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 organisation." 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." Mr Entwistle - who will be celebrating his 50th birthday this weekend - was selected by a panel at the BBC Trust, which is the governing body of the BBC, led by chairman Lord Patten. "[Entwistle's] experience of making and delivering great programmes that audiences love - built up through many years of working for the corporation - will prove invaluable as he and his team work to ensure the BBC remains the greatest broadcaster in the world," Lord Patten said. "Above all George is passionate about the BBC, is committed to its public service ethos and has a clear vision for how it can harness the creativity and commitment of its staff to continue to serve audiences in ever more innovative ways," he added.
