Mark Byford Totally Explained

Everything about Mark Byford totally explained

Mark Byford (born June 13 1958) is Deputy Director General of the BBC and head of all its journalism. As Chair of the BBC’s Journalism Board, he's overall responsibility for the world’s largest and most trusted news organisation providing extensive news and current affairs services across radio, television and interactive media for the UK and the world. His responsibilities also include BBC Sport and Editorial Policy. He is also Chair of the BBC's Editorial Standards Board responsible for promoting the highest standards in ethics and programme-making across the BBC; Chair of the BBC Complaints Management Board responsible for the efficient and effective handling of complaints across the Corporation; Chair of the Learning Board responsible for developing training and staff development across the BBC; and Chair of the BBC's London 2012 Olympic Games Coordinating Group.

Early life

He was born in Castleford, West Yorkshire, and he spent his early years living around the West Riding area of Yorkshire where his father was a policeman. Sir Lawrence Byford went on to become Chief Constable of Lincolnshire and Mark's secondary education was at Lincoln's Christ's Hospital state school. He returned to West Yorkshire in 1976 studying Law at the University of Leeds. At Leeds, he became 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

He is an award-winning journalist and editor with more than twenty-eight years’ experience with the BBC. In 1981, aged just 22, he produced the Royal Television Society’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, where he'd become assistant news editor. In September 1985, he was a documentary features producer at BBC South, then became News Editor at BBC West in Bristol in May 1987. In October 1988, he became Home News Editor in London, having responsibility for all television newsgathering for the BBC across the UK. In 1989 he returned to Yorkshire to become the head of the BBC North region, based in Leeds. In 1991, aged 33, he was appointed Controller Regional Broadcasting.
   He joined the BBC’s Board of Management in 1996 as Director, Regional Broadcasting responsible for all BBC activities across the UK, outside London. Two years later he became Director of the BBC World Service and went on to establish and lead the BBC’s multi-media Global News Division in 2002. Under his leadership, BBC World Service increased its audience to a record 150 million weekly listeners and won prestigious Sony Radio and Webby internet awards.
   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, and Mark Byford became Acting Director General for five months. With no substantive Chairman and Director General, he stabilised the organisation as it faced the biggest crisis in its history. At the same time, he played a key, leading part in drawing up "Building Public Value" the BBC's Charter Renewal response and its vision for its role in the digital age.
   When Mark Thompson was appointed Director General in June 2004, he enhanced Mark Byford’s role as his number two to be head of all the BBC’s journalism at UK, international and local levels – the first time such an appointment has been made. In July 2006, his responsibilities were extended further to also include the BBC Sport division.
   Under his overall leadership, the BBC's journalism services have built audiences to record levels with a weekly reach of more than 80% of the UK population and more than 200 million people worldwide, and won numerous Emmy, BAFTA, Royal Television Society, Sony Radio and Webby internet awards.

Personal life

He is married to Hilary (née Bleiker), who he met whilst at Leeds University where she studied English, and they've five children, two sons and three daughters. He lives in Winchester in Hampshire and in 2006 was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Winchester. His hobbies include family life, sport and rock music. He supports the Leeds United and Southampton football teams and has a well-known reputation for an encyclopaedic knowledge of rock and pop music, especially The Beatles.

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