Nick Pollard

Pollard was born in Birkenhead and educated at Birkenhead School,{{cite news|url=http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-culture/liverpool-arts/film/2003/06/04/could-do-better-92534-13030380/|title='Could Do Better'|work=Liverpool Daily Post|location=Liverpool|accessdate=16 October 2012|last=Adair|first=Kirsti|date=4 June 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616031848/http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-culture/liverpool-arts/film/2003/06/04/could-do-better-92534-13030380/|archive-date=16 June 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}} an independent school in the town.

Pollard started his career in journalism as a reporter at the Birkenhead News, and later worked for the BBC from 1977 to 1980 in Liverpool and London.

He was executive producer at ITN from 1987 to 1992 on the News at Ten. He was a television journalist at ITN from 1980 to 1992. He produced ITN's coverage for the elections in 1987 and 1992.

He joined Sky News where he worked from 1996 to 2006.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/apr/22/studentmediaawards.students |title=Me and my career |newspaper=The Guardian |date=22 April 2002 |accessdate=16 October 2012}} In 2009 he was appointed as chief executive of the Services Sound and Vision Corporation (SSVC), responsible for providing broadcasting and cinema services to British forces and their families.{{cite web | url = http://www.bfbs.com/tv/node/94956 | title = Former Head of Sky News becomes new SSVC Chief Executive | publisher = BFBS | year = 2009 | accessdate = 16 October 2012 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121019002640/http://www.bfbs.com/tv/node/94956 | archive-date = 19 October 2012 | df = dmy-all }}

In October 2012, Pollard was appointed to lead an inquiry into the BBC following allegations of sexual abuse by the late broadcaster and disc jockey Jimmy Savile. Pollard's remit was to look at why an investigation into Savile's activities by journalists on the BBC Two news programme Newsnight was dropped shortly before it was due to be transmitted.{{cite news|last=Mason |first=Rowena |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9613014/BBCs-Jimmy-Savile-probe-to-be-led-by-Harold-Shipman-inquiry-judge.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017060855/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9613014/BBCs-Jimmy-Savile-probe-to-be-led-by-Harold-Shipman-inquiry-judge.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 October 2012 |title=BBC's Jimmy Savile probe to be led by Harold Shipman inquiry judge |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=16 October 2012 |accessdate=16 October 2012}} His report was published in December 2012{{cite report |url=http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/our_work/pollard_review/pollard_review.pdf |title=The Pollard Review |last=Pollard |first=Nick |publisher=Reed Smith |date=18 December 2012 |access-date=3 November 2021}} and concluded that the decision to drop the original Newsnight report in December 2011 was "flawed", but that it had not been done to protect programmes prepared as tributes to Savile. His report criticised George Entwistle, at that time Director of BBC Vision, for apparently failing to read emails warning him of Savile's "dark side",{{cite news|last=Halliday |first=Josh |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/dec/19/pollard-report-george-entwistle-jimmy-savile |title=Pollard report: George Entwistle 'did not read emails' about Jimmy Savile |work=The Guardian |date=19 December 2012 |accessdate=19 December 2012}} and stated that, after the allegations against Savile eventually became public, the BBC fell into a "level of chaos and confusion [that] was even greater than was apparent at the time".{{cite news|last1=Sabbagh |first1=Dan |last2=Plunkett |first2=John |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/dec/19/pollard-inquiry-bbc-jimmy-savile |title=Pollard inquiry: BBC 'incapable' of dealing with Jimmy Savile affair |work=The Guardian |date=19 December 2012 |accessdate=19 December 2012}}

In July 2014, Pollard launched Forces TV, run by Services Sound and Vision Corporation (SSVC).

In December 2018, he joined China Global Television Network(CGTN) as a consultant and advisor,{{cite news|last1=Yan |first1=Sophia |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/07/11/chinese-state-broadcaster-hires-former-ofcom-director-amid-investigation/|title=Chinese state broadcaster hires former Ofcom director amid investigation |publisher=The Telegraph |date=11 July 2019 |accessdate=4 April 2020}} but quit CGTN over its failure to comply with Ofcom’s rules on impartiality in connection to its coverage of the anti-extradition bill protests.{{cite news|last1=Nilsson |first1=Patricia|url=https://www.ft.com/content/b28991be-da12-11e9-8f9b-77216ebe1f17/|title=Former Ofcom director quits Chinese state broadcaster |publisher=The Financial Times|date=18 September 2019 |accessdate=4 April 2020}}

Pollard married Sally Behenna in 1981.{{citation needed|date=June 2018}} The couple have two sons.

{{reflist}}

{{S-start}}

{{S-media}}

{{Succession box|title=Head of Sky News|before= |after= John Ryley |years= 1996 – June 2006 }}

{{S-end}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pollard, Nick}}

Category:British male journalists

Category:1950 births

Category:People from Birkenhead

Category:People educated at Birkenhead School

Category:BBC newsreaders and journalists

Category:ITN newsreaders and journalists

Category:Sky News

Category:Living people

{{UK-journalist-stub}}