Jubilee controller George Entwistle appointed BBC director general Mr Entwistle, who currently heads up BBC Vision, the unit responsible for all of the BBC's output on television and online, will replace outgoing director general Mark Thompson in the autumn, on a salary of £450,000 a year. A relatively low-key intellectual, Mr Entwistle joined the BBC in 1989, and has wide-ranging programme-making experience, including as editor of Newsnight. He has done stints as head of current affairs, where he also had responsibility for the BBC's investigative documentary strand, Panorama. He was also Controller of Knowledge commissioning, which put him in charge of all of the BBC's factual programmes. Alan Titchmarsh said he was particularly angry at a gaffe in which the Queen was referred to as Her Royal Highness instead of Her Majesty while a segment fronted by Fearne Cotton in which she reviewed a jubilee sick-bag was widely ridiculed. Mr Entwistle, who chairmed the steering committee ultimately responsible for the BBC's jubilee coverage, was unable to defend the output because he was on leave. Reports suggested that he was on holiday but it is understood he was visiting a sick family member. Some staff were hoping for a more charismatic figure who could help to lift morale and fend off outside criticism. Others felt he has not spent long enough in his current role, and would be not be ready to become director general until the next time the position became available. Nevertheles he is a popular choice among many BBC insiders, who were afraid that they would end up with a leader with minimal hands-on experience of making programmes. Lord Patten, the chairman of the BBC Trust which was responsible for choosing Mr Thomson's successor, hailed Mr Entwitle as "a creative leader for a creative organisation." "His experience of making and delivering great programmes that audiences love, built up through many years of working for the Corporation, will prove invaluable as he and his team work to ensure the BBC remains the greatest broadcaster in the world," he said. Above all George is passionate about the BBC, is committed to its public service ethos and has a clear vision for how it can harness the creativity and commitment of its staff to continue to serve audiences in ever more innovative ways. Mr Entwistle spoke of his "love" for the BBC and said it was "a privilege to be asked to lead it into the next stage of its creative life."