Alasdair Milne
| Alasdair Milne | |
|---|---|
| Born |
8 October 1930 India |
| Died | 8 January 2013 (aged 82) |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Winchester College and New College, Oxford |
| Occupation | Television producer and controller |
| Employer | BBC |
| Title | Programme Editor Controller BBC Scotland BBC Director of Programmes BBC Director-General |
| Children | Seumas Milne, Kirsty Milne and Ruairidh |
Alasdair David Gordon Milne (8 October 1930 – 8 January 2013) was Director-General of the British Broadcasting Corporation between July 1982 and January 1987. Earlier in his career Milne was a BBC producer involved in founding Tonight in 1957. Later, after a period outside the BBC, he became Controller of BBC Scotland, and BBC Television's Director of Programmes. In early 1987, Milne was forced to resign from his post as DG by the BBC Governors following several difficult years for the Corporation, sustained pressure from the Thatcher government and editorial decisions which proved controversial.
Born in India to Scottish parents, Milne was educated at Winchester College and New College, Oxford.
Before going to university Milne did his National Service as an officer in the Gordon Highlanders. He joined the BBC in September 1954 as a graduate trainee after his wife spotted a BBC advertisement. He was taken under the wing of Grace Wyndham Goldie who recruited, trained, guided and encouraged many well-known BBC broadcasters and current affairs executives. Milne was one of the so-called "Goldie Boys", a group of producers and presenters, which included Huw Wheldon, Robin Day, David Frost, Cliff Michelmore, Ian Trethowan and Richard Dimbleby.
Milne was the first television producer to become Director-General. His background was in current affairs and he was a founder producer of Tonight, and became the programme's Editor in 1961. He also worked on programmes such as That Was The Week That Was, one of the most controversial programmes of the 1960s, and The Great War. He was instrumental in bringing the entire Shakespeare canon to television, as well as one of the BBC's most acute comedies, Yes, Minister.
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