The Guardian. New BBC director general begins task of mending corporation's reputation

Tony Hall will begin the job of repairing the BBC's battered reputation when he takes up the role of director general on Tuesday. Lord Hall, who started out as a BBC trainee 40 years ago, will spend part of his first day speaking to staff at the corporation, which has been beset with problems since the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal came to light last September.

The former BBC news executive also has to contend with low staff morale – highlighted by last week's strike in a row over jobs, workload and claims of bullying.

When the previous director general George Entwistle stepped down in November after a Tory peer was mistakenly implicated in child abuse claims in a BBC2 Newsnight report, Hall was the only candidate contacted by the BBC Trust. Before being offered the £450,000-a-year post, he had been chief executive of the Royal Opera House, a job he took up in 2001.

Confidence from the license-paying public also has to be repaired, who expect the organisation to be run with strong leadership, Hewlett added, with other issues Hall including the negotiation of a new royal charter.

"I think Tony Hall is onto this, and the appointment of James Purnell shows that he is," he said.

Two outstanding appointments Hall still needs to make are those of director of news and director of television, adding to what is an already busy to-do list as he prepares to make his return to the BBC.