MGEITF Lines Up Luminaries

LONDON: The roster of top-name industry executives and creative talent slated to attend the 34th annual MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival (MGEITF) continues to grow, with James Murdoch, Gerhard Zeiler and British comedy duo Ant and Dec in the lineup.

The chairman and chief executive of News Corporation for Europe and Asia, James Murdoch, will give the MacTaggart Lecture, while BBC business editor Robert Peston delivers the Richard Dunn Memorial Lecture and Peter Fincham, the director of television at ITV, will interview Ofcom’s Ed Richards. Gerhard Zeiler, the CEO of RTL Group, is confirmed to give the Worldview Address and provide insight into the state of the global television industry. ITV stars Ant and Dec will be on hand for an Alternative MacTaggart. The duo will be joined by Amanda Holden and surprise special guests for the festival opening session, TV’s Got Talent: Edinburgh Special.

The Wire creator David Simon, showbiz blogger Perez Hilton, the Top Gear team and actor Ross Kemp are also confirmed to give Masterclasses. The headline session, 10 Years of Big Brother: How Reality Has Changed TV, will explore the influence, history and controversy surrounding the breakout series.

Controllers from all the major British 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, the managing director and VP of consumer and online for Microsoft UK, 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. There will also be a session on advertiser-funded programming that will spotlight at the new opportunities for program-makers, channels and brands.

Channel of the Year Awards will be hosted by comedian Michael McIntyre, with winners chosen by a live audience vote on the night.

Elaine Bedell, the 2009 MGEITF advisory chair and director of entertainment and comedy for ITV, said: “The lineup 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’s executive chair and CEO of Endemol UK, added: “We have secured yet another stellar lineup 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.”