George Entwistle resigns as BBC director general - BBC News BBC News George Entwistle resigns as BBC director general 11 November 2012 Close share panel Media captionGeorge Entwistle and BBC Chairman Lord Patten give their statements outside Broadcasting House The BBC's director general, George Entwistle, has resigned in the wake of the Newsnight child abuse broadcast. He said that as the man "ultimately responsible for all content, and in the light of the unacceptable journalistic standards" he would quit. Mr Entwistle had admitted Newsnight's report, which led to Thatcher-era Tory Lord McAlpine being wrongly implicated, should not have been aired. The broadcast covered cases of child abuse at north Wales care homes. BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten, who appeared alongside Mr Entwistle when he delivered his statement, will answer questions on the BBC's Andrew Marr programme on Sunday morning. Mr Entwistle took up the post of director general on 17 September, and his sudden resignation makes him the shortest-serving BBC director general.

In his statement, he said: "In the light of the fact that the director general is also the editor-in-chief and ultimately responsible for all content, and in the light of the unacceptable journalistic standards of the Newsnight film broadcast on Friday 2 November, I have decided that the honourable thing to do is to step down from the post of director general." 'Great honour' He said that when he was appointed to the role, he was confident BBC trustees had chosen the best candidate for the post and the "right person to tackle the challenges and opportunities ahead". "However, the wholly exceptional events of the past few weeks have led me to conclude that the BBC should appoint a new leader," he said. Analysis By Torin DouglasMedia correspondent George Entwistle said he was stepping down because as director general of the BBC he was also its editor in chief. He said it was the honourable thing to do after a BBC Newsnight film alleged child abuse by an unnamed Conservative politician - which was proved to be unfounded. Coming on top of the Jimmy Savile crisis, which was prompted partly by the fact that Newsnight had shelved an earlier investigation into allegations of child abuse, this was particularly damaging to the BBC.

But this was also about the handling of the crisis. Last month, Mr Entwistle was accused by MPs of showing "an extraordinary lack of curiosity" over the Jimmy Savile affair and they told him to "get a grip". On Saturday in an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said he knew nothing in advance about the Newsnight broadcast nor had he seen a newspaper report revealing Lord McAlpine may have been wrongly accused. MPs, former editors and broadcasting executives were unimpressed and so, I understand, were members of the BBC Trust. On Sunday, the job of acting director-general will be taken by Tim Davie, who's been running the radio side of the BBC but who has no direct journalistic experience. The BBC still faces very serious questions, not just about its journalism but about how the organisation is run. This crisis - one of the most serious in the BBC's history - is not yet over. "To have been the director general of the BBC even for a short period, and in the most challenging of circumstances, has been a great honour. "We must not lose sight of the fact that the BBC is full of people of the greatest talent and the highest integrity.

"That's what will continue to make it the finest broadcaster in the world." Later, speaking outside his home following his resignation, Mr Entwistle said he was going to "spend some time with my family". During his 54 days in charge, Mr Entwistle has also had to deal with controversy over the BBC shelving a Newsnight investigation into former BBC presenter and DJ Jimmy Savile, who police say could have abused as many as 300 people over a 40-year-period. As a result, an inquiry is examining whether there were BBC management failings surrounding the Newsnight's Savile programme not being broadcast, and another inquiry has begun into the culture and practices at the BBC in the era of alleged sexual abuse by Savile. Another review is to examine sexual harassment policies at the BBC. Mr Entwistle's resignation came after he was criticised for his performance during an interview on the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme on Saturday, in which he admitted he had not read a newspaper article revealing the case of mistaken identity involving Lord McAlpine, and that he had not seen the Newsnight broadcast when it aired on 2 November as he "was out".

Lord Patten said: "This is undoubtedly one of the saddest evenings of my public life." He added: "At the heart of the BBC is its role as a trusted global news organisation. "As the editor in chief of that news organisation George has very honourably offered us his resignation because of the unacceptable mistakes - the unacceptable shoddy journalism - which has caused us so much controversy. "He has behaved as editor with huge honour and courage and would that the rest of the world always behaved the same." Acting DG The corporation finds itself wounded, under attack and, in effect, leaderless By Mark EastonHome editor Culture Secretary Maria Miller said: "It is a regrettable, but right decision. It is vital that credibility and public trust in this important national institution is restored. "It is now crucial that the BBC puts the systems in place to ensure it can make first-class news and current affairs programmes." But Labour MP Ben Bradshaw, who sits on the culture select committee, said Mr Entwistle's departure was a "terrible mistake" and that he had been "hung out to dry". He described Mr Entwistle as "an honourable, highly talented, very very good man who is trying to do the right thing".

"George Entwistle has been badly let down by BBC News managers and the people around him. He was trying to get to grips with that. The BBC should have given him time." Conservative MP Philip Davies, who also sits on the culture select committee, said Lord Patten should resign. "He is responsible for the public's trust in the BBC," Mr Davies told the BBC. "That trust is at an all time low." Tim Davie, director of BBC Audio and Music, will take over as acting director general immediately. BBC home editor Mark Easton said the BBC was at a "real crossroads, because its whole future depends on convincing the public in the United Kingdom that this is an organisation in which they have confidence, and in which they have trust, and that they believe in the integrity of our news coverage". BBC Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman said Mr Entwistle's departure was "a great shame." "He has been brought low by cowards and incompetents." Newsnight reported on 2 November abuse victim Steve Messham's claims against a leading 1980s Tory politician, but he withdrew his accusation a week later, saying he had been mistaken.

Wrongly identified Media captionLabour MP Ben Bradshaw: "Who else is going to clear up this mess? I'm very worried" Lord McAlpine, although not named on Newsnight, was identified on the internet as the subject of the allegations. Mr Messham apologised to Lord McAlpine saying he was not the man who assaulted him, while Lord McAlpine said the claims were "wholly false and seriously defamatory". The BBC has ordered an "immediate pause" in Newsnight investigations to assess editorial robustness and a suspension of all co-productions with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, which worked on the Newsnight broadcast. Before his departure, Mr Entwistle had commissioned a report from BBC Scotland director Ken MacQuarrie into what happened with the Newsnight investigation.

BBC in crisis as George Entwistle resigns - as it happened | Media | The Guardian BBC in crisis as George Entwistle resigns - as it happened • Entwistle: stepping down was the 'honourable thing to do' • Lord Patten accepts resignation, laments as his 'saddest day' Sunday 11 November 2012 05.29 EST First published on Sunday 11 November 2012 18.26 EST Close 11.24pm GMT We are wrapping up the blog now. Before then, here is a summary of developments today: • The BBC's governing body, the BBC Trust, held an emergency meeting as the broadcaster reeled from the humiliating Saturday night resignation of the director general, George Entwistle, after just 53 days in the top job in British television. The BBC chairman, Lord Patten, said privately that he expected to speak again to the director general candidates Caroline Thomson, the BBC's former chief operating officer, Ed Richards, Ofcom's chief executive, and "one or two other names" in a bid to rapidly recruit a new leader for the crisis-hit broadcaster.

• The former BBC Director General, George Entwistle, will receive a £450,000 payoff – equivalent to a year's salary – even though he stepped down having concluded that the BBC "should appoint a new leader" after he struggled to contend with the fallout from the Jimmy Savile child abuse crisis. The chairman of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, John Whittingdale said that a lot of people "will be very surprised" at the size of the sum after Entwistle had been in the job for 53 days. The comments by the Tory MP, Tim Loughton, came as the former Conservative minister David Mellor was criticised for describing Steve Messham, the child abuse victim at the heart of the scandal at the BBC, as "a weirdo". Updated at 11.26pm GMT 11.07pm GMT Meanwhile on the other side of the Atlantic, George Entwistle’s predecessor at the BBC , Mark Thompson, is supposed to enjoy his first day as CEO of the New York Times Company tomorrow. The news industry analyst Ken Doctor has written a blog under the heading, For New York Times’ Sake, Mark Thompson Should Step aside.

He writes that Arthur Sulzberger, the NY Times publisher, has so far given a vote of confidence to Thompson "but at this moment, there has to be much hand-wringing among Sulzberger and those closest to him". Within the next 36 hours, he must make a new decision. Go forward with the person he’s long sought to double down on the Times’ global, digital strategy push or decide that the potential cost to the institution of the Times makes it impossible to give Thompson a key to his new office. I expect the latter. It’s a hugely difficult decision. Yet, the global value of the Times’ brand and its trustworthiness must trump any one person’s job or future. 10.54pm GMT The Daily Mirror also splashes on the Entwistle departure: 'BBC boss is quits in'. Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) The Daily Mail splashes with 'Can Patten survive?' Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) The Times splashes on 'Tory peer in threat to sue Twitter users'. Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) The Financial Times goes with 'BBC left reeling by scandal'.

Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) November 11, 2012 10.19pm GMT Some front pages now, and the Daily Telegraph splashes on 'Threat to Patten as BBC chief gets £1.3m pay-off' . That figure is based on the widely reported £450,000 lump on top of what the Telegraph says is Entwistle's £877,000 pension pot. Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) at 10.35pm GMT 9.50pm GMT The chairman of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee John Whittingdale has said he could not see any justification for such a large payoff in the case of George Entwistle ( see 8.41pm ). Here are Whittingdale's comments (courtesy of the Press Association): A lot of people will be very surprised that somebody who was in the job for such a short period of time and then had to leave in these circumstances should be walking away with £450,000 of licence fee payers' money. Certainly I would want to know from the Trust why they think that's appropriate.

I want to hear an explanation but I have to say that I find it very difficult to see a justification for that amount of money to be paid to somebody who has had to resign in these circumstances. I wouldn't have thought that just because you have to help an inquiry into the Savile allegations you necessarily need to be paid a such a large amount of money. A lot of people will be giving evidence to the inquiry into the culture and practices within the BBC and I can't imagine they will all be being paid for it. Updated at 9.58pm GMT 9.43pm GMT Dan Sabbagh, the Guardian's head of media and technology, reports that the BBC chairman, Lord Patten, has said privately that he expected to speak again to the director general candidates. They include Caroline Thomson, the BBC's former chief operating officer, Ed Richards, Ofcom's chief executive, and "one or two other names". The aim is to rapidly recruit a new leader for the crisis-hit broadcaster. That piece by Dan also has this: The acting director general, Tim Davie is on Monday expected to set out his plans for dealing with the crisis created by the Newsnight broadcast.

Insiders said there were some internal doubts over the Newsnight film, which although it did not name McAlpine, referred to historic allegations connected with a north Wales child abuse scandal in such a way that it was possible to easily identify him via the internet. It is understood that Newsnight's political editor, Allegra Stratton, had such grave concerns over the allegations made by abuse victim Steve Messham and the possible Twitter implications for those involved that she refused to conduct a two-way interview for the programme. Stratton, however, would not confirm this. 9.27pm GMT Rupert Murdoch has been making his views known on the BBC "mess": Rupert Murdoch (@rupertmurdoch) BBC mess gives Cameron golden opportunity properly reorganize great public broadcaster. Fast inquiry to Include both critics and supporters. at 10.39pm GMT 9.22pm GMT A BBC Trust spokesman has given the Press Association some quotes about George's Entwistle's £450,000 (a full 12 months salary): The BBC reached a consensual termination agreement with George Entwistle last night and agreed to pay him 12 months pay, in lieu of notice.

This reflects the fact that he will continue to help on BBC business, most specifically the two ongoing inquiries. 8.42pm GMT Norman Smith has been providing some further background on the Entwistle pay-off: norman smith (@BBCNormanS) Decision to give Mr Entwistle a12 month salary pay off -rather than 6 month - taken to ensurehis speedy departure #bbc November 11, 2012 norman smith (@BBCNormanS) Sources say Mr Entwistle also being given 12 month pay off cos will continue to be involved at #BBC withinquiries on Savile allegations Here is some critical reaction, from Jewish Chronicle Editor Stephen Pollard and James Robinson, a writer and journo formerly of this parish: Stephen Pollard (@stephenpollard) If Patten approved Entwistle pay off - which is surely a given - then he needs to depart with his tail between his legs. #whatashower November 11, 2012 james robinson (@jamesro47) “@ stephenpollard : BBC death wish?

A year's salary for DG who has resigned because of utter incompetence?">that's just under £8,500 a day at 8.46pm GMT 8.41pm GMT The former BBC Director General, George Entwistle, is to receive a £450,000 pay off – equivalent to one year’s salary. The size of the pay-out to Entwistle, who was in the BBC's top job for just 53 days is already the subject of some debate on Twitter. What will MPs make of it? Norman Smith, BBC News Channel chief political correspondent, has been tweeting meanwhile that sources have told him that Entwistle was only legally entitled to a 6 month pay off -rather than years salary - because he resigned voluntarily.

Updated Channel 4's Krishnan Guru-Murthy has been tweeting his thoughts about events at the BBC: Krishnan Guru-Murthy (@krishgm) "because of the unique way the BBC is funded" we all have an opinion - and most of us want to see it back on fighting form quickly November 11, 2012 Krishnan Guru-Murthy (@krishgm) Also "because of the unique way the BBC is funded" old enemies of Auntie having a field day. But should be seen in that light November 11, 2012 8.14pm GMT Victims of child abuse may feel too threatened to speak out for fear of being attacked by the media as part of a "sensationalist witch-hunt", a former children's minister has warned. Josh Halliday has filed a piece on the comments by Tim Loughton, the Conservative MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, who said he worried that victims would fear they would be "taken out to dry" by the media in the scramble to name public figures as paedophiles.

Loughton said: We're forgetting that this whole issue is not about the management of the BBC, it's not about the Leveson inquiry, and it's not about celebrities or politicians. It's about the fact that a lot of children have been abused over many years and many of them have never had their stories believed or investigated. 8.07pm GMT The Guardian's John Plunkett has been taking a look at the prospects for Newsnight: Newsnight insiders were said to be fearful that the programme would be suspended in the wake of the McAlpine fiasco. With the editor Peter Rippon already having stepped aside in the wake of the Savile scandal and the deputy editor Shaminder Nahal having just joined Channel 4 News, Newsnight is being overseen by another deputy editor, Liz Gibbons. Entwistle indicated before his departure that she could face "disciplinary action" over the McAlpine report. Paxman, Newsnight's star presenter, is not due back on the programme for a couple of weeks. He is otherwise engaged on a BBC1 series that will be broadcast to commemorate the centenary of the first world war in 2014.

7.51pm GMT The BBC Trust has issued a statement, which says: The BBC Trust has this evening had a discussion with the Acting Director-General, Tim Davie, and we are looking forward to him setting out tomorrow his plans for dealing with some of the issues arising from the November 2nd Newsnight broadcast as a first step in restoring public confidence. 6.06pm GMT According to the Society of Editors website , Overton was due to speak about funding investigative journalism at the conference in Belfast on Tuesday. Unsworth was due to make a welcome speech on Monday morning. 6.05pm GMT Iain Overton, the editor of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, and the head of BBC's Head of Home Newsgathering, Fran Unsworth, have reportedly pulled out of the Society of Editors conference where they were due to appear this week. The Press Gazette reporter Andrew Pugh has tweeted: Andrew Pugh (@Andrew_Pugh1) Fran Unsworth and Iain Overton have pulled out of SoE conference. Imagine it was the last place they'd want to be...

at 8.49pm GMT 5.50pm GMT Official BBC sources have just told us that Tim Davie did not have a hand in approving the McAlpine Newsnight. Their denial comes after Kevin Marsh suggested that Davie may have been involved (see post at 17.04). The BBC News website has produced a chain of command for the Newsnight programme of 2 November. If you want to see exactly who was reporting to whom, here it is . 5.25pm GMT A little earlier, we mentioned the Twitter anger provoked by David Mellor's comments about Steve Messham. My colleague Josh Halliday has more reaction here . Here's a few pars of Josh's story: John Cameron, head of child protection operations at the NSPCC, said the child abuse saga was in danger of becoming a trial by media and described Mellor's comments on Messham as unhelpful. He said: I'd like anybody who has to make adverse criticism of someone who is saying they have been a victim of abuse to think very carefully about how that is helpful, both to that individual and to those who have been victims of abuse and who will want to come forward.

There are children out there today who are suffering abuse and people need to reflect very strongly on any commentary about victims and how that could prevent people coming forward. 5.20pm GMT Ed Miliband's thoughts on what the BBC should do next: Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) BBC needs to put in place strong DG and reforms to sort out its problems. Essential to restore trust in one of our great national assets. November 11, 2012 5.04pm GMT The former Today programme editor Kevin Marsh is using his personal blog to entertain what he terms "an intriguing thought" about the BBC editorial hierarchy at the time of the Newsnight Messham programme. With so many senior editors recusing themselves from day-to-day editorial decisions in the wake of the Savile saga, he wonders who was involved in the decision to greenlight the Messham allegations. His full thoughts are here . It's worth noting, though, that Tim Davie's role, or otherwise, in the decisions surrounding the latter programme is unconfirmed.

4.40pm GMT The Guardian understands that Newsnight's political editor, Allegra Stratton, had such grave concerns over the Messham allegations and the possible Twitter implications for those involved that she refused to conduct a two-way interview for the programme. Stratton, however, would not confirm this. 3.52pm GMT Over at the BBC, Nick Robinson offers a pithy encapsulation of a common reaction to the corporation's current woes : It's your turn. That sums up in three words the attitude of many politicians and many in the press to the BBC crisis. Having lived through their own crises - which critics argue the BBC reported with gusto - sympathy is in short supply. In recent years, they've seen reputations trashed, jobs lost and people arrested and/or imprisoned. So they will not see the resignation of a Director General after a mauling by John Humphrys as a cause for much mourning. What I do not detect, however, is any threat to the existence or status of the BBC - unlike previous rows which pitted governments against the Corporation. The BBC, he argues, has survived worse crises - and is likely to survive this one.

The next one, coming soon, will pit the press against politicians who believe the law should underpin any new system of regulation. Today it's the BBC's turn but it will be someone else's soon. 3.44pm GMT The Tory MEP Daniel Hannan is unambiguous as to what he thinks Patten should do next: Daniel Hannan (@DanHannanMEP) The important thing is that the next BBC Chairman be chosen in open hearings by MPs. It goes without saying that Chris Patten should resign. 3.39pm GMT Here's the Patten missive to BBC staff in full, courtesy of my colleague Josh Halliday: It was with great regret that last night I accepted the resignation of George Entwistle as Director-General. One of the reasons we appointed George was because he is an honourable man and his decision to stand down in the best interests of the BBC bears that out. When I took the job of Chairman of the BBC Trust, I said that, while not perfect, at its best the BBC is the greatest broadcaster in the world. I believe that today, just as I did then. The BBC is full of hugely talented and dedicated people making great programmes and finding innovative ways to bring them to audiences.

The vast majority of BBC staff have nothing whatsoever to do with this sorry episode and I regret that they are having to share in the pain. The priority now is to address the very serious questions that still remain around the original decision not to pursue the initial Newsnight investigation, how last week’s story went so horribly wrong and, most importantly, how the BBC’s historic culture and behaviour allowed Jimmy Savile to get away with his vile criminal activity for so long. We will decide what immediate action needs to be taken once Ken MacQuarrie's investigation into last week's Newsnight is complete. We will then look at what else needs to happen once the two independent inquiries have reported. In the meantime, the Trustees have asked Tim Davie to stand in as Acting Director-General. I am sure that Tim will perform this role with authority and integrity, while we carry out the process of appointing a permanent successor as soon as possible. 3.36pm GMT Lord Patten's studio marathon has now taken him to Channel 4 News and Alex Thomson. In an interview to be broadcast later today, Patten says more people may have to leave the BBC in the wake of the Newsnight crisis.

He told Channel 4 News: We are looking this afternoon into a report into how that Newsnight programme was made. We’ve also got other reports as you know by the former head of Sky and a distinguished judge and they will involve us I’m sure in making some tough decisions and those decisions may involve people’s jobs as well. But Lord Patten said that he would not be resigning unless he failed to ensure that the system underwent the necessary changes following the scandal. If, when these inquiries have reported, people think we haven’t properly implemented their recommendations and haven’t learnt from the tragedy then clearly I wouldn’t stay. He also dismissed suggestions that he should have taken a more active role in the run-up to the Newsnight programme. When I saw that Twitter [sic] I certainly didn’t try to intervene in a programme and it is completely absurd to suggest that I should have done. 3.26pm GMT The BBC's Norman Smith has spoken to the former chair of the BBC governors Sir Christopher Bland, who says the Newsnight crisis is down to "plain human error" rather than systemic failure.

norman smith (@BBCNormanS) Former chair of BBCGovernors Sir Christopher Bland says he believes "plain human error" andnot systems to blame for Newsnightsaga #bbc November 11, 2012 3.23pm GMT PA's got hold of a letter that Lord Patten has sent BBC staff. In it, he stresses his belief that the corporation remains the best broadcaster in the world. He goes on: The vast majority of BBC staff have nothing whatsoever to do with this sorry episode and I regret that they are having to share in the pain. The priority now is to address the very serious questions that still remain around the original decision not to pursue the initial Newsnight investigation, how last week's story went so horribly wrong and, most importantly, how the BBC's historic culture and behaviour allowed Jimmy Savile to get away with his vile criminal activity for so long. 3.08pm GMT David Mellor's comments to the Sunday Politics are the subject of much scrutiny on Twitter — so much, in fact, that he's now trending. His characterisation of Steve Messham as a "weirdo" is drawing the most attention.

Here's what he said: I don't see how Newsnight as a brand can survive this. The thing about McAlpine was that it was so grotesque, they rely on a man who ... the Mail on Sunday over two pages reveals that this man is a weirdo. He's already cost £1.5m costs when he accused a policeman of sexually abusing him, and why didn't they show a photograph? It's extraordinary. The idea of Alastair McAlpine being involved in child abuse is simply ludicrous and someone on Newsnight should have had the sophistication to realise that. Shiv Malik (@shivmalik1) So David Mellor is now trending on Twitter after calling Messham a 'weirdo' on Sunday Politics twitter.com/shivmalik1/sta… at 1.43pm GMT 1.26pm GMT According to our political editor, Patrick Wintour, No 10 is stressing that David Cameron has been pleased by the signs that Patten wants to see changes to remove systemic failures – including a thorough reworking of the current management structure.

Patrick adds: Downing Street sources say they don't see any necessary read-across about the failure of a state-regulated body in the case of the BBC and how they will respond to the Leveson inquiry later this month, which is likely to call for statutory underpinning of future newspaper regulation. 1.17pm GMT Just been trawling the transcripts of Murnaghan on Sky News this morning. Asked whether Newsnight should survive, Patten had this to say to Anna Jones: Well that’s one thing we’ll be discussing with the acting director general today. What should survive is the investigative journalism which it’s represented along with Panorama at the heart of our news offering. [It] has to be uncompromising investigative journalism but you have to get it right. 1.08pm GMT at 12.02pm GMT 8.30am GMT The appointment of Tim Davie as acting director general has been met with surprise in some quarters over his lack of a journalistic background. Davie, who was due to take over the position of chief executive of BBC Worldwide in December, was the BBC's head of audio and music. He is a former consumer marketing expert.

The role of director general also doubles as that of editor-in-chief. It was the failure of journalistic standards on Newsnight that Entwistle cited as his reason for stepping down. 8.22am GMT Questions remain over the future of Newsnight, the flagship BBC current affairs programme. It journalistic investigations were halted last week after their report that implicated Tory peer Lord McAlpine in child abuse was shown to be false. That investigation was done in conjunction with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism . The Bureau's trustees yesterday released a statement saying it was appalled at what appeared to be a breach of its standards: The Bureau of Investigative Journalism was established to apply the highest standards of investigative and fact-based journalism in the public interest. During its first three years, the Bureau has won a number of major awards for its journalism and built a reputation for quality and the avoidance of sensationalism. The governing trust of the Bureau does not endorse any material or output that fails to meet these standards. The Bureau was named as a contributor to the broadcast of a BBC Newsnight programme on November 2 on child abuse in north Wales. The trustees are appalled at what appears to be a breach of its standards.

To the extent that the principles of the Bureau have been ignored by an involvement in this story, remedial action will be taken against those responsible. The trustees must ensure that due process is applied and are establishing the key facts. This morning the Bureau's managing editor Iain Overton tweeted he would be making a statement later: Iain Overton (@iainoverton) BBC Director General resigns after damning radio interview Monday 12 November, 2012 "It was not brought to my attention..." BBC director general George Entwistle admits he was not across child sex abuse scandal story. After just eight weeks in the job, George Entwistle has resigned as director general of the BBC in the wake of a tv broadcast which wrongly implicated ex-senior Tory Lord McAlpine in a child sex abuse scandal. The resignation comes in the wake of the Jimmy Saville sex abuse scandal, which began before Entwistle was appointed, but has not been handled well under his watch. In a probing interview on BBC Radio's Today program, presenter John Humphrys grilled his boss over what he did and didn't know about the latest scandal.

Humphreys: "...and you didn't ask any questions during the course of the week?" Entwhistle: "No John I didn't." Humphreys: "Do you no think that you should have?" Entwhistle: "Um (pause)... I... I... I... ah... the number of things that are going on at the BBC mean that when something is referred to me and brought to my attention I engage with it." Humphreys: "So there's no natural curiosity, you wait for somebody to come along and say excuse me director general this is happening and you may be interested in it, you don't read the newspapers and listen to the output of the BBC... You should go shouldn't you?" George Entwistle resigns as BBC director-general | Radio Times George Entwistle resigns as BBC director-general BBC boss steps down following the broadcast of an "unacceptable" Newsnight report Comments Tom Cole 11:00 PM, 10 November 2012 The BBC’s director-general, George Entwistle, has resigned over the broadcast of a Newsnight report about child sexual abuse, which led to allegations being made online about a Conservative peer.

Entwistle, who has been under fire in the media since news of the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal broke at the end of September, delivered a brief statement at Broadcasting House earlier this evening in which he declared that “stepping down” would be the honourable thing to do. He said: "In the light of the fact that the director-general is also the editor-in-chief and ultimately responsible for all content; and in the light of the unacceptable journalistic standards of the Newsnight film broadcast on Friday 2 November, I have decided that the honourable thing to do is to step down from the post of director-general. “The wholly exceptional events of the past few weeks have led me to conclude that the BBC should appoint a new leader.” The BBC was forced to issue an apology on Friday after Steve Messham, who was questioned on Newsnight, admitted that he wrongly identified Lord McAlpine as the man who abused him in a Wrexham children’s home in the 1970s. While Newsnight did not directly identify Lord McAlpine, the peer has said he intends to sue the BBC because its report led to him being identified on the internet.

Entwistle continued: "To have been the director-general of the BBC even for a short period, and in the most challenging of circumstances, has been a great honour. "While there is understandable public concern over a number of issues well covered in the media – which I'm confident will be addressed by the review process – we must not lose sight of the fact that the BBC is full of people of the greatest talent and the highest integrity. That's what will continue to make it the finest broadcaster in the world." Tim Davie, who was appointed as chief executive of BBC Worldwide last month and was due to take up the post in December, has now been made acting director-general of the BBC. Like this? Share it.

BBC in crisis as George Entwistle quits over Newsnight fiasco | Media | The Guardian The Observer BBC in crisis as George Entwistle quits over Newsnight fiasco Television boss leaves job for abuse story lapses in what Trust chairman Chris Patten laments as his 'saddest day' Saturday 10 November 2012 17.37 EST First published on Saturday 10 November 2012 17.37 EST Close This article is 4 years old The BBC has been plunged into the deepest crisis in its history with the dramatic resignation of its director general, George Entwistle, after just 54 days in the job. Entwistle fell on his sword after being engulfed by a crisis that escalated following confirmation on Friday that the BBC had wrongly implicated Lord McAlpine, a former senior Tory politician, in a story about paedophilia. It was the second scandal to hit Newsnight in recent weeks. In an extraordinary scene outside Broadcasting House, in central London, just after 9pm, Entwistle, flanked by the BBC Trust's chairman, Chris Patten, said he felt it was the "honourable" thing to do.

His resignation was accepted by Lord Patten who said it was one of the "saddest evenings of my public life" to see Entwistle end his 23-year career at the BBC in such ignominious circumstances. Looking composed, but battle-weary, Entwistle read from a prepared statement: "In the light of the fact that the director general is also the editor in chief and ultimately responsible for all content; and in the light of the unacceptable journalistic standards of the Newsnight film broadcast on Friday 2 November, I have decided that the honourable thing to do is to step down from the post of director general," he said. Tim Davie, currently director of audio and music who was scheduled to take over as head of BBC Worldwide, was named as the acting DG while the hunt for a new boss takes place. Entwistle's resignation came less than 12 hours after a catastrophic interview with John Humphrys on Radio 4's Today programme in which Entwistle admitted he was completely unaware that Newsnight was going to make such serious allegations about a senior Tory politician.

Critics said he gave the impression of a man completely at sea when he admitted that not only was he unaware of the allegations, but that nobody had brought to his attention an article in Friday's Guardian that the victim of child abuse in the Welsh care home, Steve Messham, who had made the claims, may have mistaken the identity of the perpetrator. The pressure on Entwistle intensified on Friday morning when McAlpine broke cover after eight days of rumour and innuendo going viral on Twitter, branding the allegation as entirely false and threatening to sue the BBC. John Whittingdale, the chairman of the influential select committee that grilled Entwistle over the Jimmy Savile scandal, said he thought Entwistle had made the right decision as his "position had become untenable, once he had said he was unaware that the programme was being broadcast". He told BBC News: "It left the impression that the management of the BBC had lost their grip on the organisation and I think the decision is undoubtedly the right one." BBC director generals have resigned in the past, but none has risen and disappeared within such a short space of time.

On Saturday afternoon Jonathan Dimbleby, one of the corporation's best-known broadcasters, said he feared the public now perceived the BBC as "a rudderless ship heading towards the rocks", adding he hoped somebody would "seize the helm quickly". Culture secretary Maria Miller said Entwistle had made the right decision: "It's a regrettable situation, but the right decision. It is vital that credibility and public trust in this important national institution is restored. It is now crucial that the BBC puts the systems in place to ensure it can make first class news and current affairs programmes." Sir Christopher Bland, a former chairman of the BBC board of governors, said: "It's arguable that it's a necessary sacrifice, but it's tragic for George and tragic for the organisation." Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman issued a statement describing Entwistle's departure as "a great shame" and accusing "cowards and incompetents" of bringing about his downfall. He blamed a culture of caution at the BBC in the wake of the 2003 Hutton inquiry and a management that had become bloated at the expense of programme budgets. "I had hoped that George might stay to sort this out.

It is a great pity that a talented man has been sacrificed, while time-servers prosper." Humphrys, meanwhile, offered a pithy comment about his role in the director general's demise. "Let it settle down. I am not going to gloat. I do what I do. I did what I did," he said. Michael Crick, the former Newsnight political editor, who was instrumental in revealing the mistakes made in the recent investigation into false claims concerning Lord McAlpine, tweeted: "George Entwistle's resignation v sad. A good, decent man, badly let down. V few people could have coped with recent rush of awful events." Former Labour culture secretary Ben Bradshaw tweeted his unhappiness that Entwistle had been "forced" out, describing it as a "terrible mistake". Enwistle was appointed as director general this summer and took over from Mark Thompson in September, but within two weeks he was hit by the extraordinary revelations that Jimmy Savile, one of the BBC's biggest stars, had been a serial child abuser and had molested underage girls on BBC premises.

He was immediately put on the back foot when it emerged that the BBC had quashed a Newsnight investigation into Savile last December, just weeks before three tribute programmes were due to be scheduled. Entwistle had been warned that it might cause a problem, but had failed to inquire what the subject of the investigation was, leading to criticism that he displayed "an extraordinary lack of curiosity" about his own organisation. The Humphrys interview in which Entwistle admitted for the second time that he did not know anything about the content of a controversial Newsnight programme compounded the apparent lack of judgment, with politicians lining up on Saturday to question whether he was the right man for the job. Bland added that the BBC now needed to establish "calmly and accurately what went wrong" to safeguard against future blunders. He said it was extraordinary that the "bog standard checks" had not been made by Newsnight – the programme-makers had not contacted McAlpine about the allegations or shown a photograph of McAlpine to Messham, the victim of child abuse who made the accusations. He said serious questions needed to be asked of other executives.

"Where were the lawyers; where was the chain of command?" Bland also accused others, including writer George Monbiot, Sally Bercow, the wife of the speaker of the House of Commons, and Tom Watson, the Labour MP, of irresponsible behaviour for circulating McAlpine's name on Twitter. Senior insiders say the mistakes were made because the Savile scandal had effectively torpedoed the management structure in BBC news and current affairs with senior executives, including the head of news and the editor of Newsnight, standing down from their posts while two internal inquiries took place. One senior journalist said the chain of command was now "breakable brittle rubber" rather than the rod of iron normally in place which would ensure the highest editorial standards in the world. A BBC internal inquiry has concluded that there had been 'unacceptable' editorial failings involved in the broadcast Published: 13 Nov 2012 Angus Stickler, who researched disastrous BBC report, interviewed by trustees of Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

By Josh Halliday Published: 13 Nov 2012 Acting BBC director general Tim Davie takes action after receiving report on false child sexual abuse allegations Published: 12 Nov 2012 Outgoing director general urged to forgo £450,000 deal amid calls from Conservative backbenchers to review licence fee Published: 12 Nov 2012 George Entwistle resigns as BBC Director General | Media | The Drum George Entwistle resigns as BBC Director General By Stephen Lepitak -10 November 2012 21:13pm The director general of the BBC George Entwistle has resigned in a quickly assembled announcement this evening. The resignation of Entwistle was announced outside the BBC's Broadcasting House this evening and was made between the BBC and the BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten. Patten is the one who appointed Entwistle as Mark Thompson's successor earlier this year when he was director of BBC Vision. The resignation follows the airing of a Newsnight report that wrongly identified Lord McAlpine as being involved in sexual abuse at a care home in North Wales.

Entwistle said: "In the light of the fact that the director general is also the editor-in-chief and ultimately responsible for all content, and in the light of the unacceptable journalistic standards of the Newsnight film broadcast on Friday 2 November, I have decided that the honourable thing to do is to step down from the post of director general." He added that he was proud to have been director general, even if just for a short period. Lord Patten said that Enwistle's resignation came as a result of the 'unnecceptable, shoddy journalism' within the Newsnight report. Tim Davies, Chief executive of BBC Worldwide and former senior marketer at PepsiCo, will take on the role of acting director general as the process of interviewing potential successors begins next week. "I think George Enwistle has acted extremely honourably," concluded Patten of Entwisle's decision.

He described the announcement as "one of the saddest nights of his public life." Enwistle was in the job of director general for 54 days, and has spent the majority of those days discussing the Jimmy Savile scandal, launching two linked investigations into sexual abuse at the BBC over previous decades and the decision to scrap a Newsnight investigation exposing Savile last Christmas. He has been accused of failing to ask important questions over journalistic decision being made and lacking an awareness over the editorial output at the BBC having admitted to not asking why the Newsnight story was not broadcast, or seeing the Newsnight broadcast this week, which falsely linked Lord McAlpine to claims of sexual abuse in advance of broadcast.

George Entwistle resigns as BBC director general - BBC News BBC News Key points The BBC's director general, George Entwistle, resigns in the wake of the Newsnight child abuse broadcast In a statement, Mr Entwistle says the "wholly exceptional" events of last week had convinced him to stand down Tim Davie, who is currently director of audio and music, is to be acting director general from Sunday BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten said of Mr Entwistle's resignation: "This is undoubtedly one of the saddest evenings of my public life" Crisis at the BBC: Timeline of events - BBC News BBC News Crisis at the BBC: Timeline of events 19 December 2012 Close share panel Image caption George Entwistle (l) resigned as director general after just over 50 days in the job Nick Pollard, the former head of Sky News, has delivered his report - commissioned by the BBC - looking at whether there were any failings in the corporation's management of BBC Newsnight's investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by Jimmy Savile. The programme did not broadcast its planned report last year, and weeks later BBC TV ran tributes to the late presenter - prompting accusations of a cover-up.

Since then, further allegations against Savile have emerged during a widespread police investigation, and Newsnight had to apologise after broadcasting a report that led to a Tory peer being wrongly identified as a paedophile. Following the second report, BBC director general George Entwistle resigned, after just weeks in the job. Here is how events have unfolded: 19 Dec 2012: BBC criticised over Savile report The inquiry into Newsnight's shelving of a report into sexual abuse by Jimmy Savile criticises BBC management but finds no evidence of a cover-up . A separate report is critical of the Newsnight report which led to Lord McAlpine being wrongly implicated in child abuse allegations. The editor and deputy editor of Newsnight are to be replaced. 12 Dec 2012: Number of alleged Savile victims reaches 450 Police confirm that the number of alleged sex abuse victims of the late Jimmy Savile has reached 450 . Officers on the Operation Yewtree investigation say 589 alleged victims have come forward during their investigation of offences committed by Savile and others.

22 Nov 2012: Hall appointed as BBC director general Image caption Hall is widely credited with having brought financial stability to the Royal Opera House The chief executive of the Royal Opera House and the BBC's former director of news, Tony Hall, is appointed as the corporation's new director general. BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten says Lord Hall is "the right person to lead the BBC out of its current crisis". Lord Hall, who starts next March, says he is "committed to ensuring our news services are the best in the world". 15 Nov 2012: BBC makes payment to Lord McAlpine The BBC settles with Lord McAlpine over his libel claim about a Newsnight broadcast which led to him being wrongly implicated in child abuse. The damages, agreed 13 days after the broadcast, total £185,000 plus costs . "The settlement is comprehensive and reflects the gravity of the allegations that were wrongly made," the corporation said in a statement. The Tory peer had said it was "terrifying" to find himself "a figure of public hatred".

13 Nov 2012: Disciplinary action begins The BBC begins disciplinary measures against some of those involved in the decision to run the Newsnight report on care homes in north Wales. 12 Nov 2012: Head of News steps aside The BBC's director of news Helen Boaden and her deputy Stephen Mitchell "step aside" from their roles , pending the results of Nick Pollard's inquiry into the management of Newsnight's report into Jimmy Savile, which was dropped. Head of Newsgathering Fran Unsworth becomes acting director of news, while the editor of the Today programme, Ceri Thomas, takes the acting deputy role. Media captionActing director general Tim Davie: "My job now is to get a grip of the situation and take action" The moves are part of what acting director general Tim Davie calls "getting a grip" on the organisation by creating a "clear line of command". BBC Scotland director Ken MacQuarrie, who had been asked to look into what happened at Newsnight, finds that there was "ambiguity around who was taking the ultimate editorial responsibility for the report" .

Meanwhile, MPs, including deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman, take issue with George Entwistle's severance payment of £450,000 which is a year's salary rather than the six months he is entitled to under the terms of his contract. Lord Patten issues a letter explaining the BBC Trust's decision. Separately, Iain Overton resigns as editor of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, an independent body whose reporter Angus Stickler led the Newsnight investigation into the Wales abuse allegations. 11 Nov 2012: Lord Patten urges BBC 'overhaul' BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten says a "thorough, radical, structural overhaul" of the BBC is necessary in the wake of the director general's resignation. He adds a new director general will be chosen within weeks. Before his departure, Mr Entwistle had commissioned a report from BBC Scotland director Ken MacQuarrie into what happened with the Newsnight investigation. He reports his findings that day .

10 Nov 2012 - 21:12: Entwistle resigns George Entwistle resigns as BBC director general saying that "in the light of the unacceptable journalistic standards of the Newsnight film broadcast on Friday 2 November", he had decided it was "the honourable thing to do". His 54 full days in post make him the corporation's shortest-serving DG. The chief executive of BBC Worldwide, Tim Davie , is appointed acting director general. 10 Nov 2012- 08:34: Entwistle appears on Today Media captionGeorge Entwistle: I believe I am doing the right things In an interview with the Today programme's John Humphrys, Mr Entwistle says he did not see the Newsnight report, which did not name Lord McAlpine but led to him being mistakenly implicated in child abuse at north Wales care homes, until after it had been broadcast. He also said that he had not seen tweets prior to the Newsnight report which flagged up its content, nor a front page newspaper article on the morning of the programme which said the story was based on mistaken identity.

9 Nov 2012: BBC apologises for Wales abuse report Image caption Lord McAlpine issued his response amid claims over abuse at a north Wales children's home Former Conservative Party treasurer Lord McAlpine issues a denial over internet reports linking him to alleged historical child sexual abuse in north Wales, saying they are "wholly false and seriously defamatory". Within hours, victim Steve Messham apologises for mistakenly identifying the peer, saying police had shown him a picture of his abuser but incorrectly told him the man was Lord McAlpine. The BBC issues an unreserved apology for the part its Newsnight report played in Lord McAlpine being wrongly implicated in the alleged abuse and announces an "immediate pause" in all Newsnight investigations. 8 Nov 2012: This Morning ambushes Cameron Media captionDavid Cameron: "There is a danger this could turn into a witch-hunt" Live on ITV's This Morning, presenter Phillip Schofield hands Prime Minister David Cameron a list of names which Mr Schofield says have been mentioned online as paedophiles.

Mr Cameron, who does not look at the list, says he is "worried" that speculation about unproven allegations could lead to a "witch-hunt particularly against people who are gay" and advises anyone with evidence of abuse to go to the police. 6 Nov 2012: May announces police inquiry Home Secretary Theresa May announces a new police inquiry , led by the head of the National Crime Agency, into allegations of child abuse in north Wales in the 1970s and 1980s. Separately, Mrs Justice Julia Macur will investigate the terms of the Waterhouse abuse inquiry. Steve Messham, who made the allegation which ended up implicating Lord McAlpine, meets the Welsh Secretary. 5 Nov 2012: Cameron pledges to look at abuse claims The prime minister says he is appointing a "senior independent figure" to look into the way allegations of sexual abuse at north Wales children's homes in the 1970s and '80s were dealt with.

2 Nov 2012: Newsnight airs Wales abuse report Newsnight broadcasts a report in which a man who was sexually abused when living in a children's home in north Wales in the 1980s, calls for a new investigation. In the report, Steve Messham says that a leading Thatcher-era Conservative politician abused him a number of times. Although the programme does not name the politician, it leads to speculation on the internet, which either names or implicates former Treasury minister Lord McAlpine. 2 Nov 2012: Michael Crick tweets Hours before that evening's edition of Newsnight, the programme's former political editor Michael Crick tweets "'Senior political figure' due to be accused tonight by BBC of being paedophile denies allegations + tells me he'll issue libel writ agst BBC". He adds that the person - now known to be Tory peer Lord McAlpine - said he had not been contacted by the BBC for his response to the allegations. The tweets by Mr Crick, who now works for Channel 4, follow an earlier one made by Iain Overton, editor of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Its reporter Angus Stickler led the Newsnight investigation.

In a now deleted post on the social networking site, which has been retweeted 1,574 times, Mr Overton writes: "If all goes well we've got a Newsnight out tonight about a very senior political figure who is a paedophile." 23 Oct 2012: Entwistle grilled by MPs Mr Entwistle tells the culture select committee that the Newsnight investigation should not have been dropped. He is accused by MPs of a "lack of curiosity" after explaining why he did not ask director of BBC News Helen Boaden for further details on the Savile story when she mentioned it to him in 2011. Media captionGeorge Entwistle was asked by MPs about a conversation he had had with BBC director of news Helen Boaden about the Newsnight investigation The director general also tells MPs that he asked Newsnight editor Peter Rippon to step aside because of inaccuracies in his blog, rather than solely to allow the Pollard review to be carried out.

22 Oct 2012: Newsnight editor steps aside A Panorama Special: Jimmy Savile - What the BBC knew investigates the Savile child abuse scandal and examines the events around the dropping of the corporation's own Newsnight investigation into the subject. The same day, Newsnight editor Peter Rippon steps aside for the duration of the Pollard inquiry into the dropping of his programme's report. The BBC also issues a correction to Mr Rippon's blog post of 2 October, saying it was "inaccurate or incomplete in some respects". 12 Oct 2012: BBC reviews launched In the light of the ITV investigation and a slew of further allegations against Savile in the press, Mr Entwistle announces two inquiries regarding the sex abuse claims. The first will look at whether there were any failings in the BBC's management of the Newsnight investigation relating to allegations of sexual abuse by Savile, including the broadcast of tribute programmes on the BBC, and will be led by former head of Sky News, Nick Pollard. The second, led by former High Court judge Dame Janet Smith, will examine the culture of the BBC during the years that Jimmy Savile worked there.

3 Oct 2012: ITV investigation broadcast ITV airs its investigation: Exposure, the Other Side of Jimmy Savile, in which several women allege he sexually abused them when they were teenagers. 2 Oct 2012: Newsnight editor blogs Ahead of an ITV programme to be broadcast the following day, Newsnight editor Peter Rippon writes in a blog that his programme's investigation of Savile at the end of 2011 was dropped for editorial reasons after the CPS said that a case had not been pursued because of to lack of evidence. He writes: "we had not established any institutional failure and I judged it weakened the story from a Newsnight perspective. I took the decision not to publish". 17 September 2012: Entwistle becomes BBC director general George Entwistle takes over the BBC's top job, saying he is "the right man for the job" and will put programme makers and "outstanding creative originality" at the heart of the organisation.

4 July 2012: Entwistle announced as Thompson successor The chairman of the BBC Trust, Lord Patten, announces that George Entwistle has been appointed to succeed Mark Thompson as director general of the BBC , a post he will take up in September on a salary of £450,000 per year. December 2011: Newsnight shelves Savile investigation A six-week BBC Newsnight investigation into claims that Savile abused youngsters is dropped. Tribute programmes to the presenter are aired over the Christmas and New Year period. At the time, director of BBC News Helen Boaden is director of BBC News and George Entwistle is director of BBC Vision, with overall responsibility for TV programme commissioning and scheduling. Mr Entwistle will later tell MPs that the pair had a brief discussion about the Newsnight investigation but that he did not ask Ms Boaden for further details. 29 October 2011: Savile dies Former BBC TV presenter and Radio 1 DJ Jimmy Savile dies at the age of 84, at his home in the Roundhay district of Leeds. He is buried the following month in the seaside town of Scarborough.

Question: Which BBC Director General was appointed and resigned in 2012?
Answer: George Entwhistle