Tony Hall is to step down as director general of the BBC in the summer, after seven years in the role.
Lord Hall said the decision had been hard, adding: “If I followed my heart I would genuinely never want to leave.”
But he said he felt it was important the BBC had the same leader for the BBC’s mid-term review in 2022 and the renewal of its charter in 2027.
Sir David Clementi, chairman of the BBC, said the corporation had been “lucky to have him”.
He said Lord Hall had been “an inspirational creative leader” who had “led the BBC with integrity and a passion for our values”.
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