he joined the opera, was “the right person to lead the BBC out of its current crisis.” His experience in journalism would be “invaluable as the BBC looks to rebuild its reputation,” Lord Patten said. According to British news report, Lord Hall was the only candidate the BBC trust approached about the job.
Mr. Entwistle resigned on Nov. 10 after disclosures that a flagship BBC current affairs program, “Newsnight,” had wrongly implicated a former Conservative politician in allegations of sexual abuse at a children’s home in North Wales in the 1970s and 1980s.
The same program had canceled an investigation a year ago into allegations of sexual abuse of minors by television host Jimmy Savile at a time when other departments at the corporation were planning Christmas tributes to him. Mr. Savile died in October 2011 at age 84.
Mr. Entwistle had been in office at the BBC for less than two months when he quit. He took over from Mark Thompson who became president and chief executive of The New York Times Company on Nov. 12.Mr. Entwistle had been in office at the BBC for less than two months when he quit. He took over from Mark Thompson who became president and chief executive of The New York Times Company on Nov. 12.
In a statement to the staff reported on the BBC Web site, Lord Patten said: “The past eight weeks have been very traumatic for the BBC.” In a statement to the BBC staff, Lord Patten said: “The past eight weeks have been very traumatic for the BBC.”
The statement added: “But this is a significant day for the BBC,” marking “the beginning of a new phase.” He added: “The key challenge will be re-establishing our reputation with the public.”
Lord Patten said: “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.” The scandals at “Newsnight” pushed the BBC to launch a series of internal inquiries both about its culture and practices in the decades of suspected abuse by Mr. Savile and into its specific reasons for canceling the investigation into Mr. Savile last year.
The scandals at “Newsnight” pushed the BBC to launch a series of internal inquiries both about its culture and practices in the decades of suspected abuse by Mr. Savile and into its reasons for canceling the investigation into Mr. Savile last year. Lord Patten said: “While there are still very serious questions to be answered by the ongoing inquiries, it is in the interests of license fee-payers that the BBC now starts to refocus on its main purpose — making great programs that audiences love and trust.”
The upper ranks of the organization, Britain’s public broadcaster and a national institution, have been in turmoil since a rival channel, ITV, broadcast details of the accusations against Mr. Savile in October. The onetime presenter is now suspected by police of abusing hundreds of young people over decades on the BBC premises and elsewhere. “In doing this, it will need to take a long, hard look at the way it operates and put in place the changes required to ensure it lives up to the standards that the public expects,” Lord Patten said. The upper ranks of the organization have been in turmoil since a rival channel, ITV, broadcast details of the accusations against Mr. Savile in October. He is suspected of abusing hundreds of young people over decades on the BBC premises and elsewhere.
After Mr. Entwistle quit, the BBC appointed Tim Davie, 45, an executive with a backgrouind in marketing who is head of BBC radio operations, as acting director general. After Mr. Entwistle quit, the BBC appointed Tim Davie, 45, its head of radio operations, as acting director general.
At the same time, the BBC said its director of news, Helen Boaden, and her deputy, Stephen Mitchell, had “stepped aside” while the investigation into the Savile affair continued.At the same time, the BBC said its director of news, Helen Boaden, and her deputy, Stephen Mitchell, had “stepped aside” while the investigation into the Savile affair continued.
Mr. Entwistle’ departure proved to be contentious when the BBC Trust authorized a settlement payment equivalent to one year’s salary of around $750,000. The BBC justified the payment — double its contractual obligation — by saying Mr. Entwistle would continue to assist in the various inquiries into the scandals. Lord Hall is expected to draw the same salary as Mr. Entwistle, British news reports said.Mr. Entwistle’ departure proved to be contentious when the BBC Trust authorized a settlement payment equivalent to one year’s salary of around $750,000. The BBC justified the payment — double its contractual obligation — by saying Mr. Entwistle would continue to assist in the various inquiries into the scandals. Lord Hall is expected to draw the same salary as Mr. Entwistle, British news reports said.
Under the British honors system, the new director general was made a life peer in 2010 and has the formal title Baron Hall of Birkenhead. He had sought to become director general in the late 1990s, when Greg Dyke won the contest for the job. Mr. Dyke quit in 2004 an earlier scandal related to reporting of the Iraq war. Lord Hall has been running the Royal Opera House and has been credited with trying to make the organization less elitist. Under the British honors system, the new director general was made a life peer in 2010 and has the formal title Baron Hall of Birkenhead. He had sought to become director general in the late 1990s, when Greg Dyke won the contest for the job. Mr. Dyke quit in 2004 a scandal related to reporting of the Iraq war. Lord Hall has been running the Royal Opera House since 2001 and has been credited with trying to make the organization less elitist.
Lord Patten said Lord Hall was “an insider and is 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 criticisms that are leveled at the corporation — both those that are justified and those that are not.” Lord Hall headed the BBC’s news and current affairs department from 1996 to 2001. He first joined the corporation as a news trainee 39 years ago.
British news reports quoted Lord Hall as saying the BBC “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. I’m committed to ensuring our news services are the best in the world.” Lord Patten said Lord Hall was “an insider and is currently an outsider. As an ex-BBC man he understands how the corporation’s culture and behavior make it, at its best, the greatest broadcaster in the world. And from his vantage point outside the BBC, he understands the criticisms that are leveled at the corporation — both those that are justified and those that are not.”

John F. Burns reported from London, and Alan Cowell from Paris. Eric Pfanner contributed reporting from Paris.

Lord Hall said the BBC “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. I’m committed to ensuring our news services are the best in the world.”
During his 28 years at the BBC before he joined the Royal Opera House, Lord Hall rose swiftly and was credited with innovations including the launch of new radio and television channels and its online news offering.
After the “Newsnight” program erroneously implicated the former treasurer of the Conservative Party, Lord McAlpine, in an abuse scandal, the BBC reached an out-of-court settlement with him worth around $295,000. In a separate suit against the ITV channel, which was also accused of libeling Lord McAlpine, the broadcaster agreed on Thursday to pay a settlement of around $200,000 and his legal costs.

John F. Burns reported from London, and Alan Cowell from Paris.