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Greg Dyke to lead the British Film Institute

Posted on 15 February 2008

The UK Film Council has named the Chancellor of the University of York, Greg Dyke, as the new Chair of the British Film Institute (BFI).

The BFI is funded by the UK Film Council to carry out a range of activities supporting and developing film education and culture in the UK. Greg Dyke takes up his new role at the BFI in early March for a four-year term replacing film director Anthony Minghella CBE. Greg Dyke will also automatically join the board of the UK Film Council.

At a time when the whole world is being changed by the digital revolution we have a unique opportunity to make content available on line to the whole of the education sector and...to the public at large

Greg Dyke

With more than 30 years’ experience in the television industry starting as a researcher at LWT and becoming the Director General of the BBC in 2000, Greg Dyke has a wealth of experience in the private and public sectors and a long track record of leadership and running large organisations.

He also has a particular interest in education at all levels and is currently Chancellor of the University of York and Chair of HIT, a production company specialising in TV programmes for the under fives.

Greg Dyke has been a long time sponsor of the National Theatre and other arts organisations through his charitable trust, which has also benefited the world of education. His appointment comes as the University launches its new Department of Theatre, Film and Television which he played a crucial role in establishing.

He is also Chairman of Brentford Football Club, a club where the majority of the shares are owned by the fans, and a non-executive director of ProSieben Sat.1 - one of Europe’s largest television groups.

In his four years at the BBC, Greg Dyke started four new digital television channels, five new digital radio stations, opened two new BBC regions, launched the BBC’s interactive television services and was the driving force behind Freeview. As well as working to improve the cultural diversity of the BBC and making the organisation less London based, he also had a particular focus on expanding the BBC’s education services by making the BBC’s digital library available to educational institutions and the public.

Greg Dyke said: "The BFI has probably got the best film library in the world. What I believe is essential is that not only are its films preserved but also made available to as wide an audience as possible.

"At a time when the whole world is being changed by the digital revolution we have a unique opportunity to make content available on line to the whole of the education sector and, if we have the rights, to the public at large. I started something similar in my time at the BBC and I hope we can expand in this area at the BFI. There are now thousands of students at colleges and universities studying television and film and at the very least we need to link up with them.

"I fully support the plan for a new British film centre but in the digital world you need both physical and virtual film centres. I’m lucky in that I am following Anthony Minghella who has done a great job as Chairman for the past five years."

ENDS