Past MacTaggart Lecture Speakers
The MacTaggart Lecture was named after the pioneering and innovative writer, producer and director James MacTaggart. The Lecture by John McGrath, playwright, opened the first Festival in 1976 and has fast established itself as a platform for important policy announcements and agenda-setting speeches.
2009 James Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive, Europe and Asia, News Corporation
2008 Peter Fincham, Director of Television, ITV
2007 Jeremy Paxman, Broadcaster, Newsnight, BBC
2006 Charles Allen, Chief Executive, ITV
2005 Lord Birt
2004 John Humphrys
2003 Tony Ball, Chief Executive, BSkyB
2002 Mark Thompson, Chief Executive, Channel 4
2001 David Liddiment, Director of Channels, ITV Network
2000 Greg Dyke, Director General, BBC
1999 Richard Eyre, Chief Executive, ITV Network Centre
1998 Peter Bazalgette, Managing Director, Bazal
1997 Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, Writers
1996 John Birt, Director General, BBC
1995 Janet Street-Porter
1994 Greg Dyke
1993 Dennis Potter, Playwright and Director
1992 Michael Grade, Chief Executive, Channel 4
1991 David Elstein, Director of Programmes, Thames Television
1990 Verity Lambert, Independent Film and Television Producer, Cinema Verity
1989 Rupert Murdoch, CEO News Corporation and proprietor, Sky TV
1988 Christine Ockrent, Broadcaster and Journalist
1987 Phillip Whitehead, Independent Producer
1986 Troy Kennedy Martin, Writer
1985 John Schlesinger, Film Director
1984 Denis Forman, Granada
1983 Dr Jonathan Miller, Film Director
1982 Ted Turner, Cable Network News, USA
1981 Peter Jay
1980 John Mortimer, Writer
1979 Jeremy Isaacs, Channel 4
1978 Norman Lear, Producer
1977 Marcel Ophuls, Film and Television Director
1976 John McGrath, Playwright