Biography

David Royle is an Emmy-winning filmmaker and media executive who played a leading role in creating and launching two television channels - Smithsonian Channel and National Geographic Channel. David has won every major award in American broadcasting, including nine Emmys, a Television Academy Honors Award, the Columbia-Dupont Gold and Silver Batons, the George Polk Award, the Edward R. Murrow Award and a Peabody.

He began his career as a newspaper journalist in the UK and later moved into non-fiction filmmaking. His first documentary was nominated for an Emmy, and since then he has written, directed or produced a wide range of programming - from covering the collapse of the Soviet Union to films about art, science, history and natural history, as well as non-fiction comedy. David Royle was the Smithsonian Channel’s Chief Programming Officer for 15 years - creating its editorial vision and overseeing its programming. During his stewardship, the Channel won more than 400 awards. His team also created 130 videos on display in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. In 2016, David was an inaugural recipient at MIP in Cannes of the World Screen Factual Trendsetter Award, honoring four individuals who have made significant contributions to the television business. . David was previously EVP of Production for National Geographic Television & Film where he oversaw numerous productions including "Search for the Afghan Girl", "Africa Extreme", and the highly-rated "Taboo" series. He was Executive Producer of National Geographic’s flagship series, "Explorer". During his leadership, "Explorer" won more News and Documentary Emmy Awards than any other show on television.

As an independent filmmaker in New York, he produced, directed and wrote programming for a wide range of broadcasters.

Among the programs he played a role in creating, directing or executive producing are: "Assignment Africa" (PBS), "Senator Sam" (PBS), "Inside Gorbachev’s USSR" (PBS), "Trauma" (TLC), and "TV Nation" (NBC/BBC), "Freud’s Naked Truths" (Smithsonian/BBC), about the artist Lucian Freud, "Hockney", (Smithsonian/BBC), which has been called the definitive film biography of the artist; and "The Coronation" (Smithsonian/BBC), described by the New York Times as "the ultimate television get". Smithsonian series he launched include the largest aerial film project in television history, "Aerial America", and the groundbreaking colorized archival film series "America in Color".
- IMDb mini biography by: DR Productions