What next for broadcasting?
The UK has long been a centre for broadcasting excellence. Wales too has established itself as a world-class broadcast centre. Cardiff Media Summit will tackle the big issues facing the industry in the UK in general and Wales in particular as it seeks to maintain and strengthen its position against a rapidly changing backdrop.
The Summit will bring key decision makers, industry representatives and stakeholders together to debate:
- proposals by the BBC to make significant changes to its commissioning model which will see production quotas scrapped
- the opportunities and challenges these proposals and other changes open up for the indie sector
- how commissioning models, like S4C’s [and C4’s] publisher-broadcaster model, already support a different way of working
- whether UK broadcasters should do more to serve audiences outside the M25
- what a more devolved UK means for broadcasting
To kick-start the debate, Ben Stephenson, BBC controller of drama commissioning, will join us to discuss the proposal to scrap quotas and open up production to competition from the indie sector, and look at how the economic impact of broadcasting in the UK in general and Wales in particular can be maximised and creative talent helped to flourish.
Sponsored by the BBC and hosted by the IWA, this is a unique opportunity to discuss the future of programming and to debate the big issues facing the broadcast sector in Wales – and beyond.
It will also be a great opportunity to network with the key decision makers and suppliers in the industry.
Agenda
7.30am – Registration and light breakfast
8.00am – Introduction from Chair
- Richard Sambrook, Director of Centre for Journalism, Cardiff University
8.05am – Address
- Ken Skates AM, Minister for Culture, Sport & Tourism
8.15am – Commissioning Change
This discussion will reflect on the way that current commissioning models work across the broadcasting industry and the way they serve UK audiences in general and Welsh audiences in particular. What works well at present and where does Wales succeed? What are the issues that need to be addressed and what are the barriers in the way? Are we doing as much as we could to portray Wales and are we maximising the economic benefit?
Panel members:
- Chair – John Geraint, Creative Director, Green Bay
- Gareth Williams, Chief Executive, Rondo Media
- Gwawr Martha Lloyd, Content Commissioner, S4C
- Clare Hudson, Head of Productions, BBC Cymru Wales
9.05am – Short break
9.15am – Ben Stephenson in conversation with Maggie Brown: The impact of a new BBC commissioning model
- Interviewer – Maggie Brown, Media Commentator
- Ben Stephenson, Controller of Drama Commissioning, BBC Television
10.00am – Ben Stephenson Q&A and response from independent sector
The BBC has developed radical proposals to transform its approach to commissioning and production which could have far-reaching implications for the BBC itself and the independent sector. This is a chance to discuss the proposals and explore their implications.
- Chair – Maggie Brown, Media Commentator
- Sue Vertue, Producer, Hartswood Films
11.00am – Tea & networking
11.30am – Uninformed Wales?: Broadcasting in the Changing Union
The governance of Wales has changed significantly since 1999, but the way the Welsh public consumes news content hasn’t. The vast majority of people in Wales read London based newspapers whilst the majority of their news consumption on TV and radio is not Wales focused. This is an opportunity to discuss the way Wales is portrayed, to discuss the way the broadcast sector in general covers the issues that matter to Wales and to address any democratic deficit. All of this in the light of any further changes that are likely to flow following the Scottish referendum.
Panel Members:
- Chair – Ruth McElroy, Reader in Media and Cultural Studies, Uni. of South Wales
- Rhodri Talfan-Davies, Director, BBC Cymru Wales
- Angela Graham, TV Producer
- Glyn Mathias, Content Board member for Wales, Ofcom
12.30pm – Networking lunch
2.00pm – Finish
Tickets:
General admission – £45 plus VAT
There are limited sponsorship opportunities available for this event; please contact Laura Knight on 02920 484 387 or [email protected] to discuss this further.
Concessions for students may be available. Please contact [email protected] for more details.