Thompson has tough first day in new job Mark Thompson arrived at the New York Times on Monday morning with a television news crew waiting outside the newspaper's headquarters and a host of questions waiting inside. The former BBC director-general was named chief executive in August, but the unfolding crisis at the institution he led for eight years led many New York Times staff and outside analysts to question whether he would make it to his first day in the job. As his successor, George Entwistle, resigned at the weekend, one analyst argued that Mr Thompson should step aside for the sake of the the New York Times. The US publisher "just borrowed trouble it did not need," said Ken Doctor of Outsell. He added: "These things always mushroom. Even if there's no substance to it, and I hope there's not, given what a piñata the BBC is going to be in Britain for the next year, he's going to be dragged through it. Mr Thompson told the ITV News crew the BBC's troubles would not affect his new job. I'm very saddened by recent events at the BBC. But I believe the BBC is the world's greatest broadcaster and I've got no doubt that it will once again regain the public's trust both in the UK and around the world," he said. Before picking up his employee identification and hosting a morning meeting with senior executives, Mr Thompson was greeted by a supportive statement from his new chairman. Arthur Sulzberger Jr, who was due to host a dinner for Mr Thompson on Monday, praised "his focus, meaningful expertise and appreciation for the long-term future of the Times Company." Mr Thompson's experience at the BBC of digital transformation, international growth and productivity improvements would be "of great value to our company as we continue our pursuit of creating the highest quality journalism and the business results to support it," he added. Friends of Mr Sulzberger recalled his record of loyalty to colleagues under pressure and said the board had given Mr Thompson unanimous backing. Editorial operations at the flagship newspaper report to Mr Sulzberger, its publisher, and prominent editorial figures have been less welcoming to Mr Thompson. A newsroom investigation said the BBC's leaders had "missed red flags" over the Jimmy Savile child abuse scandal, its public editor queried whether Mr Thompson was the right man for the job, and columnist Joe Nocera said he appeared "wilfully ignorant." A sharp fall in the group's advertising revenues may be more troubling for Mr Thompson, because it threatens to limit his options. Poor third quarter figures released last month showed an 8.9 per cent year-on-year decline in ad revenues, shocking analysts and sending the company's stock down 22 per cent in a day. Plans to expand digital, video and international operations and make wider use of the New York Times brand could all be hampered if sales and profits fall short of targets. Pressure is also building to restore dividend payments, which were suspended in 2009, to the controlling Sulzberger family and other shareholders. Advertisers reading headlines about the US economy facing a possible "fiscal cliff" have become wary, exacerbating weakness in print advertising. On Monday, UBS estimated that advertising in the New York Times was down 28 per cent so far this month. At the end of Mr Thompson's first day, its shares closed down 2.5 per cent at $8.20, giving it a market capitalisation of $1.2bn.