19 Facts About Alasdair Milne

Alasdair David Gordon Milne was a British television producer and executive.

Alasdair Milne had a long career at the BBC, where he was eventually promoted to Director-General, and was described by The Independent as "one of the most original and talented programme-makers to emerge during television's formative years".

Alasdair Milne served as Director-General of the BBC between July 1982 and January 1987, when he was forced to resign from his post by the BBC Governors following several difficult years for the BBC, which included sustained pressure from the Thatcher government about editorial decisions which had proved controversial.

Alasdair Milne was born in British India to Charles Gordon Shaw Alasdair Milne, an Aberdonian surgeon, and his wife, Edith Reid, the daughter of a headmaster of George Heriot's School.

Alasdair Milne would spend the first six years living with his maternal grandparents in Morningside, Edinburgh, until his father returned and they moved to Kent.

Alasdair Milne would go onto to study at Winchester College and New College, Oxford.

Alasdair Milne joined the BBC in September 1954 as a graduate trainee after his wife spotted a BBC advertisement.

Alasdair Milne was taken under the wing of Grace Wyndham Goldie who recruited, trained, guided and encouraged many well-known BBC broadcasters and current affairs executives.

Alasdair 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.

Alasdair Milne's background was in current affairs and he was a founder producer of Tonight, and became the programme's editor in 1961.

Alasdair Milne worked on programmes such as That Was the Week That Was, one of the most controversial programmes of the 1960s, and The Great War.

Alasdair Milne was instrumental in bringing the entire Shakespeare canon to television, as well as one of the BBC's most acute comedies, Yes Minister.

Alasdair Milne would set up BBC Scotland, when as the appointed controller in January 1968, he decided to change the lettering on the front of the building from 'BBC' to 'BBC Scotland'.

On top of this, Alasdair Milne had to defend the existence of the BBC to the Peacock Committee, which was considering the future of the BBC.

Alasdair Milne was strongly critical of later BBC Director-General John Birt whom he called "blue skies Birt".

Alasdair Milne described Birt's thesis on television's so-called 'bias against understanding' as "balls, actually", and said:.

Alasdair Milne had thought he would find something else to do [after resigning in 1987] but it never happened.

In 1954 Alasdair Milne married Ann Ruth Sheila Eva Kirsten Graucob in Oxford.

Alasdair Milne died on 8 January 2013 at age 82 after suffering from a series of strokes.