The BBC has announced this morning that Tony Hall, chief executive of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, is to be its new director general.

Hall, who was awarded a CBE in 2005 and became a crossbench member of the House of Lords in March 2010, will join the Corporation in March next year, on a salary of £450,000.

Before joining the Royal Opera House in 2001, Hall had worked at the BBC for many years, most recently as director of BBC News, where he launched Radio 5 Live and the BBC News Channel.

He will succeed George Entwistle who stepped down earlier this month after just 54 days in the job following a Newsnight report that inaccurately implicated Lord McAlpine in a child abuse scandal. Tim Davie will remain as acting director general until Hall joins.

The BBC said the appointment was made following a direct approach from the BBC Trust to Hall. The Trust did not approach any other candidates.

Hall did not apply for the job when it last became vacant as a result of Mark Thompson's departure.

Lord Patten, chair of the BBC Trust, said: "Just over four months ago the Trust completed a thorough recruitment process. Tony Hall wasn't available then but I am delighted he has agreed to come on board now.

"Of course we might have considered going through the whole lengthy recruitment process again with a new round of advertisements and another global hunt for candidates. But I believe the approach we have taken is ultimately in the interests of the BBC and, most importantly, licence fee payers as we have got the best candidate and he will help the organisation quickly get back on an even keel."

The Royal Opera House is currently number 37 in the Charity 100 Index and in its last financial year it had total income of £112m.

Since joining the Royal Opera House, Hall set up ROH2, a department devoted to supporting new artists and developing new audiences, as well as further new initiatives to widen access to the Opera House.