The BBC’s Director General Tony Hall will stand down in the summer, the British broadcaster announced on Monday.
In a message to staff announcing his decision, Hall explained he would leave in order to allow a new leadership team to steer the organization through a mid-term review in 2022 of the BBC’s charter, which expires in 2027.
The BBC is publicly-funded and has its charter renewed every 11 years by the UK government.
After leaving the broadcaster Hall will become chair of the National Gallery’s Board of Trustees, according to a statement from the gallery. He has served on its board since November 2019.
“It’s been such a hard decision for me. I love the BBC. I’m passionate about our values and the role we have in our country – and what we do globally too,” wrote Hall.
“If I followed my heart I would genuinely never want to leave. However, I believe that an important part of leadership is putting the interests of the organization first.”
The BBC is dealing with a scandal over the corporation’s gender pay gap, which has been investigated by the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission.
On Monday radio presenter Sarah Montague revealed that she had reached a £400,000 ($520,000) settlement with the BBC over pay, and the organization had apologized for treating her “unequally” for years.
The broadcaster also suffered a bruising 2019 general election campaign in which it faced accusations of bias from both main UK political parties, and a December 2019 survey revealed that respondents trusted BBC coverage less than rival ITV.
However Hall, who became Director General in 2013, wrote that he will “be leaving the BBC in a much stronger place than when I joined.”
“It feels a very different organisation – more innovative; more open; more inclusive; more efficient; more commercially aware.”
And Hall said that the BBC’s values are more relevant to society than ever before.
“As our country enters its next chapter it needs a strong BBC, a BBC that can champion the nation’s creativity at home and abroad, and help play its part in bringing the UK together,” he wrote.
“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.”
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously suggested he could scrap the license fee that funds the network’s entertainment programs and supports its journalists around the world.
A December 2019 survey of the British public delivered a blow to the organization when it revealed 67% of respondents support scrapping or substantially reforming the fee system, which provides the BBC with most of its funding.
And that same survey showed the BBC is not the most trusted news source in the country.
A reported 69% of respondents said they trust the BBC to deliver impartial and accurate television news.
That’s less than the 73% of people who trust rival TV source ITV News, but more than the 55% who place their faith in Comcast-owned broadcaster Sky News.
This story has been corrected to more accurately describe the review process around the BBC’s charter.
