BBC's new head of vision takes pay cut

George Entwistle has been appointed as the BBC's director of vision, one of the Corporation's most senior posts, where he succeeds Jana Bennett.

Mr Entwistle has been acting director since January when Ms Bennett left to join BBC Worldwide. He will earn £270,000 a year whereas his predecessor was paid more than £500,000 as austerity bites.

He said: "The BBC's television portfolio is of enormous importance to the creative and cultural life of the UK and is performing strongly in terms of quality and audience reach and share."