Iran Press/ Europe: Halls’ resignation came after consistently bad news for the BBC. He said the decision had been hard, adding: "If I followed my heart I would genuinely never want to leave."
Last year, the state broadcaster finished on a miserable note, as two separate opinion polls clearly indicated that the British public demand an end to the license fee.
A poll by Savanta/ComRes, a London-based market research group, showed that two-thirds of respondents (from a 2,000 strong sample) want the £154.50 annual license fee to be either scrapped or significantly reduced.
Another poll by Public First also suggested that 74 percent of the public in the UK support removing the license fee.
The National Gallery subsequently announced he had been appointed chair of its board of trustees.
The BBC's chairman, David Clementi, said the search for the BBC's next leader would begin "within the next few weeks".
BBC Newsnight understands Hall had wanted to stay until the BBC's centenary in 2022, but after "big discussions with the board" it was decided he would go earlier.
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