Complex sentence: John Birt, Baron Birt (born 10 December 1944), an influential if controversial figure in British broadcasting, was Director-General of the BBC from 1992 to 2000.
Split into simpler sentences: John Birt, Baron Birt (born 10 December 1944), was an influential if controversial figure in British broadcasting. He was Director-General of the BBC from 1992 to 2000.