BBC gags director general Tony Hall to muffle criticism
The BBC has imposed a gagging order on its newly appointed director general, Tony Hall, a move which will prevent the Beeb boss from criticising his organisation during his tenure or for a two year period thereafter.
Hall started in his new role just last week and id the first executive to have his employment contract published, a 17 page document which details the terms of his £450k employment contract, which includes a £225k payout if he is sacked before the contract period expires.
The Telegraph reports that the document details onerous restrictions on what Hall can and can’t say in public, restricting openness and accountability on the organisations failings.
For instance Hall is expressly forbidden from uttering any ‘derogatory or unfavourable public remark or statement about the BBC’ and is also barred from writing or speaking about his employers without ‘prior written consent’.
Hall has previously criticised his disgraced predecessor, George Entwistle, for demanding a £450k cash sum in order to leave quietly following his mismanagement of the Jimmy Savile scandal.