BBC Trust bashes together plan for director general succession
THE BBC Trust met yesterday to put together a plan to appoint the next director general following George Entwistle’s weekend departure, with the most likely solution appearing to be a direct approach for a former candidate.
“They decided that there was a pressing need to make an appointment as soon as possible,” one source close to the Trust said.
Ofcom chief Ed Richards, who was linked to the job before Entwistle was appointed, is the bookmaker’s favourite.
In other developments, communications regulator Ofcom said it would investigate BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV’s This Morning over the child abuse allegations scandals that forced Entwistle to step down.
Former Tory treasurer Lord McAlpine, who was wrongly implicated in Newsnight allegations, said last night he had reached a settlement with the BBC, and would receive £185 000, plus costs. “We will now be continuing to seek settlements from other organisations that have published defamatory remarks and individuals who have used Twitter to defame me,” said Lord McAlpine.