Kevin Lygo, David Lynn, Piers Morgan & More Added to RTS Lineup

The Royal Television Society (RTS) has revealed the full program for its 2019 Cambridge Convention, with newly confirmed speakers such as ITV’s Kevin Lygo and Viacom’s David Lynn joining previously announced execs such as Netflix’s Reed Hastings.

Along with Lygo, the director of television at ITV, and Lynn, the president and CEO of Viacom International Media Networks, newly confirmed speakers for the schedule include Sir Peter Bazalgette, chair of ITV; Julian Bellamy, managing director of ITV Studios; Stephen Lambert, CEO of Studio Lambert; Ben McOwen Wilson, managing director of YouTube UK; Tom Mockridge, RTS Chair; Piers Morgan, journalist and broadcaster; and Nicky Morgan MP, secretary of state for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. Further new additions include Dan McGolpin, controller of programming and daytime at the BBC; Reemah Sakaan, group director of ITV SVOD and senior VP, creative head of Britbox; and Deborah Turness, president of NBC News International.

Titled Content, Consumers, and Everything in Between, the RTS Cambridge Convention 2019 is sponsored by ITV, and chaired this year by Carolyn McCall, CEO of ITV. It is to be held at King’s College in Cambridge from September 18 to 20.

McCall will set the scene for the Convention, taking a look at the challenges and opportunities for the TV industry in a fast-changing world. Journalists and Broadcasters Susanna Reid and Ranvir Singh will chair this session, with contributions from Lygo and Neil Mortensen, director of audiences at ITV.

The second session, A Far Off Place, of Which We Know Nothing, features Rob Chapman, CEO and partner at Founders Intelligence, mediating a discussion between Paul Bojarski, CEO of Sceenic; Jordan Casey, CEO of Casey Games; and Tara Reddy, CEO and co-founder of Loveshark, about targeting and creating must-see content for the Gen Z audience.

Tim Hincks, co-CEO at Expectation; Lambert and Alex Mahon, CEO of Channel 4, will explore the current landscape of unscripted content in a session titled Running on Empty? Tim Davie, chief executive at BBC Studios, will guide a conversation.

Outgoing Ofcom CEO Sharon White will be joined by Julie Etchingham, journalist and broadcaster, to discuss the challenges facing the industry.

A keynote from Morgan caps off day one.

Day two begins with an International Keynote from David Zaslav, the president and CEO of Discovery. Kate Silverton, journalist and broadcaster, will discuss Discovery’s move to direct to consumer with Zaslav and its ambitions to serve global audiences.

Kirsty Wark, journalist and writer, will explore the revolution in consumer behavior and the implications for producers in a session titled The Rights Stuff. The panel boasts Bellamy; McGolpin; Howard Davine, former executive VP of business operations at ABC Studios; and Jane Turton, CEO of All3Media.

Jeremy Darroch, Sky’s group chief executive, will deliver a keynote highlighting the need to disrupt in order to succeed in an increasingly competitive world.

Piers Morgan will open the afternoon sessions, followed by a keynote from Mahon, who will discuss the important role and relevance of Channel 4 in the broadcasting landscape with former ITN CEO and Editor-In-Chief John Hardie.

Tony Hall, director-general at the BBC, will also deliver a keynote.

The final day will start with an International Keynote from Hastings, CEO of Netflix. Hastings will be joined in conversation with Wark to outline the investment in storytelling, production and talent.