MUMBAI: The BBC Trust has appointed Tony Hall - Lord Hall of Birkenhead - as BBC DG following the departure of George Entwistle.

Lord Hall is currently Royal Opera House CEO. He was Chairman of the board for the Cultural Olympiad and was head of BBC News and Current Affairs from 1996 to 2001. He was a digital pioneer, launching BBC News Online, as well as Radio 5 Live, BBC News 24 and BBC Parliament. At present he is Deputy Chairman of Channel 4.

Lord Hall is expected to start in early March and in the interim period Tim Davie will remain as Acting Director-General.

BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten said, "While there are still very serious questions to be answered by the on-going inquiries, it is in the interests of licence fee payers that the BBC now starts to refocus on its main purpose ? making great programmes 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. Tony Hall is the right person to lead this.

"Tony Hall has been an insider and is a 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.

"But perhaps most importantly, given where we now find ourselves, his background in news will prove invaluable as the BBC looks to rebuild both its reputation in this area and the trust of audiences."

Lord Hall will take up the post on a salary of ?450,000 per year.

Lord Hall said, "This organisation 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."

The appointment was made following a direct approach from the BBC Trust to Lord Hall. The Trust did not approach any other candidates. Lord Hall did not apply for the job when it last became vacant as a result of Mark Thompson?s departure.

Entwhistle had to leave after allegations of child sex abuse done by late BBC television star Jimmy Saville came out. There was also a Newsnight report that had wrongly implicated a politician in child sex abuse.

MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide has announced that John Smith has decided to step down after eight years as CEO during which period the BBC‘s commercial arm posted record growth.

Tim Davie, who is currently BBC Audio and Music director, has been announced as Smith‘s successor Under Smith‘s leadership, BBC Worldwide grew into a major global media company, doubling its revenue, growing profits four-fold, almost tripling margins and returning more than ?1.3 billion to the BBC.

Smith, who has helped turn Doctor Who, Top Gear and Dancing With The Stars into global franchises and recently unveiled profits of ?155 million in the last financial year, told staff he is leaving the BBC to pursue new opportunities in the commercial sector.

Prior to this, Smith was the BBC COO and finance director and is responsible for the transformation of the BBC‘s property estate, including New Broadcasting House in W1.

BBC DG George Entwistle said, "I want to thank John for his enormous contribution to the success of BBC Worldwide in recent years. He has turned the company into a truly global phenomenon delivering a fantastic financial injection into the BBC every year. He leaves the company ideally set up for the future challenges it faces in a digital world."

On the appointment of Tim Davie, Entwistle added, "Tim has done an excellent job leading the BBC Audio and Music division and has a fantastic vision for the opportunities that lie ahead for BBC Worldwide. Building on John‘s success Tim will now take the BBC‘s commercial arm into the next chapter of its development. I am delighted he will be joining the team at this crucial time."

Smith said, "It has been a huge privilege to lead this powerful business, owned by the BBC that does so much to supplement the licence fee income and takes the BBC brand to audiences around the world. I am extremely proud of what we have achieved over the last eight years but I am excited to be moving on to new opportunities in the commercial world as our revenue and profits reach record highs."

Davie said, "BBC Worldwide is an outstanding business that plays a unique role in building the BBC‘s global reputation and it is an honour to be asked to lead it. John‘s legacy is a company with a strong performance record, leadership in digital and rising international creative exports. I look forward to leading BBC Worldwide through its next phase of growth, delivering further dividends to the BBC and championing great British content around the world."