Lord Tony Hall steps down as Director-General of the BBC after seven years as corporation faces multi-million pound payout to up to 120 staff over Samira Ahmed equal pay case
- Hall will lead BBC for six months as search for his replacement gets underway
- Successor to be tasked with negotiating the BBC’s future with the government
- Hall joined the BBC in 1973 and was appointed Director of BBC News in 1990
- Reign has seen the corporation undergo one of it’s most tumultuous periods
Lord Tony Hall is stepping down as the Director-General of the BBC, it has been announced.
The shock announcement was revealed in an email to staff this morning, with Hall continuing in the role for six months as the search for a replacement gets underway.
His successor will be tasked with negotiating the BBC’s future with the government, with a new charter due by 2027 and a mid-term review scheduled for 2022.
Praised as a ‘inspirational creative leader’ since taking over in 2013, Hall’s seven-year reign has seen the corporation undergo one of its most tumultuous periods.
More recently, it faced criticism and accusations of bias over its coverage of last month’s general election and its decision to cut free TV licences for over-75s.
The corporation has also been beset by equal pay disputes since 2017, with presenter Samira Ahmed winning a landmark sex discrimination case this month.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has recently questioned if the BBC should continue to be supported by the annual licence fee.
Lord Tony Hall is stepping down as the Director-General of the BBC , it has been announced
In his letter to staff this morning, Hall said it was ‘such a hard decision’ to walk away from the BBC, adding: ‘If I followed my heart I would genuinely never want to leave’.
The son of a bank manager, Hall joined the BBC as a trainee in 1973 and was appointed Director of BBC News in 1990.
Sir David Clementi, chairman of the BBC, praised Lord Hall for leading the corporation with ‘integrity’ – saying he had ‘shaped the BBC for the future’.
He added: ‘Tony Hall is an inspirational creative leader, within the UK and around the globe, and the BBC has been lucky to have him as our Director-General.
Tony has led the BBC with integrity and a passion for our values that is obvious to everyone who meets him.
His reforms have shaped the BBC for the future and he will leave the BBC in the summer with our gratitude and our very best wishes.
‘Responsibility for appointing his successor lies with the BBC Board.
‘Within the next few weeks we will publish a job description and advertise the job, seeking candidates within the Corporation and externally.
‘We are committed to selecting the best qualified person for the job.’