Quick Facts
Biography
Dorothy Byrne is Head of News and Current Affairs at Channel 4 Television in the UK.
Background
She was born in Paisley, Scotland, the daughter of Charles and Agnes Byrne. She was educated at Layton Hill Convent, Blackpool, at Manchester University (BA Hons in Philosophy) and at Sheffield University (Diploma in Business Studies).
Professional Career
She was producer of World in Action (ITV), 1992–95, and editor of The Big Story (ITV), 1995–98. In 1998 she was appointed Commissioning Editor of Current Affairs and editor of Dispatches at Channel 4.
In 2003 she was appointed Head of News and Current Affairs at Channel 4.
In 2005 she was appointed Visiting Professor of the School of Journalism at Lincoln University.
In 2019 she delivered both The MacTaggart Lecture at The Edinburgh Television Festival and the Cockcroft Rutherford Lecture at the University of Manchester.
Controversies
In December 2008 she defended Channel 4's invitation to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian President, to deliver the channel's "alternative Christmas message", saying: "as the leader of one of the most powerful states in the Middle East, President Ahmadinejad's views are enormously influential... we are offering our viewers an insight into an alternative world view".This controversy saw Byrne's name appearing in various British newspapers, including The Times.