Elisabeth Murdoch to give MacTaggart Lecture 2012

On January 30th, 2012 admin wrote on the subject of Uncategorized.

London, Monday 30th January, 2012: Elisabeth Murdoch, Chairman and CEO of Shine Group, will give this year’s MacTaggart Lecture at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, it was confirmed today.

Now in its 37th year, for the first time the Festival will take place from Thursday to Saturday, with dates confirmed as 23rd to 25th August 2012.

The sessions lineup will include a masterclass on one of this year’s most talked about series, BBC One drama Sherlock, with appearances from show creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gattis and producer Sue Vertue. Further sessions will be announced in due course.

The prestigious MacTaggart Lecture always attracts major names from both UK and international broadcasting, and is known for producing controversial and agenda-setting speeches. Past MacTaggart speakers include Eric Schmidt, Mark Thompson, James Murdoch, Dennis Potter, Michael Grade, Verity Lambert, Ted Turner, Greg Dyke, David Liddiment, Peter Fincham, Charles Allen, Jeremy Paxman, John Mortimer and Rupert Murdoch.

Elisabeth Murdoch comments: “To be invited to deliver the MacTaggart lecture is a great honour and one I am delighted to accept. At such an incredibly exciting time for our ever changing industry it is a privilege to be entrusted with its most prestigious platform to address some of the countless challenges, extraordinary opportunities and profound questions that we collectively face. I am very much looking forward to it.”   

Advisory Chair of the Festival, Kenton Allen, comments: “Elisabeth is one of the foremost creative leaders in our business and she promises to give us a fascinating insight into what the future may hold for content creators. She is the first woman to give the MacTaggart in 16 years and the third member of the Murdoch family to give the speech. Both these facts, will I’m sure, give us a highly memorable launch pad for the 2012 festival. Together with a much more user friendly Thursday – Saturday schedule and the team behind Sherlock spilling the beans behind the drama of the year it’s already shaping up to be a very special event.”

Executive Chair of the Festival, Elaine Bedell, comments: “I’m very pleased in my second year as Executive Chair to be able to announce the first female MacTaggart lecturer for 16 years – and for it to be Elisabeth Murdoch, who is indisputably a major figure and a leading creative leader in the television community.   Liz has been both a broadcaster and a producer, has a major footprint in the States and across Europe, as well as the UK, and is uniquely placed to offer a broad,  insightful, and thoroughly well-connected appraisal of the many changes facing the media industry.”

Since founding Shine in 2001, Elisabeth Murdoch has steered its growth from a single multi-genre independent to an internationally renowned content group responsible some of the most respected and prolific production companies in the worlds of scripted and non-scripted television. Shine Group companies now number 27 across Europe, the USA and Australasia, and are responsible for some of the world’s best loved and travelled television programmes as well as encompassing international distribution, film production, social gaming and online broadcasting.

Elisabeth began her career in television at the Nine Network in Australia as a researcher in 1990, later joining Fox Television in Los Angeles as Programme and Promotion Manager for seven stations. She then went to the FX Cable Network as Director of Acquisitions. In 1995, she started her own company, EP Communications, managing two dominant NBC affiliate television stations KSBW-TV and KSB-TV. The stations won one national and five Californian Emmy Awards as well as the 1995 Peabody Award for Broadcast Excellence. Prior to setting up Shine, Elisabeth joined British Sky Broadcasting as General Manager before rising to Managing Director, Sky Networks with overall responsibility for Sky’s programming business, group consumer marketing and its news, film and entertainment channels. In 2008 Elisabeth was appointed a Tate Trustee and a Director of the UK Film Council.

Visit www.mgeitf.co.uk to register now. Follow the Festival at on @edinburghtvfest

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Seven debut authors make top ten best reads list in 2012

On January 18th, 2012 admin wrote on the subject of Book PR,Celebrity PR,Television PR.

AN NHS audiologist who wrote between shifts, a police intelligence analyst and an investment manager are just three of the authors picked from thousands to lead the 2012 TV Book Club shortlist.

Ten books carefully chosen out of the thousands published each year are soon to become the titles everyone is talking about on TV’s best known literary discussion forum, when the series returns to More4 at 7.20pm on Sunday 29 January, with repeat episodes on Channel Four.

Funded by Specsavers, the ten-part series sees a celebrity panel that includes Caroline Quentin, Meera Syal, Dave Spikey, Laila Rouass and Rory McGrath, critiquing a new title each week. For the first time ever, viewers are invited to interact with the show, reading along with them and sending in their own reviews.

The series launches with international bestseller Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson, followed by The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt, The Somnambulist by Essie Fox, Into The Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes, Rules of Civility by Amor Towles, Girl Reading by Katie Ward, The Report by Jessica Francis Kane, The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson, Half of The Human Race by Anthony Quinn and You Deserve Nothing by Alexander Maksik.

S. J. Watson won a Crime Writers Association Dagger and Galaxy National Book Award for his debut novel, Before I Go To Sleep, which he wrote between shifts as an audiologist for the NHS. Patrick DeWitt’s The Sisters Brothers was shortlisted for the 2011 Man Booker Prize and Kevin Wilson’s The Family Fang was a New York Times Bestseller and included in the Top Ten Fiction Books of 2011 in Time Magazine. Jessica Francis Kane’s debut novel The Report was a finalist in the Indie Booksellers Choice Awards.

Also on the shortlist and making her literary debut with The Somnambulist is illustrator turned author Essie Fox, who writes the popular blog The Virtual Victorian. Police intelligence analyst Elizabeth Haynes, investment manager Amor Towles, former women’s refuge worker Katie Ward, and Iowa Writer’s Workshop graduate Alexander Maksik are all also shortlisted for their debut novels.

The tenth author is critic Anthony Quinn, who was a Man Booker Prize judge in 2006 and is currently the film critic for The Independent newspaper and wine correspondent for Esquire magazine.

The titles have been carefully chosen by a panel headed by Managing Director of Cactus TV Amanda Ross. Amanda revolutionised the idea of featuring books on television with the creation of Richard and Judy’s Book Club and now The Specsavers TV Book Club, Summer Read and the televising of the Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards and the Galaxy British Book Awards.

She has an eye for a great read and David Nicholls, Kate Mosse, Cecilia Aherne, Emma Donoghue and Linwood Barclay are a handful of the literary stalwarts that Amanda has spotted since founding the Book Club’s original incarnation in 2004.

Such is her influence in the publishing industry that she was hailed ‘the most powerful person in publishing’ by The Observer Review and one of the ‘top 50 most influential Londoners’ by the Evening Standard. Amanda won a prestigious British Book Trade Award for inspiring wider reading in 2005 and The Bookseller Award for expanding the market in 2006 and 2007, plus an Outstanding Achievement Award in 2009.

Of the 2012 short list, Amanda says: ‘All the titles on this year’s list will scream “don’t put me down” at the reader. Although all my choices are, as always very different in style and content, their common factor is that they are all really great reads and the viewers will be torn when the time comes for them to vote for their favourite to win the accolade Best Read at the end of the series.’

Specsavers marketing director, Richard Holmes says: ‘Many people will find that the first time they notice a problem with their eyesight is when they’re reading. We are delighted to be supporting the Specsavers TV Book Club for the fifth season and will be encouraging more people, not only to get their eyesight checked but to pick up a book and enjoy a good read.’

This year, The TV Book Club, will ask viewers to send in their reviews of each week’s Best Read, and will play a selection of these reviews on the show for discussion by the presenters. Viewers can send their thoughts on the books to the show by video message, email, or letter. This new interactive element to the show reflects the nature of book review discussions happening online and in reading groups right now across the UK.  Written reviews and video reviews can be sent to bookreviews@cactustv.co.uk, and should include a contact telephone number.

The ten short listed books for the next series of the TV Book Club are listed below:

Date Title Author Publisher
29 January Before I Go To Sleep S. J Watson Black Swan
5 February The Sisters Brothers Patrick deWitt Granta
12 February The Somnambulist Essie Fox Orion
19 February Into The Darkest Corner Elizabeth Haynes Myriad
26 February Rules Of Civility Amor Towles Sceptre/Hodder
4 March Girl Reading Katie Ward Virago/Little Brown
11 March The Report Jessica Francis Kane Portobello
18 March The Family Fang Kevin Wilson Picador/Pan Macmillan
25 March Half Of The Human Race Anthony Quinn Vintage/Random House
1 April You Deserve Nothing Alexander Maksik John Murray

 

Press Contact: Taylor Herring PR

 

 

 

 

Posted in Book PR, Celebrity PR, Television PR | No Comments »

Red Stripe – Make a speaker with Yuri Suzuki

On January 10th, 2012 James wrote on the subject of Uncategorized.

Follow Yuri’s instructions to make a speaker for your mobile audio device.

For printed instructions – download the PDF here

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Weight Watchers and LA fitness unveil exclusive partnership

On January 3rd, 2012 admin wrote on the subject of Celebrity PR,Health and Fitness PR.

LONDON, Tuesday 3rd January 2012: Weight Watchers and LA fitness have today announced a 12 month activity partnership.

This unique deal will see the leading fitness and weight loss companies working together throughout 2012 to offer their UK member base, totalling over 1.2 million people, complimentary support in activity and healthy eating advice.

This multi-facetted partnership sees Strictly Come Dancing star Alesha Dixon, who is currently Creative Director for LA fitness, working with both brands to support their members achieve and celebrate their weight loss and fitness goals.

Andrew Knight, Senior Vice President of Weight Watchers UK explained: “Exercise has always been a key pillar of the Weight Watchers approach, and by working with LA fitness we are reinforcing the importance of being active to all our members. With the Olympic Games ahead of us, there has never been a better time to be inspired to be more active.”

Martin Long, CEO, LA fitness says: “We are very excited about the opportunity to work in partnership with the UK’s leading weight loss and nutrition brand. We believe there are some real synergies with our businesses and moving forward we will be in an even stronger position to help more people lead a healthier lifestyle and achieve sustained weight loss.”

Alesha Dixon said, “I’m delighted to be working with two of the UK’s biggest health and lifestyle advocates. I’ve always been vocal about the fact that diet and exercise isn’t just about looking good, it’s first and foremost about being healthy, and both Weight Watchers and LA fitness share this philosophy. We’ve lots of innovative ideas in store to put health and fitness back at the forefront of people’s minds.”

Press Contact: Taylor Herring PR +44 208 206 5151

 

Posted in Celebrity PR, Health and Fitness PR | No Comments »

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (TRAILER RELEASED)

On December 21st, 2011 admin wrote on the subject of Film PR.

The first official trailer for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is out and fans get the first glimpse of the stellar cast Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Elijah Wood, Evangeline Lily, Andy Serkis and Richard Armitage

The first installment in Peter Jackson’s two-part adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings prequel is set for release in December 2012

“The Hobbit” follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever … Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum’s “precious” ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities … A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

 

Posted in Film PR | No Comments »

New BBC series provides food for thought

On December 7th, 2011 admin wrote on the subject of Celebrity PR,Television PR.

LONDON, 7th DECEMBER 2011: Appetites will be satisfied as all new food quiz, A Question Of Taste is set to sort the gastro nerds from the foodie frauds on Monday nights.

Hosted by household favourite Kirsty Wark, this six episode series will see two teams of three friends, relatives or colleagues, all united by their love of food, go head to head over a series of 5 rounds in which they must demonstrate their knowledge of gastronomy, cooking techniques, recipes, ingredients, food history and science.

Food show fanatics of all ages who have become arm chair experts in their own right will love playing along at home as the show tests their food familiarity and teaches them some new and surprising gastronomic facts.  William Sitwell will also be stirring up a treat in Kitchen Corner, providing gems of information that viewers will soon be relaying at dinner parties across the country.

Will the contestants be able to sort their duck eggs from their chicken eggs or will they crack under the pressure?

Silver River’s executive producer Daisy Goodwin said: “Thirty years ago when Britain was in the culinary dark ages, you couldn’t have made this quiz.  Now that we have become a foodie paradise, the country is full of people who want to prove how well they know their Roscoff onions (a special type of onion grown in Brittany, just In case you didn’t know!).”

A Question Of Taste airs from Monday 2nd January on BBC Two at 8.30pm.

PR Contact Taylor Herring PR +44 208 206 5151

Posted in Celebrity PR, Television PR | No Comments »

Channel 4 hire Taylor Herring to promote live Christmas event

On December 7th, 2011 admin wrote on the subject of Celebrity PR,Event PR,Television PR.

LONDON, Wednesday 7th December 2011: One soon-to-be-married couple will for the first time, bring their two extended families together this Christmas in Channel 4′s brand new, live, entertainment event, Home for the Holidays.

Can they survive their own family 24 hours a day for a week to win a potential half a million pounds?

Hosted live each night by household favourite and family man, Vernon Kay, the week-long entertainment cracker will follow the families festive frolics as they face tinsel temptations and yuletide games in a bid to win a fantastic Christmas present – up to half a million pounds.

Just like households up and down the country, this family will need to live together, put up with each other and ultimately bond under one raucous roof in a magical Christmas country manor house which is not quite what it seems. With tantalising twists and unexpected turns, warm Christmas cheer and lots of wonderful festive surprises, treats and celebrity guests, the hilarious antics of this one family will be put to the ultimate test at the most magical time of year.

Can the young couple keep everyone together as they face a Festive family experience like nothing ever seen on television before?  If you think Christmas with your nearest and dearest is a challenge, wait till you see what’s waiting for this family in Home for the Holidays.

Vernon Kay said: “This is gonna be the perfect show to help build up the excitement of the festive season. It’s a whole lot of fun as we try and give away half a million pounds.
I’m also really pleased to be going back to Channel 4 where I had almost seven years of pure joy working on T4. I cannot wait!”

Commissioning editor for C4 entertainment, Syeda Irtizaali said: “We’re excited to broadcast a festive entertainment series that captures the true essence of Christmas for families up and down the country. We’re also delighted to bring back Vernon to Channel 4. He is the perfect host to bring this together with warmth, sparkle and good humour.”

Executive producer Will Macdonald said: “Christmas and family is never quite the Bing Crosby-inspired combination we all dream of.  Anyone, like Wizzard, who wishes “It Could Be Christmas Every Day” should watch this show – they may want to be careful what they wish for…

Home for the Holidays airs from Sunday 18th December on Channel 4 and airs LIVE nightly until Christmas Eve, Saturday 24th December.

Home For The Holidays is produced by Monkey, a division of NBCUniversal International Television Production, for Channel 4.

PR Contact: Taylor Herring PR +44 208 206 5151

Posted in Celebrity PR, Event PR, Television PR | No Comments »

Taylor Herring win EuroMillions

On November 22nd, 2011 admin wrote on the subject of Consumer PR,PR Stunt,PR Stunts,Publicity Stunts.

Camelot, operator of The National Lottery, has engaged Taylor Herring to help develop a seasonal PR campaign to support EuroMillions in the lead up to Christmas.

The Agency was appointed following a competitive pitch process and has been briefed to help amplify awareness around ‘Millionaires Month’, which guarantees to make 50 millionaires, all here in the UK, between 25 November and Christmas.

Taylor Herring, led by Managing Partner Peter Mountstevens, will be working with Camelot’s in-house publicity team to design and execute a multi-tiered campaign, encompassing both news creation and celebrity endorsement.

The campaign will roll out from the end of November and continue through the Christmas period with the key objective of driving awareness of the special EuroMillions Millionaire Raffle draws on 25 November and 23 December.

Jenny Dowden, Head of Publicity at Camelot said: ‘Taylor Herring’s energy and creativity make them a perfect fit for the EuroMillions brand and we’re looking forward to working with the team on this exciting campaign.’

The win for Taylor Herring’s new consumer division follows a series of campaigns in 2011 for high profile clients including Sainsbury’s, Cadburys and Sony PlayStation.

Posted in Consumer PR, PR Stunt, PR Stunts, Publicity Stunts | No Comments »

Young Apprentice returns to BBC ONE

On October 18th, 2011 admin wrote on the subject of Celebrity PR,Event PR,Reality TV PR,Television Industry PR,Television PR,The Apprentice.

LONDON, Tuesday 18th October 2011: Following the huge success of the first series Lord Sugar returns with his search for a Young Apprentice, on BBC One this autumn.

An avid supporter of young people in business, Lord Sugar will offer twelve of the UK’s most promising and ambitious teenagers the opportunity of a lifetime; a chance to follow in his entrepreneurial footsteps by competing for the title of Young Apprentice.

For eight weeks from 9pm on Monday 24th October, twelve young candidates will make the leap from classroom to boardroom and face an education like no other as they embark on a series of tough tasks, pushing their skills to the limit. The young candidates will face the same cut-throat competition as in the adult series – it’s survival of the fittest as the tasks become more challenging.

From all corners of the UK, each of the aspiring moguls have been selected for their academic flair and burning passion for business – Lord Sugar has spotted something in all of them, but only one can succeed in becoming the next Young Apprentice.

Aged across 16 and 17 years old, most of these tycoons of tomorrow are still in education and span a broad range of backgrounds from council estates to private schools; they include an award-winning fashion designer, a young farmer, a published author, a filmmaker, a keen horticulturalist, a photographer and a former head-girl.

Lord Sugar started in business at the same age and expects his prospects to be able to do the same.  They believe that they have the capability, passion and raw business talent to take on the challenge and be the one to win access to a fund worth £25,000. The fund will go towards kick-starting his or her business career, and will be tailored to their individual career prospects and development.

All think they have what it takes, but can they prove themselves when the pressure is on? Lord Sugar warns them: “You are young, don’t try and pretend like you know it all because believe me it’ll be embarrassing.” With tasks including making and selling ice cream, launching a new brand of deodorant and creating an online video game, the candidates will quickly learn that Lord Sugar doesn’t hang about when it comes to separating the wheat from the chaff.

Lord Sugar is, once again, aided by his no-nonsense advisers Nick Hewer and Karren Brady who will scrutinise the candidates’ every move during the weekly tasks.

They will live in a luxurious townhouse in St John’s Wood, North London, giving them a taste of the lavish lives they dream of. For some, it’s their first time away from home, but for all it’s the chance to experience what life could be like as a high flyer. When the winner is crowned they will be given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be mentored by Britain’s most famous boss.

Lord Sugar’s search for his next Young Apprentice is about to begin…

Young Apprentice is a talkbackTHAMES production for BBC ONE. Michele Kurland is the Executive Producer, Colm Martin is the Series Editor. Executive Producer for the BBC, Jo Wallace.

THE GIRLS

Elizabeth Magee (‘Lizzie’)
Age: 16
Education: Studying for A Levels in Economics, History, Politics and General Studies
Lives: Liverpool

Published author and rounders champion, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Magee’s first job was collecting glasses in a pub. She now has her own business designing personalised guitar straps and also breeds Jack Russell Terriers. A gym fanatic, she describes herself as impatient and a “time freak.”

She says: “I’m very, very determined and if I know how to get something I will get it.”

Gbemi Okunlola
Age: 16
Education: Studying for a Fashion and Design Advanced BTEC and an A Level in Business Studies
Lives: London

Award winning fashion designer Gbemi has already started her own clothing line and is involved in both designing and making the clothes. Listing Louis Vuitton as her inspiration, Gbemi describes herself as a ‘diva’ and feels her strength is that she always works to her full potential.

She says: “if I believe that what I’m saying is right I will argue until my full voice and my full opinion is heard.”

Hannah Richards
Age: 16
Education: Studying for A Levels in Government and Politics, History Economics, Philosophy and Ethics.
Lives: Berkshire

Female footballer Hannah has made money re-selling vintage clothes and creating school leavers’ hoodies. She plays for two football teams and also enjoys architecture, hoping to get involved in property management in the future.

She says: “I want to show that you can succeed in the business field, without relying on numerous qualifications. The right mind and attitude is ultimately a much more important quality than 12 A*s”

Haya Al Dlame
Age: 17
Education: Studying for A Levels in Maths, Further Maths, Economics, Biology and an Extended Project
Lives: London

Born in Iraq, Haya moved to England with her family at the age of 6. A self-proclaimed bossy-boots who is determined to succeed in business, she is also a keen eBay trader and wishes she was the brains behind MAC cosmetics.

She says: “I have a big ego… I want to be known as Haya Al Dlame, the next deserving winner of Young Apprentice. “

Hayley Forrester
Age: 16
Education: Studying for A Levels in Biology, Maths, Business & Economics and ICT
Lives: Shrewsbury

Ambitious former Head Girl Hayley says her “life revolves around order.” A farmer’s daughter and member of Young Farmers herself, she passionately disagrees with people claiming benefits when they could be working. Inspired by drinks company Innocent, she sells free range, organic eggs from her own chickens.

She says: “I wear wellies, and I am not afraid to muck in”

Zara Brownless
Age: 16
Education: Studying for A Levels in English Literature, Maths, History and Theatre Studies
Lives: Hertfordshire

Film enthusiast Zara used to be a baby model and won a sock design competition when she was seven years old. She is inspired by Katherine Bigelow, the first female director to win an Oscar and currently produces films for charities. When she’s not making movies, Zara enjoys running and playing table tennis.

She says: “Dreamers dream; people who achieve wake up, get out there and start doing stuff to make their dreams happen.”

MEET THE BOYS

Ben Fowler
Age: 16
Education: Studying for Business Diploma
Lives: Birmingham

A keen horticulturalist, Ben started a gardening business in his local area in 2008. He is involved in social enterprise projects providing voluntary services to the allotment association, having taken on his own allotment at a young age. In the future he hopes to help those with learning and behavioural problems study horticulture and agriculture.

He says: “I am an ordinary lad who wants to do the best not just for myself but for everyone.”

Harry Hitchens
Age: 17
Education: Studying for the International Baccalaureate
Lives: Brighton

Keen rugby player and scuba diver Harry also has an artistic side, and runs his own photography business. He has been working since he was nine, with jobs including gardening, selling at car boot sales and magazine delivery. He wishes he had invented the Cat’s Eye road marker.

He says: “I aim high. I don’t aim low ever, what are you ever going to gain from that? I aim high and I get there because of that determination, because I’m pretty ruthless in how I get there.”

Harry Maxwell
Age: 16
Education: Studying for Pre-Us in Maths and Further Maths and A Levels in Geography and Economics and the Extended Project
Lives: Oxfordshire

School prefect Harry is a polo enthusiast and water-sports fanatic, as well as a talented singer and pianist. Inspired by Simon Cowell, entrepreneur Harry is a business veteran despite his young age. Starting his first business when he was ten, selling tickets on the internet, he has already started three successful businesses, encompassing travel, marketing, property and cosmetics.

He says: “In terms of my intellect, self-motivation, confidence, and business instinct for my age, I am unrivalled. I have a pure entrepreneurial gift waiting to be unleashed and harnessed”.

James McCullagh
Age: 17
Education: Studying for A Levels in English, Economics, Spanish and Biology
Lives: County Derry, Northern Ireland

Irishman James describes himself as a risk-taker and always follows his gut instinct. James got the joint highest score in GCSE Economics in Northern Ireland and feels he is a natural businessman. He is a massive football fan and lists his passion as economics.

He says: “I have integrity, but when winning gets in the way of integrity, integrity goes out the window.”

Lewis Roman
Age: 16
Education: Studying for A Levels in World Development, Psychology, Performing Arts, ICT
Lives: Merseyside

Describing himself as ‘confident, charismatic and clever’, Lewis Roman’s first foray into the business world was as an assistant stylist at a hair salon. A keen shopper and gym buff, Lewis now works in the food industry and hopes to change the world of business forever.

He says: “I’m not arrogant or backstabbing, I’m just a really great guy.”

Mahamed Awale
Age: 16
Education: Studying for A Levels in Politics, Law, Economics and Psychology
Lives: Greater London

A keen inventor and fundraiser who describes himself as “competitive and charismatic,” Mahamed who is the Youth Parliament Representative for his borough, has already made money buying and selling TV satellites. Inspired by the Microsoft and Facebook brands, he hopes to bring about “monumental change” using politics and youth outreach schemes.

He says: “I have so many abilities and so many talents. I want to prove what an entrepreneurial person I am.”

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Celebrity PR, Event PR, Reality TV PR, Television Industry PR, Television PR, The Apprentice | No Comments »

Kenton Allen appointed as Advisory Chair for MGEITF 2012

On October 4th, 2011 James wrote on the subject of Edinburgh International Television Festival,Event PR,Festival PR,Television Industry PR,Television PR.

The MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival today announces that Kenton Allen, Chief Executive Big Talk Productions, has been appointed as Advisory Chair for the 2012 festival.

Allen takes over the reins from BBC Director of Vision George Entwistle, who held the position for the duration of the 36th festival year.

Kenton is a multi award-winning programme-maker with credits including the BAFTA-winning sitcoms The Royle Family and Rev and the Oscar-winning film Six Shooter. He was Creative Head of BBC Comedy and BBC Comedy North between 2003 and 2008, producing and executive-producing a diverse range of programming including the BAFTA-winning That Mitchell and Webb Look.

Kenton’s appointment as Chief Executive of Big Talk Productions has seen rapid growth in the Independent Producer over the last 3 years, alongside a number of high profile and award winning productions and a nomination for Best Independent Production Company at last year’s TV festival.

Kenton Allen said: “I think George did a brilliant job this year, and I relish the prospect of getting stuck in and making 2012’s Festival the best it can be. There has never been a more creative and exciting time to be working in television and no other event showcases this like the MGEITF festival. It’s a very special event and I haven’t missed one in 15 years so I feel very honoured to be taking on the role and I’m really looking forward to helping make it unmissable.”

Elaine Bedell, MGEITF Executive Chair said: “I’m very pleased that Kenton is taking on the role of Advisory chair.  In recent years, the role has been held by executives working for the main UK broadcasters, and I think it will be a real benefit for the UK’s main television festival to be chaired this year by someone with such standing from the independent sector, who perfectly understands the pressures and demands of the UK production business.  Added to which, Kenton’s award-winning production experience in comedy and entertainment promises a 2012 festival programme with more than usual stardust and sparkle.”

MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival takes place 24 – 26 August 2012. For further details visit www.mgeitf.co.uk

Taylor Herring PR + 44 (208) 206 5151

Notes to Editors

About The Advisory Chair

The Festival Advisory Chair is responsible for the editorial direction of the TV Festival’s programme – from commissioning session ideas to overseeing final production. Working closely with the Festival Office, the Advisory Chair brings together a committee from across the entire industry to advise and produce festival sessions.

Further Info about Kenton Allen

Prior to joining the BBC he was the Creative Director of Elizabeth Murdoch’s Shine Ltd which he joined from his role as Head of Entertainment Development at Granada TV. He began his Television career when Jonathan Ross invited him to leave the world of BBC Radio where he produced, amongst a diverse range of programming, Loose Ends for Radio 4 and Steve Wright In The Afternoon for Radio 1 to join one of the first wave of British Indies – Channel X Productions.

At Channel X he produced over 250 live editions of the comedy chat show Tonight with Jonathan Ross for Channel 4. At Big Talk Kenton leads a thriving and fast growing company that specialises in Drama, Comedy and Entertainment. He recently produced the BAFTA-winning Rev and BBC Three smash-hit Him & Her.

He is the Executive Producer of C4′s hugely popular Friday Night Dinner. Kenton also EP’s the entertainment series King Of… with Claudia Winkleman (Channel 4), Show Me The Funny (ITV), The Pranker (with Running Bare Films for BBC3), Chickens written by and starring Simon Bird, Joe Thomas and Jonny Sweet (C4) and brand new sitcom Threesome (Comedy Central UK).

In the USA, he is EP on Free Agents, a series for NBC starring Hank Azaria, based on the original Channel 4 series. Big Talk have also recently announced that Greg Daniels (The Office) will be adapting Friday Night Dinner, also for NBC.

He is married to the writer Imogen Edwards-Jones.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Edinburgh International Television Festival, Event PR, Festival PR, Television Industry PR, Television PR | No Comments »

« Older Posts