David Royle

David Royle has been Executive Producer of EXPLORER since 1999. In the past two years, EXPLORER has won as many Emmys as any other news and documentary shows. This year EXPLORER led the Emmy nominations with nine -- as many as Dateline (NBC) and 60 Minutes II (CBS).

Royle joined National Geographic Television & Film (NGT&F) in 1997 as Senior Producer of EXPLORER. His impressive breadth of production experience, ranging from classic documentaries to nonfiction comedy, proved invaluable, and in early 1999, he took over the helm of the award-wining series. In December 2000, he was appointed Senior Vice President for Production for NGT&F. In his new position, Royle expanded his role of Executive Producer of EXPLORER by taking on day-to-day responsibility for coordinating all of NGT&F's production and editorial resources in support of the growing number of program strands that NGT&F is either producing or managing. Royle works closely with the National Geographic Channel to develop new projects and to ensure a consistent and continuous flow of programming excellence.

Royle's past productions have won numerous awards, including the George Polk Award, the Ohio State Award, and the DuPont Columbia Gold Baton. His directing credits include Hedrick Smith's groundbreaking examination of the fall of the Soviet Union, Inside Gorbachev's USSR; The Wall Street Journal's exploration of emerging economies, Emerging Powers: Brazil; and a biography of the Watergate Senator Sam Ervin.

Besides Royle's more conventional successes, he is also known for innovation. He was one of the producers of the Emmy Award-winning NBC comedy series, Michael Moore's TV Nation. He produced one of cable TV's first history series "The Eagle & The Bear," and he has been a pioneer in the use of small digital cameras -- directing for the real-life ER series, Trauma.