The BBC has confirmed that Deputy Director-General Mark Byford is to leave the organisation “in early summer” after stepping down from the Corporation’s Executive Board at the end of March.
Byford’s current responsibilities place him in charge of the BBC’s journalism including the corporation’s editorial policy.
In an email sent to all BBC staff Thompson said the BBC “have concluded – and Mark fully accepts – that the work he has done to develop our journalism and editorial standards across the BBC has achieved the goals we set to such an extent that the role of Deputy Director-General can now end”.
The email also confirms that Byford, who has worked at the BBC for more than 30 years, will be made redundant. The BBC’s own news site reports that Byford “is expected to receive a redundancy payment of between £800,000 and £900,000.”
Byford attracted praise from some for his performance as acting director general after Greg Dyke resigned over the Hutton inquiry in 2004. However he has recently been criticised over his expenses including the cost of flights to South Africa to see the World Cup final.
In his own email to staff Mr Byford said he was “very sad to leave this brilliant organisation that has been such a dominant part of my life for so long” but said the decision “is the right way forward.”
The BBC has confirmed that Director of News Helen Boaden will join the Executive Board from April 2011 to represent BBC Journalism.
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