Dorothy Byrne

Who is Dorothy Byrne?

Dorothy Byrne is Head of News and Current Affairs at Channel 4 Television. She was born in Paisley, the daughter of Charles and Agnes Byrne. She was educated at Layton Hill Convent, Blackpool, Manchester University and Sheffield University.

She was producer for World in Action, 1987–94, and Editor of The Big Story, 1996–98. In 1998 she was appointed editor of Current Affairs for Channel 4.

In 2005, she was appointed Visiting Professor of the School of Journalism at Lincoln University.

In December 2008 she defended Channel 4's invitation to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian President, to deliver the channel's 'Alternative Christmas Message', saying "as the leader of one of the most powerful states in the Middle East, President Ahmadinejad's views are enormously influential... we are offering our viewers an insight into an alternative world view". This controversy saw Byrne's name appearing in various British newspapers, including The Times.