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 2 Version 3
After Scandals, BBC Appoints Opera Chief As New Director General Scandal-Scarred BBC Names Opera Chief as Leader
(35 minutes later)
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. LONDON — The British Broadcasting Corporation sought to overcome its worst crisis in years on Thursday by appointing a former BBC news executive who went on to head the Royal Opera House as its new director general, urging him to rebuild public trust shredded by a scandal over botched reporting of sexual abuse.
Lord Hall, 61, will replace George Entwistle who resigned earlier this month, becoming the highest-profile casualty of the burgeoning abuse scandal. The appointee, Tony Hall, 61, will replace George Entwistle who resigned earlier this month to become the most prominent casualty of the affair.
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. When Lord Hall takes over in March, the BBC said, his principal task will be to restore faith and confidence in the integrity of an organization that is not only a national institution and Britain’s public broadcaster, but also a sprawling bureaucracy financed 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. Chris Patten, head of the supervisory BBC Trust which made the appointment, said Lord Hall, a former head of news at the BBC during a 28-year career before he joined the opera 11 years ago, was “the right person to lead the BBC out of its current crisis.”
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. 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.
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. The appointment won enthusiastic approval from a wide spectrum of politicians, media commentators and current and former BBC staff members. Many noted that Lord Hall boasted a record of innovation that included overseeing the launch of the BBC Web site, the broadcaster’s 24-hour news channel, and Radio 5 Live, a widely popular, news-and-sport  radio channel.
They pointed, too, to his record for turning around the fortunes of another prized British institution, the Royal Opera House, where he assumed control at a time of artistic and financial disarray and succeeded in stabilizing — as well as popularizing — what has long been seen as one of the world’s top opera houses.
Steve Hewlett, a former editor of Panorama, one of the BBC’s leading investigative programs, said Lord Hall had a reputation among BBC program-makers as “straightforward, honest, a man with no side to him” and “no pushover” in handling contentious issues.
“I think he brings to the BBC what is desperately needed, weight”, he said.
Ben Bradshaw, a former culture minister who was previously a BBC reporter, described him as “a very good, calm operator”, “a good motivator” and decisive in stressful situations. “He’s a very safe pair of hands, and very decent, fair-minded individual”, he said.
Lord Hall’s predecessor, 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 error compounded earlier disclosures that 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 BBC staff, 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.”
He added: “The key challenge will be re-establishing our reputation with the public.”He added: “The key challenge will be re-establishing our reputation with the public.”
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 specific 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.”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.”
“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.“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, its head of 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.
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. 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 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.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.
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.”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.”
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.”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.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.

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