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David Ernest Plowright, CBE was an English television executive and producer.
Plowright was educated at Scunthorpe Grammar School. He began his career in journalism as a reporter on the Scunthorpe Star, and was, briefly, the equestrian correspondent of the Yorkshire Post. He joined Granada Television as a researcher in 1957, and, he pushed the first TV coverage of a parliamentary by-election in Rochdale in 1958. Previously, it had been feared that would be a breach of the Representation of the People Act, but Plowright's initiative changed TV coverage of UK politics.
Plowright rose to become Controller of Programmes from 1969 to 1979, and he succeeded Denis Forman to become Chairman of Granada Television in 1987. The outlook of Granada TV, under the leadership of Foreman and Plowright was described as "non-conformist, alternative, non-London". Plowright was forced out in 1992 by Gerry Robinson, the new chief executive, which led to John Cleese describing Robinson as an "upstart caterer". Plowright's exit was regarded as a turning point in the process whereby ITV gave profits a bigger priority than programme quality.
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