Biography
Peter Johnston has been BBC Director, Editorial Complaints and Reviews since March 2023.
Prior to this, in 2022, Peter led the BBC’s response to the Serota Review into editorial processes, governance, and culture, successfully delivering on wide-ranging commitments in the BBC’s 10-point impartiality plan.
Before successfully implementing the BBC’s commitment to impartiality across the BBC, Peter was Controller / Director of BBC Northern Ireland from 2006. As Editor in Chief, Peter was on the frontline of impartiality issues in one of the most challenging environments, overseeing 700 staff and more than 8,500 hours of local radio and television content each year.
He had overall editorial and managerial responsibility for the BBC in Northern Ireland, including the BBC’s award-winning news and current affairs. This included one of the BBC’s main centres for investigative journalism, managing a wide range of sensitive projects and dealing with major political and editorial issues. He sat on the BBC Nations and Regions Board and on the BBC Northern Ireland Committee.
Peter was integral in bringing major BBC-wide events such as The Biggest Weekend and Sport Personality Of The Year to Northern Ireland, and played a key role in ensuring network dramas such as The Fall and Line Of Duty were made there.
He has directed numerous successful BBC partnerships and creative relationships, including the BBC’s trail-blazing partnership agreement with Northern Ireland Screen. He was also the Nations Division representative on the BBC’s Digital Leadership Group.
Peter ed BBC Northern Ireland in 1994 working in audience research before becoming Head of Marketing and Development. He represented the marketing and communications teams in English Regions, Scotland, Wales, and NI on the BBC's Marketing Board before becoming Head of New Media for BBC Nations and Regions in London. Prior to his role as Director BBC NI, Peter was Head of Broadcasting for three years, responsible for the overall commissioning and scheduling of programmes and content for audiences across television, radio and online.
Educated at Ballymena Academy and then Imperial College London, Peter completed a Master's Degree in Chemical Engineering and Management. On leaving university in 1988 he took up a post in the marketing division of Shell International in London. In 1991 he returned to Northern Ireland and ed Coopers and Lybrand (PWC) as a management consultant. He first developed his interests in the world of broadcasting and media management when he provided consultancy for several of the local ITV franchise bids and an application for a Channel 5 television licence.
Peter is a BBC Pension Fund Trustee.
Annual remuneration (as at July 2024)
Expenses and central bookings
Expenses are costs incurred by BBC staff on behalf of the BBC and claimed through the BBC's expenses system.
Central bookings are costs incurred on behalf of the BBC and booked through the BBC's central bookings system. Both expenses and central bookings are published every three months.
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Gifts and Hospitality
Gifts and hospitality may only be accepted in line with BBC policy. Information about gifts and hospitality is published every three months.
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Declaration of personal interests
Staff must make a declaration of their personal and business interests, including any hips or directorships of public or industry bodies, and any shareholdings, as well as any interests that their immediate families may also have.
A summary is published where there is something to declare and where there is nothing to declare. Occasionally an individual will have something to declare but due to the personal nature of the declaration we do not publish details as to do so would breach the General Data Protection Regulation.
This information is published annually, although if any amendments are made during the year an updated summary will be published if necessary as soon as it is available.
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