Mark Byford
Encyclopedia
Mark Byford was Deputy Director General of the British Broadcasting Corporation and head of BBC Journalism from 2004-2011. He chaired the BBC Journalism Board and had overall responsibility for the world’s largest and most trusted news organisation, and all its radio, television and interactive journalism content across the UK and around the globe.
His responsibilities included BBC Sport
, the Nations (BBC Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and Editorial Policy.He led the BBC wide coverage of the General Elections in 2005 and 2010; the Beijing Olympic Games coverage in 2008;and the BBC coverage of the Queen Mother's Funeral in 2002 and the Royal Wedding in 2011.
Byford chaired the BBC's Editorial Standards Board, which is responsible for promoting the BBC's standards in ethics and programme-making across the Corporation. He also chaired the Complaints Management Board, which oversees the handling of complaints across the BBC. In addition, he was the chair of the BBC Academy Board coordinating all its training and development. He was in overall charge of the BBC's planning for the London 2012 Olympic Games as Chair of the London 2012 Steering Group.
On 12 October 2010 it was announced that Byford had accepted redundancy and would stand down from the Executive Board in March 2011 and leave the Corporation in June 2011.
, West Yorkshire
. He spent his early years living around the West Riding, Yorkshire, where his father, Sir Lawrence Byford, served as a policeman. Sir Lawrence went on to become Chief Constable of Lincolnshire, and later, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary. Mark was educated at Lincoln School which later became Lincoln
Christ's Hospital Comprehensive School.
He returned to West Yorkshire in 1976, studying Law at the University of Leeds
, where he was president of Devonshire Hall. Immediately on graduating he joined the BBC in 1979, aged 20, as a “temporary holiday relief assistant” working as a researcher over the summer holiday in his local (Look North) television newsroom in Leeds. After three months vacation work, he joined the BBC full-time.
’s Regional News programme of the Year – a Look North
special on unemployment in the north of England.
The following year, in 1982, he produced the award-winning edition again – this time with South Today in Southampton. In 1987 he became Head of News at BBC Bristol before becoming Home Editor BBC News and Current Affairs responsible for all television network newsgathering coverage across the UK. There he led the BBC's coverage of the Clapham rail crash, the Kegworth M1 air crash, the Lockerbie bombing, Hillsborough and the Marchioness riverboat disaster. In 1990 he returned to Leeds as Head of Centre. In 1991 he became Controller Regional Broadcasting aged 33.
He joined the BBC’s Board of Management in 1996 as Director, Regional Broadcasting responsible for all the BBC's activities across the UK, outside of London. In 1998 he became Director of the BBC World Service
and then Head of the BBC’s multi-media Global News Division in 2002.
In January 2004 he became Deputy Director General of the BBC but within three weeks of his appointment Greg Dyke
resigned as Director General, following the publication of the Hutton Report
. Byford was appointed by the Board of Governors as Acting Director-General, a role that he undertook for five months. During this period, Byford had a lead role in producing "Building Public Value", the BBC's Charter renewal manifesto.
When Mark Thompson
was appointed Director-General
in June 2004, Byford's role was enlarged to take responsibility for all the BBC’s journalism at UK, international and local levels -the first time such a post leading the BBC's Journalism at all levels across radio,television and online, had been established. In July 2006, he also become responsible for BBC Sport.
During his tenure, the BBC's journalism service built audiences to record levels with a weekly reach of more than 80% of the UK population and more than 230 million people worldwide, and won numerous Emmy, BAFTA, Royal Television Society, Sony Radio and Webby internet awards. However, in June 2008 the BBC's governing body, the BBC Trust
in a direct criticism of BBC News instructed Byford and his Editors to "improve the range, clarity and precision of its network coverage of the different UK nations and regions". The Trust said the BBC was "falling short of its own high standards" and in part failing to meet its core purpose of helping inform democracy.
As Chair of the BBC's Editorial Standards Board, Byford led the Executive's response to the faked competitions scandals that engulfed the Corporation in 2007 including designing the special training programme "Safeguarding Trust" which more than 17,000 members of staff had to attend. In November 2008, he led the investigation into the Brand/Ross affair and produced the special report that was published subsequently by the BBC Trust
. He is a Fellow of The Radio Academy
.
In July 2010 it was revealed that Byford had flown on business to the World Cup in South Africa business class at a cost of £4,878. This came against a background of further cuts in BBC News, for which Byford is responsible. On 12 October 2010 it was announced Byford was being made redundant and the Deputy Director General post closed as part of the BBC's cutbacks in senior management costs.Byford left the Executive Board of the BBC at the end of March 2011, and his BBC employment ended in the early summer after he led the Royal Wedding coverage, reportedly with a redundancy/notice package of between £800,000 and £900,000.
degree by the University of Leeds
in 2008. He and his family live in Winchester
.
In 2006 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Winchester
. In 2010, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Lincoln, the city where he spent his teenage years.
His responsibilities included BBC Sport
BBC Sport
BBC Sport is the sports division of the BBC. It became a fully dedicated division of the BBC in 2000. It incorporates programmes such as Match of the Day, Grandstand , Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Rugby Special and coverage of Formula One motor racing, MotoGP and the Wimbledon Tennis...
, the Nations (BBC Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and Editorial Policy.He led the BBC wide coverage of the General Elections in 2005 and 2010; the Beijing Olympic Games coverage in 2008;and the BBC coverage of the Queen Mother's Funeral in 2002 and the Royal Wedding in 2011.
Byford chaired the BBC's Editorial Standards Board, which is responsible for promoting the BBC's standards in ethics and programme-making across the Corporation. He also chaired the Complaints Management Board, which oversees the handling of complaints across the BBC. In addition, he was the chair of the BBC Academy Board coordinating all its training and development. He was in overall charge of the BBC's planning for the London 2012 Olympic Games as Chair of the London 2012 Steering Group.
On 12 October 2010 it was announced that Byford had accepted redundancy and would stand down from the Executive Board in March 2011 and leave the Corporation in June 2011.
Early life
Byford was born in CastlefordCastleford
Castleford is the largest of the "five towns" district in the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, England. It is near Pontefract, and has a population of 37,525 according to the 2001 Census, but has seen a rise in recent years and is now around 45-50,000. To the north...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
. He spent his early years living around the West Riding, Yorkshire, where his father, Sir Lawrence Byford, served as a policeman. Sir Lawrence went on to become Chief Constable of Lincolnshire, and later, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary. Mark was educated at Lincoln School which later became Lincoln
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
Christ's Hospital Comprehensive School.
He returned to West Yorkshire in 1976, studying Law at the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, where he was president of Devonshire Hall. Immediately on graduating he joined the BBC in 1979, aged 20, as a “temporary holiday relief assistant” working as a researcher over the summer holiday in his local (Look North) television newsroom in Leeds. After three months vacation work, he joined the BBC full-time.
Career with the BBC
In 1981, aged just 22, he produced the Royal Television SocietyRoyal Television Society
The Royal Television Society is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present and future. It is the oldest television society in the world...
’s Regional News programme of the Year – a Look North
BBC Look North (Yorkshire and North Midlands)
BBC Look North is the BBC's regional television news service for West & South Yorkshire, parts of North Yorkshire and the North Midlands. The programmes as produced and broadcast from the BBC Broadcasting Centre at St...
special on unemployment in the north of England.
The following year, in 1982, he produced the award-winning edition again – this time with South Today in Southampton. In 1987 he became Head of News at BBC Bristol before becoming Home Editor BBC News and Current Affairs responsible for all television network newsgathering coverage across the UK. There he led the BBC's coverage of the Clapham rail crash, the Kegworth M1 air crash, the Lockerbie bombing, Hillsborough and the Marchioness riverboat disaster. In 1990 he returned to Leeds as Head of Centre. In 1991 he became Controller Regional Broadcasting aged 33.
He joined the BBC’s Board of Management in 1996 as Director, Regional Broadcasting responsible for all the BBC's activities across the UK, outside of London. In 1998 he became Director of the BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
and then Head of the BBC’s multi-media Global News Division in 2002.
In January 2004 he became Deputy Director General of the BBC but within three weeks of his appointment Greg Dyke
Greg Dyke
Gregory "Greg" Dyke is a British media executive, journalist and broadcaster. Since the 1960s, Dyke has a long career in the UK in print and then broadcast journalism. He is credited with introducing 'tabloid' television to British broadcasting, and reviving the ratings of TV-am...
resigned as Director General, following the publication of the Hutton Report
Hutton Inquiry
The Hutton Inquiry was a 2003 judicial inquiry in the UK chaired by Lord Hutton, who was appointed by the Labour government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of David Kelly, a biological warfare expert and former UN weapons inspector in Iraq.On 18 July 2003, Kelly, an employee...
. Byford was appointed by the Board of Governors as Acting Director-General, a role that he undertook for five months. During this period, Byford had a lead role in producing "Building Public Value", the BBC's Charter renewal manifesto.
When Mark Thompson
Mark Thompson
Mark John Thompson is Director-General of the BBC, a post he has held since 2004, and a former chief executive of Channel 4...
was appointed Director-General
Director-general
The term director-general is a title given the highest executive officer within a governmental, statutory, NGO, third sector or not-for-profit institution.-European Union:...
in June 2004, Byford's role was enlarged to take responsibility for all the BBC’s journalism at UK, international and local levels -the first time such a post leading the BBC's Journalism at all levels across radio,television and online, had been established. In July 2006, he also become responsible for BBC Sport.
During his tenure, the BBC's journalism service built audiences to record levels with a weekly reach of more than 80% of the UK population and more than 230 million people worldwide, and won numerous Emmy, BAFTA, Royal Television Society, Sony Radio and Webby internet awards. However, in June 2008 the BBC's governing body, the BBC Trust
BBC Trust
The BBC Trust is the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation. It is operationally independent of BBC management and external bodies, and aims to act in the best interests of licence fee payers....
in a direct criticism of BBC News instructed Byford and his Editors to "improve the range, clarity and precision of its network coverage of the different UK nations and regions". The Trust said the BBC was "falling short of its own high standards" and in part failing to meet its core purpose of helping inform democracy.
As Chair of the BBC's Editorial Standards Board, Byford led the Executive's response to the faked competitions scandals that engulfed the Corporation in 2007 including designing the special training programme "Safeguarding Trust" which more than 17,000 members of staff had to attend. In November 2008, he led the investigation into the Brand/Ross affair and produced the special report that was published subsequently by the BBC Trust
BBC Trust
The BBC Trust is the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation. It is operationally independent of BBC management and external bodies, and aims to act in the best interests of licence fee payers....
. He is a Fellow of The Radio Academy
Radio Academy
The Radio Academy is a registered charity that is dedicated to 'the encouragement, recognition and promotion of excellence in UK broadcasting and audio production'....
.
In July 2010 it was revealed that Byford had flown on business to the World Cup in South Africa business class at a cost of £4,878. This came against a background of further cuts in BBC News, for which Byford is responsible. On 12 October 2010 it was announced Byford was being made redundant and the Deputy Director General post closed as part of the BBC's cutbacks in senior management costs.Byford left the Executive Board of the BBC at the end of March 2011, and his BBC employment ended in the early summer after he led the Royal Wedding coverage, reportedly with a redundancy/notice package of between £800,000 and £900,000.
Personal life
He is married to Hilary Bleiker, whom he met whilst at Leeds University where she studied English, and they have five children, two sons and three daughters. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of LawJuris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree by the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
in 2008. He and his family live in Winchester
Winchester
Winchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
.
In 2006 he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Winchester
University of Winchester
The University of Winchester is a British public university primarily based in Winchester, Hampshire, England. Winchester is a historic cathedral city and the ancient capital of Wessex and the Kingdom of England.-History:...
. In 2010, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Lincoln, the city where he spent his teenage years.