Alasdair Milne

Alasdair David Gordon Milne (1930-2013) was Director-General between 1982 and 1987

His long BBC career included producing influential programmes like Tonight and That was the Week that Was. He went on to be Controller of BBC Scotland and Managing Director, Television. The Government frequently interfered with the BBC during this time and appointed politically sympathetic Governors like Chairman Marmaduke Hussey.

The transmission of current affairs programme Real Lives brought Milne into conflict with both Government and the Board of Governors. Milne fiercely defended the BBC's editorial independence and described the Board as "a bunch of amateurs". After a series of conflicts he was forced to resign in 1987. He published an autobiography in 1988.