FILE PHOTO: BBC Director-General Tony Hall makes a statement after the publication of the Janet Smith Report in London, Britain February 25, 2016. REUTERS/Adrian Dennis/Pool/File Photo
The British Broadcasting Corp. announced that Tony Hall will stand down as director-general this summer after seven years in the role.
BBC Chairman David Clementi said 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,” according to a statement today.
Hall said in an email to staff that the BBC has an eleven-year charter, meaning its mission is "secure” till 2027 -- but that a mid-term review process would take place in 2022 and "it must be right that the BBC has one person to lead it through both stages.”
U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has questioned why the BBC should continue to be supported by an annual fee paid by all viewing households, giving one of the biggest hints to date that the funding of Britain’s main news provider could be upended, Reuters reported last month.
