LONDON, Wednesday 20 May 2009: The 34th annual MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival launches today at The Hospital Club with an impressive line-up of creative and industry luminaries.

The Chairman and Chief Executive of News Corporation, Europe and Asia, James Murdoch will give the MacTaggart Lecture, the BBC’s RTS award-winning Business Editor Robert Peston will give the Richard Dunn Memorial Lecture and Peter Fincham, Director of Television, ITV will interview Ofcom’s Ed Richards.

In 2009 the television industry is at a pivotal point of change. This year’s Festival will look at new revenue models, changing technology and the state of the global television industry. Delegates will explore how to make programming that keeps viewers engaged after the recent controversies around taste and decency as well as gain insight and practical tips from other industries in these challenging times. As the world experiences the biggest economic downturn in decades; the programme of events will also explore how the industry is coping with the credit crunch. The Festival runs from 28 – 30 August 2009.

Gerhard Zeiler, CEO of RTL Group is confirmed to give the Worldview Address and provide his unique insight into the state of the global television industry.

ITV stars Ant and Dec will take a break from their television presenting duties for a unique Alternative MacTaggart. The duo will be joined by Amanda Holden and surprise special guests to check out who in the industry actually has got talent in the festival opening session, TV’s Got Talent – Edinburgh Special.

The Wire creator, David Simon, notorious showbiz blogger Perez Hilton, the Top Gear team and actor Ross Kemp are also confirmed to give Masterclasses.

2009 marks a decade since the launch of the world’s most notorious reality TV experiment. The headline session 10 Years of Big Brother: How Reality Has Changed TV will explore the influence, history and controversy surrounding the Channel 4 juggernaut.

Controllers from all the major channels including Jay Hunt (BBC One), Janice Hadlow (BBC Two), Peter Fincham (ITV1), Julian Bellamy (Channel 4), Richard Woolfe (Five) and Stuart Murphy (Sky One) will be discussing their channel highlights and looking ahead to 2010.

Ashley Highfield, MD and VP, Consumer and Online, Microsoft UK and former BBC new media boss, will present this year’s Futureview Address, sponsored by MTV Networks. The session will explore cutting-edge issues in technology and their effects on the broadcasting and media industries.

New in-depth research about the BBC’s iPlayer will be exclusively released at this year’s Festival; providing the first insight into the popularity of the iPlayer and look at how performance affects commissioning and audience behaviour.

There will also be an important session on advertiser funded programming which will look at the exciting new opportunities for programme makers, channels and brands. Ed Vaizey MP, Shadow Culture minister, joins a panel of industry experts to explore the issues.

Channel of the Year Awards will be hosted by comedy star Michael McIntyre with winners chosen by a live audience vote on the night. Voting ends this Friday, 22 May 2009. To register your vote visit: www.mgeitf.co.uk

Elaine Bedell, 2009 MGEITF Advisory Chair and Director of Entertainment and Comedy ITV, said: “The line-up for this year’s Festival is even more impressive than before. At a time when the television industry is facing cutbacks and budgetary constraints, it is vital that the industry joins together to consider its future position and the Edinburgh International TV Festival is the ideal place for this to happen.”

Tim Hincks, MGEITF Executive Chair and CEO of Endemol UK, added: “We have secured yet another stellar line-up to ensure that 2009 will mean a great Edinburgh. It just goes to show that the Festival is the one media event you simply can’t afford to miss.”

This is just a taste of the amazing line-up for 2009, with more than 30 sessions still to be announced.

For MGEITF Press Information: Debra Johnson or Nicola Dann, Taylor Herring PR
Tel: +44 (0)20 8206 5151. Email: debra.johnson@taylorherring.com

LONDON,  Monday 18th May 2009; Ed Richards, Chief Executive of Ofcom, will be in the hot seat at this year’s MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, which takes place from 28-30 August 2009.

Richards will be interviewed by ITV’s Director of Television Peter Fincham, who last year criticised Ofcom for being out of touch with viewers and argued that over regulation could ‘kill television’, in the Festival’s MacTaggart lecture.

Since becoming CEO in 2006, Richards has come under increasing scrutiny from broadcasters and the media alike as he maps out Ofcom’s vision for Public Service Broadcasting and a Broadband Britain. The Q&A will address the key issues surrounding these policies and is guaranteed to be a dynamic debate and a session not to be missed at the festival.

Prior to joining Ofcom, Richards was Tony Blair’s senior policy advisor for media, telecoms, the internet and e-government. He also served as the BBC’s controller of corporate strategy. Richards began his career as a researcher with Diverse Production Ltd where he worked on programmes for Channel 4.

Elaine Bedell, Advisory Chair of the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival Advisory Committee, said: “We feel it’s essential that the industry’s regulator is held to account at Edinburgh, television’s key festival. And we want to make sure we address the important issues of Public Service Broadcasting, Broadband Britain and regulation – and what better way to do this than a lively debate with Peter who was publicly critical of the regulator at this festival last year.”

This year’s MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Festival has already announced James Murdoch, chairman of Newscorp as this year’s MacTaggart and Robert Peston, who will deliver the Richard Dunn Memorial Lecture as well as a Masterclass from the highly acclaimed writer of The Wire, David Simon.

Registration for the 2009 MGEITF is now open. The early bird rate of £425 + VAT is currently available until June 30. Click here for more information http://www.mgeitf.co.uk/home/mgeitf.aspx

MGEITF Press Information:
Debra Johnson, Taylor Herring PR. Tel: 0208 206 5151 debra.johnson@taylorherring.com

David Simon To Give Masterclass At Edinburgh International Television Festival

LONDON May 5, 2009: Award-winning TV producer, journalist and author David Simon is to deliver a Masterclass at this year’s MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, which takes place 28-30 August. The successful creator, writer and producer will explore his early career as a crime reporter and how this inspired him to go on to create and produce a number of long-running critically acclaimed TV series in the US including the hottest and most talked about show of the year, The Wire.

Working as a crime reporter for 13 years at the Baltimore Sun, Simon wrote two novels, Homicide: A Year On The Killing Streets and The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood, both of which were critically acclaimed TV shows. The Corner, an HBO mini-series, picked up three Emmy Awards. Based on his real life experiences at the Baltimore Sun, The Wire is a gripping and realistic police drama set in Baltimore. The series, which ran from 2001 to 2008 on HBO, was first shown in the UK on channel FX and is now enjoying ratings success on BBC2. He was also writer and executive producer on HBO’s Generation Kill, a mini-series depicting US Marines in the early days of the Iraq conflict. He is also a contributor for The New Yorker, Esquire and The Washington Post.

Dominic West, star of The Wire and Channel 4’s The Devil’s Whore will also be a guest at this year’s MediaGuardian Edinburgh International TV Festival. Sheffield born West, has played the gritty hard-drinking police detective Jimmy McNulty in The Wire since the show’s launch. He is also an accomplished theatre and film actor.

The David Simon Masterclass will take place during the Festival weekend, and he will join an array of speakers from across the industry. This year’s MacTaggart Lecture has recently been announced as James Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive, Europe and Asia, News Corporation, and Chairman of BSkyB.

Registration for the 2009 MGEITF is now open. The early bird rate of £488.75 including VAT is currently available until May 29th. Click here for more information http://www.mgeitf.co.uk/home/mgeitf.aspx

Press Contact: Debra Johnson, Taylor Herring PR. Tel: 0208 206 5151 debra.johnson@taylorherring.com

LONDON; 20th April 2009: James Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive, Europe and Asia, News Corporation, and Chairman of BSkyB, will give this year’s MacTaggart Lecture at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival.

Instituted 33 years ago to open the annual Edinburgh International Television Festival, the prestigious MacTaggart Lecture always attracts major names in UK and international broadcasting and is known for producing controversial and agenda-setting speeches.

Other past MacTaggart speakers include Peter Fincham, Dennis Potter, Michael Grade, Janet Street-Porter, Ted Turner, Peter Bazalgette, Greg Dyke, David Liddiment, Mark Thompson, Tony Ball, John Humphrys, Lord Birt, Charles Allen, Jeremy Paxman and Rupert Murdoch, who delivered a seminal speech in 1989.

James Murdoch said, “I am honoured to have been invited to deliver the MacTaggart this year. Our industry is so clearly at a turning point that now is a good time to consider the right way forward for the industry, for regulators and, most importantly, for our customers.”

Elaine Bedell, 2009 MGEITF Advisory Chair and Director of Entertainment and Comedy, ITV, said, “‘I’m very pleased that James Murdoch has agreed to deliver this year’s MacTaggart. He has a unique perspective on our industry, having worked across television, publishing and digital businesses worldwide, and he’ll be able to provide festival delegates with very welcome insights on a global media industry which is currently undergoing crisis and evolution.”

Tim Hincks, MGEITF Executive Chair and CEO of Endemol UK added, “A great Edinburgh starts with a great MacTaggart and securing James Murdoch for our key address is a real coup – proving yet again that the festival is the one media event you simply cannot afford to miss.”

The MacTaggart Lecture will take place on Friday 28th August at 18.45pm.

James Murdoch has worked across a broad range of media businesses – since 2007, as Chairman and Chief Executive, Europe and Asia, News Corporation, with responsibility for the strategic and operational development of News Corporation’s television, newspaper and related digital assets in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

He has been Non-Executive Chairman of BSkyB since 2007 following four years as Chief Executive at the company. During his time at BSkyB, the company accelerated its rate of growth, expanded into residential telecoms and broadband and increased its commitment to investing in programming. Under his leadership, BSkyB became the first major media company to become carbon neutral, a commitment that has been embraced by News Corporation. Before joining Sky, James spent three years as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of STAR, News Corporation’s Asian satellite television and multimedia group.

Note to Editors:
Registration for the 2009 MGEITF is now open. The early bird rate of £488.75 including VAT is currently available until May 29th. Click here for more information http://www.mgeitf.co.uk/home/mgeitf.aspx

About MGEITF
A unique opportunity for individuals from across the media to share ideas, make new contacts and reconnect with friends and colleagues, MGEITF offers delegates a varied programme of topical debates, one to one networking opportunities, masterclasses 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.

MGEITF  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:
Debra Johnson, Taylor Herring PR. Tel: 0208 206 5151 Email:debra.johnson@taylorherring.com