Plans in Place for NYTVF

NEW YORK, August 13: The
fourth annual New York Television Festival (NYTVF) has unveiled the 36
selections for its independent pilot competition, along with the roster of
media executives who will participate in the first-ever Industry Day panel
series.

The 36 original,
independently produced pilots hail from the U.S., Canada and Australia, and
feature stars such as James Cromwell (24), Constantine Maroulis (American Idol) and Michael Gladis (Mad Men) appearing in scripted productions, while the
likes of Dustin Diamond (Saved By the Bell) and Gary Coleman (Diff'rent Strokes) appear as themselves in a reality competition
offering.

This year’s festival,
which takes place September 12 to 17, will also feature an Industry Day panel
discussion series. Taking place on September 15, the event will feature, among
others, Ben Silverman, the co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universal Media
Studios; Jim Wiatt, the chairman and CEO of the William Morris Agency; CNBC’s
Donny Deutsch; Media Rights Capital’s president of television, Keith Samples;
and MTV’s executive VP of series development and programming, Tony DiSanto.
Panelists will discuss the future of TV development, addressing genres such as
drama, comedy and unscripted.

"The television
industry stands at a crossroads, and the development of new programming will
continue to undergo vast changes in the coming months," said NYTVF’s
founder, Terence Gray. "The NYTVF is fortunate to be able to screen new
work by innovative creators, while bringing together the foremost experts in
the field to discuss the future of TV development as well as the impact new
methodologies and resources will have on the upcoming television
landscape."

—By Kristin
Brzoznowski