Sixty-one-year-old Tony Hall - Lord Hall of Birkenhead has been appointed the new BBC Director General and will start his new role in early March on a salary of £450,000 a year.

The chief executive of the Royal Opera House and the BBC's former director of news, is taking over from the caretaker head Tim Davie - who in turn replaced George Entwistle who resigned earlier this month after just 54 days in the job, as allegations of sexual abuse committed by BBC star presenter Jimmy Savile came to light which the BBC failed to investigate or report. And a Newsnight report, about claims of child abuse at north Wales care homes, that he said was guilty of "unacceptable journalistic standards" and should not have aired.

BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten said Lord Hall was "the right person to lead the BBC out of its current crisis".To which Lord Hall said "It's been a difficult few weeks - but together we'll get through it."

Written and presented by Ann Salter