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 36^th 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.

EDINBURGH, Wednesday 24th August 2011: Final preparations are underway for the weekend’s 36th annual MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, which boasts a line up of over 50 sessions that celebrate the year’s successes and address the current issues that face the industry.

For the full programme click here

Dr. Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google, will deliver this year’s MacTaggart lecture, discussing the unique role that Google occupies across global media and how TV business can engage with the giant of modern media. For the first time the speech will be streamed live via You Tube.

Danny Cohen, Peter Fincham, Jay Hunt, Janice Hadlow, Stuart Murphy and Jeff Ford will feature in the Controllers Sessions – each one providing an in-depth and informative look at what their channel has in store for viewers in the future, whilst answering audience questions. 

TV’s man of the moment, Professor Brian Cox, is the subject of the Alternative MacTaggart, in interview with Mariella Frostrup. The particle physicist will offer his analysis of TV as an enduring medium while offering up thoughts on the meaning of the Universe.

Comedy mogul Jon Thoday will give the Richard Dunn Memorial interview.  He will be opening up his extraordinary career in comedy management and production, discussing how he launched the careers of some of the UK’s best known comics.

Multi award-winning  Sky News reporter, Alex Crawford, will deliver the Worldview Lecture live via satellite link from Libya, focusing on recent events in the Middle East, and the changing role of news in growing, multicultural society.

The session ‘Chasing The Convergence Cash’ will set the scene for a major theme of the festival as broadcasting heavyweights chase new world operators like Facebook for revenue. Speakers will include Channel Four’s Chief Executive David Abraham and Ed Vaizey MP.

As Sky enters its third decade, the festival looks at the way the UK’s first satellite operator has revolutionised our television and the challenges it now faces as Britain’s biggest broadcaster. Speakers include David Wheeldon Sky’s Director of Policy & Public Affairs and Alan Rusbridger Editor In Chief, The Guardian.

In his first festival appearance for 6 years, Ricky Gervais talks about his TV career past and present while new entrant to the British comedy pantheon, Miranda Hart, will give a masterclass covering the creative process and exploring the future of comedy. Comic Strip writer Peter Richardson and producer Nick Smith will talk through the process of revising one of the nation’s best-loved comedy shows and updating it for a very different age.

Journalist and presenter Miriam O’Reilly joins a panel discussion examining the relationship between older women and television in Too Old for HD? The session will explore the different ways TV women have adapted – or not – with the changing face of television.

Actress Joanne Froggatt and Gareth Neame, executive producer of the massive ratings and critical success, Downton Abbey, will be deconstructing its popularity, examining its narrative structure as well as exclusively previewing the new series.

Sofie Gråbøl, star of hit Danish crime thriller, The Killing is joined by producer Piv Bernth to celebrate Sarah Lund, the cult following for the programme and everyone’s favourite jumpers.

Mark Wright and Sam Faiers, stars of ITV2’s multiplatform phenomenon and runaway success, The Only Way is Essex are joined by producers and commissioners to talk vajazzling, spray tanning, and the blurring of fact and fiction.

Glenn Brown, Director of Business Development at Twitter, will give The Futureview Address. Brown will be addressing the power of the medium to revolutionise the way TV viewers discover and interact with programming in real time. An additional session  The Only Way is Twitter…? will interrogate the ‘Twitter Effect’ by looking at the numbers and their real impact exposing top tweeters’ best practices.

With under a year to go until the start of the Olympics, the BBC’s Director of London 2012 Roger Mosey, will give a preview of what new technological and creative innovations we can expect as the BBC prepares to deliver the greatest show on earth – the Olympics – to our living rooms in 2012.

Some of the advertising world’s most creative people will share their revolutionary approach to audience engagement and a separate session looks at the world of product placement. Other highlights include; an investigation into bullying in the industry and an exploration into the international success of The Cube.

MGEITF kicks off with Family Fortunes as you’ve never seen it before. Vernon Kay will host this special edition of everyone’s favourite gameshow, with commissioning “families” from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky, plus celebrity guests (including Lee Mack, Sam Faiers, Alan Carr and Sally Lindsay)  competing to demonstrate their superior understanding of TV audiences.

Presented by comedian Russell Kane, the Arqiva Channel of the Year Awards introduces three new awards this year; Cross Platform Innovation, Producer or Director Debut and Indie of the Year. A host of celebrity faces will help present the awards to the winners.

Screenings include; Sky 1’s new sitcom, SPY; The 9/11 Decade, an Al Jazeera film exploring how the CIA fought al Qaeda in the shadows, marking the tenth anniversary of the World Trade Centre attacks; Sky Atlantic’s first original comedy commission, This is Jinsy with Q&A; a screening of the new episode of BBC One’s Doctor Who; Syfy’s supernatural drama, Haven (Series 2 Episode 1- A Tale of Two Audreys); ABC’s highly anticipated, Once Upon A Time; and Channel 4’s comedy Fresh Meat, starring Jack Whitehall, with an introduction from the channel’s Head of Drama, Camilla Campbell.

For the full run down – visit the festival website at mgeitf.co.uk

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Press Contact: Taylor Herring PR

Notes to Editors:

• Now in its 36^th year, the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival is the essential annual event for anyone involved in the media industry
• A diverse programme of over 50 sessions including debates about important industry issues, future trends, glossy entertainment sessions and some of the most innovative leaders in the media delivering keynote speeches
• The Festival is attended by over 1,500 delegates, representing the full spectrum of the industry – from chief executives, controllers and commissioners to producers, directors, marketers, writers, new media companies, distributors and press
• A key part of the Festival’s charitable remit is encouraging and developing new talent from a diverse range of backgrounds, and it delivers on this aim through two talent schemes, The Network and Fast Track.  These schemes help over 100 young people each year to get in and get on in the media industry.
• George Entwistle, Controller of BBC Knowledge Commissioning, is the 2011 Advisory Chair.
•  For further details log on to www.mgeitf.co.uk

LONDON, Monday, 27th June 2011: The MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival today confirm the addition of multi-award winning writer and comedian, Ricky Gervais to this year’s already stellar line-up.

Comedy treasure Ricky Gervais has been very busy in the USA – producing hit TV shows, making movies, hosting awards shows and making mischief with the Hollywood A-list. The comedian, actor, director and multi-award winning writer will be quizzed on his experiences of the television industry in America. The star will give a personal insight into his Sky 1 hit, An Idiot Abroad in conversation with broadcaster Richard Bacon and an audience Q&A opportunity.

Also confirmed today is Chloe Sladden, Director of Content & Programming at Twitter, who works with media, news and entertainment organizations to imagine and implement new approaches to content creation, audience engagement, and journalism. Chloe will be giving the keynote address for the MGEITF Futureview, discussing the power of Twitter to revolutionize the way TV viewers discover and interact with programming in real time. Sladden will provide a provocative view of what’s changed so far –and what happens next.

Sladden commented: “I’m excited to join the Edinburgh International Television Festival to share, debate and discuss how Twitter is changing the TV viewing experience. I look forward to conversations with colleagues and partners about what the future holds for interactive TV.”

Additionally joining the high-calibre list of contributors at MGEITF this year are comedian and actor Lee Mack, English journalist and television presenter Esther Rantzen, Irish television writer, actor and director Graham Linehan, and BBC Drama Commissioning Controller, Ben Stephenson.

Other industry luminaries already confirmed to appear include; Dr. Eric Schmidt (Executive Chairman of Google), Professor Brian Cox, the stars of The Only Way Is Essex and Downton Abbey, Miranda Hart and The Killing’s Sofie Gråbøl.

The Festival will take place from August 26 – 28 at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. To find out more about the programme and to register, please visit www.mgeitf.co.uk.

Press Contact: Taylor Herring PR

LONDON, Monday 16th May 2011: The 36^th annual MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival today announces its most impressive and ambitious line-up of creative and industry luminaries to date.

Taking place on 26^th – 28^th of August the MGEITF is the only industry event that brings together the great and the good, the heroes and villains, the stars of the screen and the people that make them.

The festival weekend will feature a line up of sessions that focus on the year’s finest successes, addresses the current issues that face us all, and provide information, celebration and networking with the cream of the television industry and beyond.

Dr. Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google, will deliver this year’s MacTaggart, discussing the unique role that Google occupies across global media and how TV business can engage with the giant of modern media.

Particle Physicist and TV’s man of the moment, Professor Brian Cox, will deliver the Alternative MacTaggart Lecture offering his analysis of TV as an enduring medium, his own phenomenal success and the meaning of the Universe.

Comedy mogul and founder of Avalon Group, Jon Thoday will give the Richard Dunn Memorial Interview.  He will be opening up his extraordinary career in comedy management, production, opera, events and more, and discussing how he launched the careers of some of the UK’s best known comedians and continues to occupy a hugely powerful role across the whole entertainment value chain.

Three-time winner of the Royal Television Society (RTS) Journalist of the Year award, Dubai-based Sky News reporter, Alex Crawford, will deliver the Worldview Lecture, focusing on recent events in the Middle East, and the changing role of news in growing, multicultural society.

Danny Cohen, Peter Fincham, Jay Hunt, Stuart Murphy, Janice Hadlow, Jeff Ford, Richard Klein and James Hunt will feature in the 2011 Controllers Sessions – each one guaranteed to provide an in-depth and informative look at what their channel has in store for viewers in the future, whilst answering audience questions.

The stars of ITV2’s multiplatform phenomenon and runaway success, The Only Way is Essex are joined by producers and commissioners to talk vajazzling, spray tanning, and the blurring of fact and fiction.

The stars and creators of the massive ratings and critical success Downton Abbey will be deconstructing its popularity, examining its narrative structure and its modern appeal, as well as exclusively previewing the new series – a must see for all fans.

Award-winning actress, writer and new entrant to the British comedy pantheon, Miranda Hart, will give a masterclass covering the creative process and the future of comedy.

Journalist and presenter Miriam O’Reilly joins a panel discussion examining the relationship between older women and television in Too Old for HD? The session will explore the different ways TV women have adapted – or not – with the changing face of television.

In a year when new boundaries have been pushed in comedy programmes, 1980s light entertainment legend, Jim Davidson, reflects on the industry that loved him, supported him but ultimately rejected him, as he discusses the changing nature of acceptability in comedy and television as a whole.

Sofie Gråbøl, star of hit Danish crime thriller (and breakout BBC4 success) The Killing is joined by producer Piv Bernth to celebrate Sarah Lund, the cult following for the programme and everyone’s favourite jumpers.

MGEITF will kick off with an opening session guaranteed to have the audience laughing in their seats as Family Fortunes takes to the stage as you’ve never seen it before. Vernon Kaye will host this special edition of everyone’s favourite gameshow, with commissioning “families” from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky competing to demonstrate their superior understanding of TV audiences, with prizes, audience participation and much, much more!

The Arqiva Channel of the Year Awards will be jointly voted for by festival delegates, MediaGuardian readers and members of the public, by viewing videos and completing an online survey designed by new research partner GfK Media. 2011 marks the first year that Indies can enter the awards to showcase the shows and talent that they feel deserve industry acknowledgment, with the introduction of three new awards; Cross Platform Innovation Award, Producer or Director Debut and Indie of the Year.

Advisory Chair of the Festival, George Entwistle, said:  “The television industry is in an exciting place and this year’s Festival is going to be fun, it’s going to be frenetic, and you’ll have some tough choices to make between the four concurrent content streams, not to mention workshops, screenings, networking, parties and plenty of debate. I can’t wait to get to Edinburgh for what is set to be the most ambitious Festival to date.”

Director of Entertainment and Comedy at ITV and Executive Chair of the Festival, Elaine Bedell added: “Edinburgh this year is going to be an unmissable event for anyone working in the industry – this is an irresistible mix of provocative debate, and fascinating creative insight and access, making a perfect Edinburgh TV festival. And there will be more to come!”

Registration for the 2011 MGEITF is now open. The early bird rate of £500 + VAT is currently available until 24^th June. Click here for more information www.mgeitf.co.uk

LONDON, Monday 11 April, 2011: Dr. Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google, will give this year’s MacTaggart Lecture at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival on Friday 26th August.

Dr Schmidt will be discussing the impact of the internet revolution and how the television industry can engage with new technologies.

Dr. Schmidt comments: “It’s a great honour to be invited to give the MacTaggart lecture – the previous speakers are all incredibly impressive. I have always been a profound optimist about the potential for technology to improve people’s lives — though I am also a realist and understand it can be immensely disruptive in the process. So I look forward to discussing the opportunities and challenges ahead for the TV industry in Edinburgh.”

Instituted 36 years ago to open the annual MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, 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 Mark Thompson, James Murdoch, Dennis Potter, Michael Grade, Verity Lambert, Ted Turner, Greg Dyke, Peter Fincham, Charles Allen, Jeremy Paxman, John Mortimer and Rupert Murdoch.

Advisory Chair of the Festival, George Entwistle, comments: “Television was supposed to be dead and isn’t; on demand was supposed to have triumphed and hasn’t. It’s the perfect MacTaggart for an industry at the convergence crossroads, the Chairman of Google will give us a steer on the way ahead that no-one can afford to miss.”

Executive Chair of the Festival, Elaine Bedell, comments: “This is the first time that the prestigious MacTaggart has been given to someone not principally involved in television broadcast or production. Eric Schmidt will give us a unique perspective on the future of the UK’s television industry, as well as an insight into the global ambitions of the internet-based giant, Google.”

Since joining Google in 2001, as Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Schmidt has helped grow the company from a Silicon Valley startup to a global leader in technology. Under his leadership, Google dramatically scaled its infrastructure and diversified its product offerings while maintaining a strong culture of innovation.

In his newly appointed role as Executive Chairman, Dr. Schmidt will be responsible for the external matters of Google including building partnerships and broader business relationships, government outreach and technology thought leadership, as well as advising the CEO and senior leadership on business and policy issues.

Prior to joining Google, Dr. Schmidt was the Chairman and CEO of Novell and Chief Technology Officer at Sun Microsystems, Inc., where he led the development of Java. Earlier in his career, Dr. Schmidt was a member of the research staff at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), Bell Laboratories and Zilog.

Dr. Schmidt holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Princeton University as well as a Master’s Degree and Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Schmidt is also a member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council in the U.K.

He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2006 and inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences as a fellow in 2007. He also chairs the board of the New America Foundation.

Registration for the 2011 MGEITF is now open. The early bird rate of £500 + VAT is currently available until 24^th June. Click here for more information www.mgeitf.co.uk

Twitter fans – follow the Festival @edinburghtvfest

Notes to Editors

Now in its 36^th year, the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival is the essential annual event for anyone involved in the media industry

A diverse programme of over 50 sessions including debates about important industry issues, future trends, glossy entertainment sessions and some of the most innovative leaders in the media delivering keynote speeches

The Festival is attended by over 1,500 delegates, representing the full spectrum of the industry – from chief executives, controllers and commissioners to producers, directors, marketers, writers, new media companies, distributors and press

A key part of the Festival’s charitable remit is encouraging and developing new talent from a diverse range of backgrounds, and it delivers on this aim through two talent schemes, The Network and Fast Track.  These schemes help over 100 young people each year to get in and get on in the media industry.

MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival 2011 takes place 26-28 August. George Entwistle, Controller of BBC Knowledge Commissioning is the Advisory Chair.

For further details log on to www.mgeitf.co.uk

The MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival is inviting broadcasters and Indies to enter for this year’s Arqiva Channel of the Year Awards. All festival delegates will be able to cast their vote before attending the live ceremony on 27^th August at The Balmoral, Edinburgh.

Last year, Channel 4 won Terrestrial Channel of the Year for the first time since 2006, ending BBC One’s three year winning streak.

Non-Terrestrial Channel of the Year was awarded to BBC Three. Terrestrial Programme of the Year was awarded to the critically-acclaimed BBC One comedy Outnumbered, with E4’s multi award-winning The Inbetweeners winning Non-Terrestrial Programme of the Year following their 2009 Network and Fast Track Programme Award, which last year went to Misfits, E4’s cult, black comedy.

This year, the awards have been extended to eight categories with three new additions.

2011 marks the first year that Indies can enter the awards to showcase the shows and talent that they feel deserve industry acknowledgement, with the introduction of three new awards including Indie of the Year.

The Cross Platform Innovation Award rewards ideas that have spanned more than one platform or have used interactive technologies alongside television in new and exciting ways. They are for new products, content propositions or technologies that are genuinely taking the medium of television in a new direction. Anyone can enter – broadcaster, indie, specialist digital company, either on their own or as part of a team.  As part of the entry criteria we will ask the entrant to state any relevant collaboration between content, technology or platform company.

The Producer or Director Debut Award is an opportunity for Indies and in-house production departments to showcase new talent who made their debut between 1^st July 2010 and 30^th June 2011, and reflect their values through innovative programmes.

Louise Benson, Festival Director commented: “We’re really excited to announce the call for entries for the 10^th annual Arqiva Channel of the Year Awards. The addition of the three new categories allows more companies and individuals to submit their work for recognition and the Cross Platform Innovation Award shows that the TV Festival is acknowledging the many platforms that compliment TV in exciting and innovative ways.”

All non-terrestrial channels are being invited to enter for the Digital Channel of the Year and Digital Programme of the Year awards by submitting a two-minute showreel to the MGEITF office. Terrestrial channels, meanwhile, will be invited to submit a five-minute showreel and provide information on programming, commercial success, innovation, successful targeting, channel branding, broadband content and interactive services.

The showreel should showcase the best of the channel and include programming which has been broadcast or is due to transmit between July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011. The deadline for submissions is Thursday 21^st April 2011.

All entries will be available to view on the festival website from late April when voting will open. Voters, made up of festival delegates, MediaGuardian readers and members of the public will vote by viewing videos and completing an online survey designed by new research partner GfK Media. The winners will be at the Arqiva Channel of the Year Awards ceremony on 27^th August, in Edinburgh.

All GfK Media voters are offered the chance of winning a delegate pass and accommodation for the Festival.

Now in its 10th consecutive year, the Arqiva Channel of the Year Awards is in recognition of the increasingly competitive and often challenging market that today’s TV companies operate in, and to celebrate the creative, innovative and commercial solutions that both channels and production companies present. For details of previous winners click here

Press Contact: Taylor Herring PR

Media Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival has appointed Louise Benson as its new Director, Elaine Bedell, the TV Festival’s Executive Chair has announced today.

Louise joins the Festival from Emap Networks where she was Media Events Director, with responsibility for all of Emap’s media conferences. She was also Event Director of the World Architecture Festival.

Louise has been at Emap for over seven years and launched a number of new events there, including genre specific TV conferences (for example TV Comedy Forum) and the Digital Channels Conference.

In 2008 she launched The Media Festival in Manchester, with Peter Bazalgette as founding Chair and in September of this year, The Media Festival Arts, for arts and film organisations looking for opportunities in the digital space.

Director of Entertainment and Comedy at ITV, and MGEITF Executive Chair Elaine Bedell commented: “I’m delighted that Louise is joining the Edinburgh Television Festival.  She’s well-known already to many in the media industry and understands the key issues facing the TV sector.  She’s absolutely the right person to help us take the festival forward over the next few years, and is full of enthusiasm and energy to make it more international, more relevant and inspiring.”

Louise Benson added: “I’m looking forward to working with George Entwistle, the 2011 Advisory Chair and his Advisory Committee to deliver a must-attend event. The TV Festival is a very special event, and one that I’ve always wanted to be involved in.”

Louise will take up the post of Festival Director on 31 January 2011.

Notes to Editors:

•         Now in its 36^th year, the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival is the essential annual event for anyone involved in the media industry

•         A diverse programme of over 50 sessions including debates about important industry issues, future trends, glossy entertainment sessions and some of the most innovative leaders in the media delivering keynote speeches

•         The Festival is attended by over 1,500 delegates, representing the full spectrum of the industry – from chief executives, controllers and commissioners to producers, directors, marketers, writers, new media companies, distributors and press

•         A key part of the Festival’s charitable remit is encouraging and developing new talent from a diverse range of backgrounds, and it delivers on this aim through two talent schemes, The Network and Fast Track.  These schemes help over 100 young people each year to get in and get on in the media industry.

•         MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival 2011 takes place 26-28  August.  George Entwistle, Controller of BBC Knowledge Commissioning is the Advisory Chair.

•          For further details log on to www.mgeitf.co.uk

For press information, please contact Taylor Herring on 0208 206 5151

Bedell, who worked as the Advisory Chair of the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival last year, will succeed Hincks when his four year stint ends after the 35^th annual festival this year.

Bedell is now in charge of some of the highest-rating entertainment shows in the UK after moving from her role as the BBC’s Controller of Entertainment Commissioning in March 2009.  She oversees a range of hit shows from the X Factor, Dancing on Ice, Britain’s Got Talent and I’m A Celebrity, to Benidorm, Piers Morgan’s Life Stories and The Brits.

Hincks, who took over the role in 2006 from Dawn Airey, said: “Running the TV Festival for four years had been a privilege and a pleasure. The team around me have been fantastic and Elaine will be a superb executive chair. The festival is in the safest of hands, allowing me to gracefully retire and spend more time with my shareholders.”

Bedell said: “Tim has consistently succeeded in making this the media event of the year and I will endeavour to ensure that it remains this way.  I want to make sure the Television Festival provides an irresistible invitation for all the key figures in our industry.  And that Edinburgh at the end of the summer is the place and the time for all the crucial debates and conversations about the future of television and new media. As well, of course, as offering the opportunity for some fun…”

Hincks will hand over at the end of the 2010 festival.

MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival 2010 will take place 27-29 August 2010. For further details visit http://www.mgeitf.co.uk/home/mgeitf.aspx

 Note to Editors:

A unique opportunity for individuals from across the media to share ideas, make new contacts and reconnect with friends and colleagues, the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival offers delegates a varied programme of topical debates, one to one networking opportunities, master classes and keynote lectures from leading UK and international media figures. The Festival programme is developed by an Advisory Committee made up of individuals from across the industry.

The MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival is a delegate entry event which annually attracts over 2000 delegates from all sectors and levels of the industry.  To find out more, and to register, please visit www.mgeitf.co.uk

MGEITF is a charitable organisation which supports and develops new talent from all backgrounds through its two talent schemes, The Network and Fast Track.  Approximately one third of the delegate fees go towards supporting these initiatives.

MGEITF Press Information:

Taylor Herring PR Tel: 0208 206 5151

This year on Saturday the new man from the ministry Jeremy Hunt will be quizzed on his vision for British television, his plans for the BBC and the licence fee and what he thinks the industry must do to future-proof itself against the backdrop of deep recession in a face-to-face conversation on stage with writer, broadcaster, and media consultant Steve Hewlett.

Helping to bring a new generation of 3D to the big screen, this year at the Edinburgh TV Festival Hollywood’s 3D man Sandy Climan will deliver this year’s Futureview Address by joining us to inspire those interested on the advances of 3D technology today.

One of Hollywood’s most powerful dealmakers, Sandy Climan has represented stars such as Robert De Niro, Robert Redford, Kevin Costner, and brokered deals for Sony (SNE), Mastushita, and Seagram to buy Hollywood studios. Sandy will be discussing his intentions and those of his peers to bring 3D movies, television shows, and live events to the masses on movie screens and on TV sets.

And finally, Shane Meadows’ new 4 part drama This is England ’86 launches on Channel 4 in September and MGEITF are thrilled to be hosting an exclusive screening of the first episode at this August’s Festival in partnership with Edinburgh Filmhouse on Friday 27 August. After the screening, Shane and producer Mark Herbert will be interviewed on stage by Channel 4’s recently appointed Chief Executive David Abraham, this will also be David’s only appearance at this year’s Festival.

This is England ’86 is acclaimed British filmmaker Shane Meadows’ (This Is England, Dead Man’s Shoes) television debut and the much anticipated follow up to his BAFTA award-winning film. Reuniting the original cast, the four-part drama for Channel 4 is co-written by Meadows and Jack Thorne (The Scouting Book for Boys), directed by Meadows and Tom Harper (Misfits) and produced by Warp Films.

The Festival will take place from August 27 – 29 at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre. To find out more about the programme and to register, please visit www.mgeitf.co.uk.

Press Enquiries to Taylor Herring PR