John Birt, Baron Birt

Who is John Birt, Baron Birt?

John Birt, Baron Birt is a former Director-General of the BBC who was in the post from 1992 to 2000.

After a successful career in commercial television, first at Granada Television and then at LWT, Birt was appointed Deputy Director-General of the BBC in 1987 for his current affairs expertise. The forced departure of Director-General Alasdair Milne following pressure from the Thatcher government required someone at the top, preferably from outside the BBC, with editorial and production experience.

During his tenure as Director-General, Birt restructured the BBC, in the face of much internal opposition. However, he is credited with saving the corporation from possible government sell-off, and properly equipped it to face the digital age. Birt was Strategic Advisor to Prime Minister Tony Blair from 2001 to 2005.