Lord Hall to step down as BBC director general

BBC director general Lord Tony Hall has today announced that he will be standing down this summer after seven years in the role.

In a statement from the BBC, chairman Sir David Clementi said the board would be advertising for a successor within the next few weeks, with an open invitation to both internal and external candidates.

“Tony has led the BBC with integrity and a passion for our values that is obvious to everyone who meets him,” Clementi said. “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.”

Meanwhile, in an email to staff, Hall said he was leaving the corporation so the BBC can have one person to lead it through its mid-term review process in spring 2022 up until the end of its eleven-year Charter in 2027.

“I believe I’ll be leaving the BBC in a much stronger place than when I joined,” Hall said. “Change has been tough at times – and, of course, there’s still more to do. But I believe our recent record of transformation stands comparison with virtually any other creative organisation in the world.”

“In an era of fake news, we remain the gold standard of impartiality and truth. What the BBC is, and what it stands for, is precious for this country. We ignore that at our peril.”

Analysis to follow…