Thompson starts new job amid scandal

Download

New York Times Co CEO Mark Thompson started his job on Monday amid a widening scandal at his former employer, the BBC.

When the Times hired him in August, Thompson was hailed as someone who could help the company at a time when print publications are suffering from the loss of readers and advertisers.

Thompson, 55, left the British Broadcasting Corp in September after more than three decades with the public broadcaster. He joined the company as a production trainee in 1979 and spent his last eight years there as director-general.

In recent months, Thompson has faced questions over a decision by the BBC's Newsnight program last December to shelve an investigation into child sexual-abuse allegations against renowned BBC children's television host Jimmy Savile. That decision was made while Thompson was still in charge of the company.

Thompson has said he became aware of the investigative report only after speaking with a BBC journalist at a cocktail party long after it had been canceled. When he inquired later about its cancellation, he said executives told him it had been terminated for journalistic reasons.

Conservative lawmaker Rob Wilson said last month that he has written Thompson seeking more answers.

Savile, who died in October 2011, was known for his eccentricity, garish tracksuits and Cuban cigars. Early last month, BBC rival ITV aired a documentary that detailed sexual abuse allegations against Savile. Since then, scores of women have come forward, alleging that they were abused by Savile when they were underage girls, sometimes in BBC dressing rooms. Savile's behavior was the subject of speculation long before that, but it was never formally investigated by the BBC.

In the latest twist, Thompson's successor as the BBC's top executive, George Entwistle, resigned on Saturday after a Nov 2 Newsnight report wrongly implied that a former British politician sexually abused a child.

After the Savile scandal broke, New York Times Chairman Arthur Sulzberger Jr. sent the company's staff a letter that said he was satisfied Thompson had no role in the decision to scrap the investigative segment on Savile.

The Times Co did not make Thompson available for interviews on Monday. A spokesman said he spent his first day on the job meeting with employees and learning the company.

In a memo to staff on Monday, Sulzberger welcomed Thompson and said his experience "will be of great value to our company." He did not mention the BBC scandal.

"Mark will lead us as we continue our digital transformation, bolster our international growth, drive our productivity and introduce new technologies that will help us become better storytellers and enrich the experience for our readers and viewers," Sulzberger said. "That is what he did as director-general of the BBC."

Thompson is the first foreigner to run the Times since its founding in 1851.

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in Korean.