BBC DG To Step Down Over Funding Issues

The Director-General of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Tony Hall, has disclosed that he will be stepping down from the management of the organisation in six months over funding-related issues.

He announced this on Monday.

The BBC is funded principally by an annual television license fee (154 pound a year) which is paid by all British households, companies, and organizations with a television.

Recall that Boris Johnson had said that the funding of the BBC was questionable.

“The future of the funding of the BBC should be placed into question as it is unclear that the broadcaster should continue to be supported with public money.

“The system of funding out of what is effectively a general tax bears reflection… how long can you justify a system whereby everybody who has a TV has to pay to fund a particular set of TV and radio channels, that is the question,” he said.

But Hall said that he would have to step aside if that would lead the company towards the path of progress.

 “I will give my all to this organization for the next six months… but in the summer I’ll step down as your Director-General,” he told staff in a group email.

“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.”

Tony also said that “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,” he added.

The Washington post reports that the announcement comes as the publicly funded BBC is facing intense political and public pressure amid a fast-changing media landscape and viewing habits.