John Birt was born in Liverpool, he attended St. Mary's and then went on to study engineering at Oxford; however, his career in broadcasting began in 1966 when he joined Granada Television, one of his main roles being joint-editor of World In Action. He then moved onto London Weekend Television (LWT) in 1971 and was Head of Current Affairs, and Controller of Features and Current Affairs. In 1987 he then moved on to the BBC where his first post was Deputy Director-General.In 1995 he was awarded an Emmy by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in the US, in recognition of his successful leadership of the BBC and in 1998 he was made a Companion of the Institution of Electrical Engineers. In 1998 he received a knighthood but in January 2000 came the appointment that was to see him end his days at the BBC - a seat in the House of Lords.In July 2000 Mr. Blair appointed him an advisor to the government.