The BBC on Thursday appointed Tony Hall to the post of director-general, as the British broadcaster seeks to deal with the fallout from a child abuse scandal and accusations of false reporting that have tarnished its global image. Hall, who currently heads London's Royal Opera House, will take up the baton at the public broadcaster in March. Before taking over as head of London's leading opera house, the 61-year-old enjoyed a highly-successful career at the BBC stretching over 28 years. Analysts portray him as a modernizer, according to dpa. Chris Patten, the chairman of the BBC trust, said Hall was the "right person" to take over the editorial leadership of the BBC at this time. He would prove invaluable as the BBC looks to rebuild its reputation and the trust of its audiences. "Tony Hall has been an insider and is 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," Patten said. Hall said he had accepted the job because he believes passionately in the BBC. "I want to build a world-class team to lead a world-class BBC," he said. The corporation has been rocked in recent months by a scandal, centering on former TV entertainer Jimmy Savile, who is alleged to have abused hundreds of children while he worked for the BBC for four decades, starting in the 1960s. -- SPA
