George Entwistle named new BBC director general

PanARMENIAN.Net - George Entwistle has been named the new director general of the BBC, it has been announced.

Mr Entwistle, who is currently director of BBC Vision, will take over from outgoing director general Mark Thompson.

Announcing the appointment, BBC Trust Chairman Lord Patten said: "George is a creative leader for a creative organization."

The BBC Trust said Mr Entwistle would be paid an annual salary of £450,000.

It is a smaller figure than the £671,000 earned by Mr Thompson, bearing out Lord Patten's repeated assertion that the next head of the BBC would have a smaller salary than their predecessor.

In his current role as director of BBC Vision, Mr Entwistle oversees the division responsible for commissioning, producing, scheduling and broadcasting all of its TV content.

"I'm delighted that the chairman and Trustees have decided I'm the right person for the job and I'm very excited about all that lies ahead," he said. "I love the BBC and it's a privilege to be asked to lead it into the next stage of its creative life."