Mark Thompson has raised the bar for British media alumni in America

His own journalistic pedigree will help him deliver the news to staff. Most media chiefs in the US come from the commercial side of the business, but Mr Thompson cut his teeth in editorial. He joined the BBC as a production trainee in 1979 and did stints as editor of the Nine O’Clock News and the BBC’s flagship current affairs show, Panorama, before joining the ranks of senior management.

But whilst this might be welcomed by New York Times staff, shareholders in the beleaguered newspaper will be looking hawk-eyed at Mr Thompson’s technological and international experience.

As director general, Mr Thompson has been responsible for the BBC’s global reputation as it launched myriad channels around the world. Similarly, he will need to ensure The New York Times brand does not get diluted by its plans for global expansion.

Last month the newspaper quietly started a Chinese-language website, with plans for a full-scale launch in November. Meanwhile it is working on foreign-language websites in Germany, Japan and could launch a tailor-made London edition.

It is also plotting its reinvention as a digital business, where Mr Thompson’s experience will be key. He is sometimes criticised for being too cautious a leader, but his success in overseeing the launch of the BBC iPlayer is seen as a testament that this careful approach can pay dividends.

“What he’s good at is going in, assessing a problem and backing the right technology,” says David Docherty, a friend of Mr Thompson’s who was deputy director of television whilst he ran BBC2. “He knows to pour the tea into the saucer and blow on it. He recognises that snap judgements are not always right.”

It is no surprise that most of the other candidates in the running for the job were in the technology sector. Mr Thompson is faced with the task of dragging the Grey Lady into full technicolour, with online video. He is crossing the Atlantic, but he is not crossing into the unknown. The biggest difference is that he will not have the luxury of a pre-determined licence fee this time. Instead Mr Thompson will have to deal with the difficulties of volatile advertising revenue and a global downturn.