Cost-cutting BBC 'to axe deputy chief'

Yorkshire-born Mark Byford, who in 2009/10 earned an annual salary of 475,000, will leave next year as the post of deputy director-general is axed.

Further cuts are expected to be announced later this week.

The Financial Times said members of its 10-strong executive board, which includes director-general Mark Thompson, chief operating officer Caroline Thompson and Peter Salmon, director of BBC North, were under threat.

The BBC declined to comment.

Mr Byford was born in Castleford, West Yorkshire, the son of Sir Lawrence Byford, a policeman who became Chief Constable of Lincolnshire, and later, Chief Inspector of Constabulary.

He joined the corporation in 1979, aged 20, working as a researcher in his local television newsroom in Leeds.

He joined the BBC’s Board of Management in 1996 as Director, Regional Broadcasting responsible for all the BBC’s activities across the UK, outside of London.

In 1998 he became Director of the BBC World Service and became head of the BBC’s multi-media Global News Division in 2002.

He became deputy director-general in January 2004 but within three weeks of his appointment Greg Dyke resigned as head of the BBC.

Mr Byford took on the position of acting director-general for five months until Mr Thompson was appointed to the role.