David Clementi Confirms He Will Exit as BBC Chairman in February

Sir David Clementi is stepping down as chairman of the BBC in February.

Variety has confirmed that Clementi will not seek a second term as chairman of the U.K. public broadcaster after completing four years in the post, which allows for two consecutive four-year terms.

The chairman of the BBC is officially appointed by the Queen upon the recommendations of government, and specifically the Culture Secretary, Oliver Dowden.

It has been rumored that director general Tony Hall’s departure from the corporation this year was a strategic move that allowed Clementi to select Hall’s successor with the BBC board, rather than allowing the next government-appointed chairman to do so.

Under Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the BBC’s future — and particularly its funding model — has been in question. Dowden has been expected to appoint a new chairman, which will allow the government to have a closer relationship with the corporation.

Clementi led the recruitment of the BBC’s new director general Tim Davie, and revealed his planned departure in February as part of Friday’s announcement.

Clementi, an ex-Bank of England governor, assumed the role in February 2017, a month after the BBC Charter came into effect. The constitutional basis of the BBC, the Charter runs until Dec. 31, 2027, but is coming up on a mid-term review in spring 2022, meaning the next government-appointed chairman will play a major role in shepherding the BBC’s next chapter, alongside Davie.