George Entwistle
George Entwistle | |
---|---|
15th Director-General of the BBC | |
In office 17 September 2012 – 10 November 2012 | |
Preceded by | Mark Thompson |
Succeeded by | Tim Davie (acting) |
Personal details | |
Born | George Edward Entwistle 8 July 1962 |
Nationality | British |
Spouse |
Jane Porter (m. 1992) |
Children | 2 |
University of Durham | |
George Edward Entwistle (born 8 July 1962) is a former broadcasting executive, who was
Entwistle resigned as Director-General on 10 November 2012, following controversy over a
Early life
Entwistle was born on 8 July 1962, the son of Philip and Wendy Entwistle.
Career
Publishing
From 1984 to 1989, Entwistle worked as a writer and editor at Haymarket Magazines.[5] In particular, he worked as editor of New HiFi Sound, as well as reviewing classical music.[7]
Broadcasting
In 1989, Entwistle joined the
Broadcasting executive
In 2004, Entwistle was appointed executive editor of Topical Arts on BBC Two and
Director-General of the BBC
On 4 July 2012, the Chairman of the BBC Trust, Lord Patten, announced that Entwistle had been appointed to succeed Mark Thompson as Director-General of the BBC. He took up the post on 17 September 2012.[12][13] Entwistle described himself as the "right person for the job".[14]
Following Entwistle's departure Greg Dyke, a previous Director-General who had himself been persuaded to resign under controversial circumstances, offered his insights on the Entwistle affair:
- "...you have to go back six years to when Tessa Jowell .... lumbered the BBC with a new governance system that everyone told her wouldn’t work."[15]
When Lord Patten was appointed five years later,
- "...it was clear, to me at least, that he was working out how he could be an all-powerful BBC chairman. First, he announced publicly that the successful and experienced existing director-general, Mark Thompson, would be leaving sooner than planned. Then he manoeuvred into Thompson’s place George Entwistle, someone with limited managerial experience and no experience of dealing with a crisis."[15]
To compensate for Entwistle's shortcomings Patten,
- "...would guide and help his inexperienced protégé. As it turned out, Patten wasn’t exactly standing alongside George on the barricades when it all went wrong. And, as a result, young Entwistle was hung out to dry, his career effectively destroyed..... He wasn’t given the support from above that he needed and deserved."[15]
Only a matter of weeks into Entwistle's tenure as Director-General, the BBC became embroiled in the
Entwistle resigned as BBC Director-General on 10 November 2012, following controversy over a Newsnight report which indirectly and incorrectly implicated
Entwistle was publicly supported by Jeremy Paxman, Michael Crick, John Ware, Stephen Fry and Ben Bradshaw.[20]
Personal life
In 1992, Entwistle married Jane Porter in Wandsworth. They have a son (born 1994) and daughter (born 1996).[citation needed]
In 2013, Entwistle enrolled as a Master's student at St Catherine's College, Oxford, studying the history of design.[21]
References
- ^ a b "George Entwistle appointed as Director-General of the BBC". BBC Trust. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
- ^ "BBC Boss Resigns After Newsnight Abuse Report". 10 November 2012.
- ^ "BBC Director General George Entwistle resigns after broadcasting false child abuse accusations". Poynter. 10 November 2012. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
- ^ "ENTWISTLE, George". Who's Who 2012. A & C Black. December 2011.
{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ a b c d "George Entwistle, Director, Vision". Inside the BBC - Biographies. BBC. 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
- ^ "Durham alumnus becomes new BBC Director General". Durham Newswire. September 2012.
- ^ John Plunkett (4 July 2012). "BBC director general: George Entwistle profile". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
- ^ "New Head Of Television Current Affairs for BBC". BBC Press Office. 7 November 2005. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
- ^ "George Entwistle announced as acting Controller at BBC Four". BBC Press Office. 19 April 2007. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
- ^ "George Entwistle named Controller, Knowledge Commissioning". BBC Press Office. 20 November 2007. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
- ^ "BBC appoints George Entwistle as Director, BBC Vision". BBC Press Office. 27 April 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
- ^ "George Entwistle resigns". BBC News. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
- ^ "George Entwistle named as new BBC director general". Reuters. 4 July 2012.
- ^ In pictures: Entwistle's short BBC reign BBC News, 11 November 2012.
- ^ a b c Greg Dyke, The BBC can get out of this hole, The Daily Telegraph, 23 November 2012
- ^ O'Carroll, Lisa (23 October 2012). "Jimmy Savile scandal: questions mount as George Entwistle squirms". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
- ^ "George Entwistle interview in full by John Humphrys on Radio 4 Today Programme 10 November 2012". 12 November 2012.
- ^ "BBC Newsnight: Entwistle says 'wrong' to air film". 10 November 2012.
- ^ "George Entwistle resigns as BBC director general". BBC News. 10 November 2012.
- ^ "Reactions to George Entwistle resignation". Digital Spy. 10 November 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
- ^ Richards, Ella (17 October 2013). "Ex-BBC boss comes to Oxford". Cherwell. Oxford. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
External links