EVENTS

THE BIG BROADCASTING DEBATE: WHAT'S TO BECOME OF BRITISH TELEVISION?

6pm, Tuesday 09 June 2009

Voice of the Listener & Viewer, The Media Society and YouGovStone

present

The Big Broadcasting Debate:

What’s to Become of British Television?

Turn Up, Tune In, Speak Out - on Tuesday 9th June 2009 6pm for 6.30pm at One Alfred Place, London WC1. (off Store St., off Tottenham Court Road)

With the help of a specially commissioned YouGovStone survey of opinion leaders; leading lights of the broadcasting industry will debate the future of public service broadcasting with you and respond to your questions and comments

Commercial television is collapsing. ITV is cutting jobs and programme-making, and Public Service Broadcasting outside the BBC looks as if it’s on its deathbed.

Should Channel 4 team up with foreign-owned Channel Five, or be allowed to get its hands on some of BBC WorldWide’s money? The Government and the regulator Ofcom don’t seem sure what to do. So what about us – the viewers? What do we think? Do we care what’s happening to our TV system?

On the panel:

Peter Bazalgette The Independent called him "the most influential man in British television" because of his pioneering role in lifestyle TV programmes, his commercial fire power, and the effect he’s had on the development of reality television – think Big Brother. One of the few who understands the impact new media is likely to have on broadcasting.

Lorraine Heggessey Former Panorama producer, Controller of BBC One, and now the Chief Executive of the enormously successful Indie Talkback Thames, which makes Britain’s Got Talent (remember Susan Boyle?), The Apprentice, The X Factor, and The Bill, among many other drama and entertainment series.

Nick Ross, British radio and television presenter across a vast range of factual programmes. He launched the BBC flagship consumer programme Watchdog and for 23 years presented the primetime success Crimewatch. He has just finished a major new BBC One series The Truth About Crime, due for transmission in mid-June.

David Elstein is chairman of TV production and distribution company DCD Media. A former current affairs producer, David was Director of Programmes at Thames Television, Head of Programming at BSkyB, and Chief Executive of Channel 5, which he launched. He also chairs the Broadcasting Policy Group, which wrote a seminal report on the future of the BBC for the Conservative Party.

In the chair, Richard Lindley, Chairman of Voice of the Listener & Viewer

The Big Broadcasting Debate will have before it the results of a special opinion survey conducted by YouGovStone with its panel of ‘influentials’ to find out what opinion leaders think about public service broadcasting, and whether it still matters – or can survive - in this new media world.

Members of The Media Society and VLV will be given priority booking for this event. Members’ places are £17.50, guests’ places are £22.

Please send your cheques payable to The Media Society to Sam Keegan 29 Prothero Road, London SW6 7LY

For further information contact Sam Keegan at sam_keegan@hotmail.com