Tony Hall, the director general of the BBC, announced in a statement to colleagues earlier on Monday that he would be stepping down from the role this summer. Hall was appointed as the head of one of the world's largest media organizations in 2012, after previously serving as head of news between 1993 and 2001 at the corporation. 

In an email to colleagues, Hall wrote: "If I followed my heart, I would genuinely never want to leave." He added he believed "that an important part of leadership is putting the interests of the organization first." As a result. Hall said the next person to take the role would need to be in the post prior to the BBC's mid-term charter review in 2022.

Hall's resignation comes at a turbulent time for the British broadcaster. Over the past few months, the BBC has dealt with problems including equal pay disputes, political bias during the general election and TV license funding.

Recently, Samira Ahmed, a BBC presenter, successfully won her equal pay claim against the corporation after arguing she was due £700,000 ($909,000) because her male colleagues had been paid more than her for similar work. It is now expected that the BBC could face a barrage of similar claims from other female staff.

British newspaper, The Times originally reported last week that the BBC was now considering lifting controversial confidentiality clauses that stopped staff discussing disputes and settlements with colleagues, friends and the media. In 2017, the BBC revealed that its male staff on average were being paid 9 percent more than their female counterparts.

The BBC had also been subject to debate surrounding the issue of diversity. Hall last week said the BBC by 2027 would be looking to move more of its production away from London to help tackle the issue, with jobs moving to Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the north-east of England and Bristol in the west. 

The UK's culture secretary, Nicky Morgan thanked Hall for his service on Twitter, saying: "Thanks to Tony Hall for the service he has given to the BBC, including the last seven years as DG [Director General]. He's made a huge contribution to public service broadcasting in his career. In this ever changing broadcast landscape, the next DG will need to build on Lord Hall's success."

Hall's statement added that David Clementi, the current chairman of the BBC, would be starting the organization's search for a new director deneral in the coming weeks. Clementi said in a separate statement that the BBC was "lucky" to have Hall in the role and now was "committed to selecting the best qualified person for the job," according to the BBC.