BBC Appoints Royal Opera House Chief As New Leader

If the BBC wanted to find an executive who has had no relationship with the organization for the last several years, it found one in Tony Hall – Lord Hall of Birkenhead. He will be the new Director General beginning in March. Currently Hall is Chief Executive of the Royal Opera House, which would seem to make him the oddest of choices.

However, Hall does have history with the BBC, although it is relatively old. He was head of BBC News and Current Affairs from 1996 to 2001.

The appointment does nothing to get George Entwistle, who recently resigned as Director General, or the Director General before him–Mark Thompson, who now runs The New York Times Company (NYSE: NYT). Each is under extreme scrutiny over what they knew about the Jimmy Savile sex scandal. Some believe that Thompson will be forced out of his NYT job if it becomes apparent that he had detailed knowledge of the trouble.

Lord Hall will take up the post on a salary of £450,000 per year. If he was public minded, he would take the job for one pound

Douglas A. McIntyre