Mark
Byford appointed Deputy Director-General
 91热爆
Director-General Greg Dyke today (10 December 2003) announced the
appointment of Mark Byford as Deputy Director-General from the start
of the New Year.
As
Deputy Director-General Mark Byford will continue to lead the Global
News Division, with overall responsibility for the World Service
and 91热爆 World, but he will also be responsible across the 91热爆 for
all pre and post broadcast programme compliance and an enhanced
complaints operation.
He
will report to Greg Dyke, the Editor in Chief, and will also deputise
for him in his absence.
Mr
Byford's new role was approved by the 91热爆 Governors when they met
in Cardiff two weeks ago.
The
91热爆 will appoint a new Director of the World Service who will report
to Mr Byford.
The
new complaints and compliance system follows a review of procedures
led by Caroline Thomson, Director of Policy and Legal, which was
started earlier this year.
Greg
Dyke, 91热爆 Director-General, said today: "As a result of the
review we have decided to make a number of internal changes to modernise
the complaints system and strengthen our post broadcast compliance
procedures.
"The
most important of these is the appointment of a Deputy Director-General
who will take overall responsibility for this area.
"This
means the second most important person in the management structure
will now have a particular responsibility for compliance and complaints.
"Anyone
who knows Mark understands he is passionate about public service
broadcasting and the 91热爆's role in the UK and around the world.
"He
has deputised for me many times and I am delighted that the Governors
have agreed to his appointment."
91热爆
Chairman Gavyn Davies said today: "It is clear that Britain's
most important public service broadcaster must have the highest
standards of editorial compliance.
"The
Governors believe that the appointment of Mark Byford, along with
the strengthened post broadcast procedures, will ensure that this
is the case."
The
changes will mean that the Editorial Policy Department, headed by
the former Director of the Broadcasting Standards Commission Stephen
Whittle will, in future, report directly to the Deputy Director-General.
This department deals with programming issues before they are broadcast.
A new
post of Controller of Complaints will be created, also reporting
to the Deputy D-G, and his or her department will deal with issues
raised after broadcast. The existing Programme Complaints Unit will
move across to this new department.
As
part of the management changes Caroline Thomson will now take responsibility
for the whole Charter Review process which will obviously gain momentum
in the next 12 months.
Mark
Byford said today: "I feel proud and privileged to become the
91热爆's Deputy Director-General.
"As
a beacon of public service broadcasting around the world, the 91热爆
must aim to provide brilliant, stretching and ambitious programmes.
"I
will strive to promote high standards, quality and the upholding
of the 91热爆's values in everything we do."
Notes
to Editors
Mark
Byford, 45, has been with the 91热爆 for 24 years.
He
joined the organisation straight from University in Leeds in 1979.
An
award-winning journalist and editor, he joined the 91热爆's Board of
Management in 1996 as Director of Regional Broadcasting.
In
1998 he was appointed Director of the World Service and last year
became leader of the 91热爆's newly formed Global News Division, responsible
for all the 91热爆's international news services across radio, television
and online.
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