To Serve the People

In 1982, a time of new and unprecedented challenges for television and radio, John Whitney became Director General of London's Independent Broadcasting Authority. During Whitney’s tenure at IBA, the organization clashed with the government over the program Death on the Rock about the killing of three IRA terrorists in Gibraltar, oversaw the battle between the BBC and Thames Television for possession of the rights to Dallas, acted as "honest broker" during the financial crisis at Independent Television News, and faced the impact of the Peacock Committee Report, which marked a turning point in broadcasting policy and signaled a decisive shift toward the construction of a market framework for the delivery of broadcast services. To Serve the People draws from Whitney’s experience during these challenging times.