Dorothy Byrne to Give MacTaggart Lecture at Edinburgh TV Fest

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The television journalist Dorothy Byrne has been selected to deliver the James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture at the 2019 Edinburgh Television Festival.

Byrne, who will be the sixth woman to give the prestigious lecture, is one of the longest-serving heads of commissioning in the television industry and has won numerous International Emmy, BAFTA and RTS Awards. A former World in Action producer and editor of ITV’s The Big Story, she became Channel 4’s head of news and current affairs in 2003. She had previously edited Dispatches and produced arts and history series for the channel. Byrne, a fellow of The Royal Television Society and a trustee of the Ethical Journalism Network, is currently a visiting professor at De Montfort University, where Channel 4 supports an MA in Investigative Journalism.

The James MacTaggart Lecture, which has been the centerpiece of the Edinburgh Television Festival since 1976, offers the speaker creative freedom to provoke, inspire and to set the news agenda. Dennis Potter, Rupert Murdoch, Ted Turner, Janet Street-Porter, John Schlesinger, Marcel Ophuls, Elisabeth Murdoch, Armando Iannucci and Jon Snow are among those who’ve delivered the lecture in the past.

Byrne said: “I am immensely honored to be invited to give this address which is normally delivered by much taller people. I believe British television has lost the confidence to think big about society. Naturally, I will also be reflecting on how male behavior has changed over my decades in television and will have some tips for men in our industry.”

Kelly Webb-Lamb, advisory chair, said: “No one will be spared when Dorothy Byrne takes to the stage for this year’s MacTaggart lecture. A formidable journalist, producer and commissioner, she is one of the most respected—and dare I say feared—people in the industry. She’s astute, honest and completely unafraid—a dangerous combination as many a politician, business leader, TV exec and crook will attest to. She is also one of the funniest women I know whose anecdotes, observations and no-doubt industry call to arms will make the 44th MacTaggart one to remember.”

CEO and Festival Director Lisa Campbell added: “Frank, fearsome and fearless, Dorothy Byrne has achieved legendary status in TV. With her decades of experience, acerbic wit and sharp mind, everyone from media execs to politicians can expect to be challenged, outraged, amused and surprised—with plenty of headlines to follow.”