LONDON -- George Entwistle, the director general of the BBC, has resigned over a TV program it aired that wrongly implicated a British politician in a child sex-abuse scandal.

In a brief statement outside BBC headquarters in London, Entwistle said Saturday night that he has decided to do the "honourable thing" and step down.

"When appointed to the role, with 23 years' experience as a producer and leader at the BBC, I was confident the trustees had chosen the best candidate for the post, and the right person to tackle the challenges and opportunities ahead," he said.

"However, the wholly exceptional events of the past few weeks have led me to conclude that the BBC should appoint a new leader."