Festival 2008
Advisory Chair
Andrew Mackenzie
Head of Factual Entertainment, Channel 4
I’ve heard some bad news. The End is Nigh.
Public service television is under threat, advertising money is disappearing and media share prices are plummeting. Apparently, we are all hurtling towards a digital fuelled, internet exacerbated TV Armageddon!
But there’s a plan, a glimmer of hope. This August bank holiday, a flash mob of 2,000 TV rebels are planning to invade Scotland’s capital city, drink whisky and embrace a new democracy. The word is that we can sort it out!
There’s never been a more important year to go to Edinburgh. The Festival comes at a crucial point in the public service broadcasting debate, when new media production is booming, analogue switch off is upon us and the traditional big five broadcasters face some of the biggest challenges in their history. So, stuffed into over 50 sessions are a plethora of hot topics to debate, analysis to digest and wise words to sagely nod at. All the controllers, commissioners and policy makers you could dream of will be there shaping the future.
But come on, it’s a bank holiday weekend! The perfect Edinburgh TV Festival will satisfy policy wonks, creative geniuses and celebrity stalkers. In fact we’re swimming in a sea of talent. We’ve created a masterclass strand that’ll showcase some of the greatest talent in modern TV – from Richard and Judy to Sharon Obsbourne. There’ll also be addresses from Jamie Oliver, Wadah Khanfar, Clay Shirky and Armando Iannucci, and watch out for Gok Wan presenting a very special How to Look Good Naked Live.
And who could forget the keynote MacTaggart Lecture, to be delivered by a man whose every move over this past year has preoccupied the industry. Peter Fincham’s take on these remarkable times and the future of the industry promises to be captivating – and one in the eye for TV’s doom mongers. ‘The End is Nigh, my arse’ says Ricky Tomlinson.