GRADE, LEW, BARON

GRADE, LEW, BARON (1906–1998), British managing director of television networks. Born in Russia, son of Isaac Winogradsky, Grade grew up in England and went into the entertainment industry. He acquired interests in radio, television, and film companies, and in 1955 became deputy managing director (later managing director) of two leading companies in their field, Associated Television Ltd. and Incorporated Television Company Ltd. He also became chairman of AP Films Ltd., of ATV (France) and other companies associated with ATV in Australia, Canada, and the U.S. He was a brother of lord bernard delfont . At the time of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, Grade and his brother Lord Bernard each gave £40,000 to Israel. In 1976, Grade was given a life peerage. Grade's later film-making career became noted for its expensive flops, such as his Raise the Titanic\! (1980). In 1987, Grade published an interesting autobiography, Still Dancing. Grade's nephew, MICHAEL GRADE (1943– ), the son of Lord Grade's brother and partner Leslie Grade, was appointed director-general of the BBC in 2004 after a controversial career in British television which included service as chief executive (1988–97) of Channel Four. -ADD. BIBLIOGRAPHY: ODNB online; Q. Falk and D. Prince, Last of a Kind: The Sinking of Lew Grade (1987). (William D. Rubinstein (2nd ed.)