Mark Thompson 670104 222268037 2008-06-28T12:32:22Z RockfangBot 7369635 re-categorisation per [[WP:CFD|CFD]] using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] {{dablink|This article is about the Director-General of the BBC. For other individuals with the same name, see [[Mark Thompson (disambiguation)]].}} '''Mark Thompson''' (born [[July 31]] [[1957]]) is [[Director-General of the BBC|Director-General]] of the [[BBC]], a post he has held since 2004, and a former [[Chief executive officer|chief executive]] of [[Channel 4]]. ==Early life== Born in [[Stepney]] and brought up in [[Welwyn Garden City]], [[Hertfordshire]], by his [[Irish Catholic]] mother{{Fact|date=May 2008}}, Sydney Corduff, and father, John Thompson, from [[Preston]] (who died when Thompson was 12). He was educated by the [[Jesuits]] at [[Stonyhurst College]] in [[Lancashire]], one of England's leading Catholic public schools, and from there went up to [[Merton College, Oxford|Merton College]], [[Oxford]], where he took a [[British undergraduate degree classification|first]] in [[English literature|English]]. He edited the university magazine ''[[Isis magazine|Isis]]''. ==Appointment as Director-General== Thompson was appointed Director-General on [[May 21]] [[2004]]<ref name=Bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/executives/markthompson.shtml|title=BBC Press Office: Biographies - Mark Thompson|accessdate=2007-10-12}}</ref>. He succeeded [[Greg Dyke]], who resigned on [[January 29]] 2004 in the aftermath of the [[Hutton Inquiry]]. Although he had originally stated he was not interested in the role of Director-General and would turn down any approach from the BBC, he changed his mind, saying the job was a "one-of-a-kind opportunity". The decision to appoint Thompson Director-General was made unanimously by the [[Board of Governors of the BBC|BBC Board of Governors]], headed by the then new Chairman [[Michael Grade]] (another former chief executive of Channel 4). His appointment was widely praised: [[Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport|Culture Secretary]] [[Tessa Jowell]], Shadow Culture Secretary [[Julie Kirkbride]] and [[Greg Dyke]] were amongst those who supported his selection. He took up the role of Director-General on [[June 22]] 2004<ref name=Bio/> ([[Mark Byford]] had been Acting Director-General since Dyke's resignation). On his first day he announced several management changes, including the replacement of the BBC's sixteen-person executive committee with a slimmed-down executive board of nine top managers. His salary for the year 2004/2005 (as disclosed by the BBC) was £453,000, not including a bonus which he waived for this period. == Editorial guideline breaches == In 2007 it emerged that the BBC had been involved in a number of editorial guideline breaches. Mark Thompson, as BBC editor-in-chief investigated these breaches, and presented his interim report to the [[BBC Trust]] on 18 July 2007<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/about/minutes/18_July07.pdf Minutes of Trust meeting 18 July 2007]</ref>. The Trust felt that the BBC’s values of accuracy and honesty had been compromised, and Thompson outlined to the Trust the actions he would take to restore confidence. Later that day he told BBC staff, via an internal televised message<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6905158.stm Key points: Thompson speech to staff on editorial breaches]</ref>, that deception of the public was never acceptable. He said that he, himself, had never deceived the public - it would never have occurred to him to do so, and that he was sure that the same applied to the "overwhelming majority" of BBC staff. He also spoke on [[BBC News 24]]<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_6900000/newsid_6905200/6905245.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&news=1&nol_storyid=6905245&bbcws=1# News 24 interview on editorial guideline breaches (video)]</ref> and was interviewed by [[Gavin Esler]] for [[Newsnight]]. He stated that "from now on, if it [deceiving the public] happens we will show people the door."<ref>[http://newsarchive.awardspace.com/mark_thompson_18_july_2007.html Transcript of Newsnight interview on editorial breaches and staff honesty]</ref> Staff were emailed on 19 July 2007<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/07_july/19/email.shtml Email from Mark Thompson to BBC staff on integrity]</ref> and later in the year all staff, including the Director-General undertook an honesty training course<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/25/nbbc125.xml BBC to teach its stars honesty] [[Daily Telegraph]] retrieved 8 March 2008</ref>. ==Controversy== In late [[2007]], Thompson's directorship at the BBC was criticised. [[Sir Richard Eyre]], former artistic director of the [[National Theatre]], accused the BBC under Thompson's leadership of failing to produce programmes 'that inspired viewers to visit galleries, museums or theatres'.<ref name=Eyre>{{cite web|url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/news/story/0,,2220530,00.html|title=The Guardian: Arts chief warns of cultural 'apartheid'|accessdate=2007-09-12}}</ref> He was also criticised by [[Tony Palmer]], a multi-award winning film-maker. Of the BBC, Palmer stated that '[it] has a worldwide reputation which it has abrogated and that's shameful. In the end, the buck stops with Mark Thompson. He is a catastrophe.'<ref name=Palmer>{{cite web|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/dec/09/bbc.tvnews|title=The Guardian: Director blasts 'BBC ignorance'|accessdate=2007-09-12}}</ref> It should be noted that Palmer at the same time praised other BBC departments. He was severely criticised in relation to the broadcast of [[Jerry Springer: The Opera]], with a private prosecution brought against the BBC for blasphemy. [[David Pannick]] QC appeared and won the case for [[BBC]] director-general Mark Thompson. The High Court ruled that the cult musical was not blasphemous, and Pannick stated that: "Judge Tubbs had acted within her powers and made the only decision she could lawfully have made; while religious beliefs were integral to British society, so is freedom of expression, especially to matters of social and moral importance."<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/05/njerry105.xml telegraph.co.uk, Jerry Springer play ruled not blasphemous]</ref> ==Broadcasting career== He first joined the [[BBC]] as a production trainee in 1979. His subsequent career within the organisation has been varied, including: * 1981 - assisted launching long-running consumer programme ''[[Watchdog (television)|Watchdog]]'' * 1983 - assisted launching ''[[Breakfast Time]]'' * 1985 - Output Editor, ''[[Newsnight]]'' * 1988 - Editor, ''[[Nine O'Clock News]]'' (at the age of 30) * 1990 - Editor, ''[[Panorama (TV series)|Panorama]]'' * 1992 - Head of Features * 1994 - Head of Factual Programmes * 1996 - Controller, [[BBC Two]] * 1999 - Director, National and Regional Broadcasting In [[April 2000]] he became BBC director of television, but left the corporation in [[March 2002]] to become chief executive of Channel 4. ==Personal life== He now lives in Oxford with his Jewish [[United States|American]] wife Jane Blumberg whom he married in 1987, who has written books on [[Mary Shelley]]. They have two sons (born October 1991 and December 1997) and one daughter (born January 1994). He worships at the St [[Aloysius Gonzaga]] [http://www.oxfordoratory.org.uk/tour/outside.html church] on ''[[Woodstock, Oxfordshire|Woodstock]] Road'' in Oxford. He is a [http://www.theartroom.org.uk/2-03-trustees-and-patrons.html patron] of the Art Room charity in Oxford. ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{BBCportal}} * [http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/executives/markthompson.shtml How the BBC is run: Mark Thompson] (BBC) * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3737019.stm Channel 4 boss lands BBC top job] (BBC) * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3829637.stm New BBC boss announces shake-up] (BBC) * [http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/10_october/01/technology.shtml BBC Technology sold] (BBC) * [http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/12_december/07/plans.shtml Thompson "to transform BBC"] (BBC) * [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1444507,00.html Will Thompson be toast over the day he bit a BBC colleague? ] (Guardian) * [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/03/24/nbite24.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/03/24/ixnewstop.html BBC boss sank teeth into his newsroom colleague] (Telegraph) * [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1538794,00.html Biting comment over job cuts at the BBC] (Times) * [http://www.deadbrain.co.uk/news/article_2005_03_21_3313.php BBC job cuts parody] (Deadbrain) * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4585361.stm Thompson welcomes strike suspension] (BBC) * [http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/article/020605/bbc_director_general_in+talks+offer BBC Resources sell-off delayed] (Press Gazette) * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4708749.stm Thompson sells BBC Broadcast - which becomes [[Red Bee Media]]] (BBC) * [http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/bbcworldwide/worldwidestories/pressreleases/2006/06_june/bbc_books.shtml Thompson flogs Books - to [[Random House]]] (BBC) * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5197458.stm BBC changes mark a digital future] (BBC) * [http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/organgrinder/2006/07/post_8.html Creative Future and Looney Tunes] (Guardian) * [http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/mark_thompson/ Mark Thompson's blog] (BBC) {{start box}} {{s-media}} {{incumbent succession box|title=[[Director-General of the BBC]]|before=[[Mark Byford]]|after=Current |start=2004}} {{succession box|title=Chief Executive of [[Channel 4]]|before=[[Michael Jackson (TV)|Michael Jackson]]|after=[[Andy Duncan (executive)|Andy Duncan]]|years=2002–2004}} {{succession box|title=Controller of [[BBC Two]]|before=[[Michael Jackson (TV)|Michael Jackson]]|after=[[Jane Root]]|years=1996–1999}} {{end box}} {{BBC}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Mark}} [[Category:1957 births]] [[Category:BBC Two controllers]] [[Category:BBC executives]] [[Category:British television executives]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Old Stonyhursts]] [[Category:Honorary Fellows of Merton College, Oxford]] [[Category:Alumni of Merton College, Oxford]] [[Category:People from Welwyn Garden City]] [[no:Mark Thompson]]