They will talk about what they see in the world, the stories that fascinate them, and how their production company HiddenLight facilitates their global approach to storytelling. 

Also joining the high-profile roster of speakers is England football manager Gareth Southgate OBE, who will close the conference in conversation with broadcaster, journalist, and author Clare Balding OBE centred around what Britishness means. The complete schedule for the conference, being held at King’s College in Cambridge on the 15th and 16th September, can be found on the RTS website here.

The line-up also includes new confirmed speakers Clare Balding OBE, Broadcaster and Author; Sinéad Burke, Founder and CEO, Tilting the Lens; Briony May Williams, Presenter; Clive Myrie, Journalist, BBC News; Fraser Nelson, Editor, The Spectator and David Proud, Actor, Writer & Director.

Theresa Wise, CEO at the Royal Television Society, said: “The eminent combination of Hillary and Chelsea Clinton in conversation with Mary Beard promises an erudite and unmissable session, and a great addition to our packed programme of industry heavyweights who are set to share their insights on Broadcasting Britain. We are very much looking forward to welcoming all the speakers and the wider industry to Cambridge for what is set to be an impactful and thought-provoking set of sessions.”

Ben McOwen Wilson, Managing Director, YouTube UK and Ireland and Chair of the RTS Cambridge Convention 2021, comments: “I am very much looking forward to this year’s convention and to welcoming RTS members back to Cambridge for what is set to be another thrilling event. I am particularly delighted to be welcoming Gareth Southgate OBE to deliver the conference's closing keynote - as we all saw at this Summer's Euros, Gareth and his young team embody the best of the diverse and inspirational talent that this country has to offer. As someone who has done so much to bring England together, I can think of no one better suited to close our discussions on how the industry must evolve and adapt to represent a more diverse, creative and, genuinely representative, modern Britain.”

The RTS would like to thank the Principal Sponsor YouTube, as well as the other sponsors NTT Data, Pinewood TV Studios, BBC Studios, Accenture and Korn Ferry.

The RTS Cambridge Convention 2021 is entitled “Broadcast Britain: Reshaping Britishness on the global stage”. The conference will be opened with Robert Kyncl, Chief Business Officer, YouTube and Ben McOwen Wilson, Managing Director, YouTube UK and Ireland who will set the scene for the Convention.

In session two – Dana Strong, CEO Sky, will deliver the 2021 conference’s first international keynote, joined in conversation with Sky News Political Editor Beth Rigby. The Disunited Kingdom, session three, will see Kirsty Wark moderate a conversation with Professor Sir John Curtice, Professor of Politics, University of Strathclyde, Alex Mahon, CEO, Channel 4, Rhodri Talfan Davies, Director of Nations, BBC and John Whiston, Managing Director, Continuing Drama and Head of ITV in the North, ITV Studios, where they will discuss what does Britishness mean now and in the future, and explore their personal and professional views on the fragmenting media landscape.

On Wednesday afternoon Richard Sharp, Chairman of the BBC will deliver the second UK keynote of the conference joined by Stephanie Flanders, Senior Executive Editor for Economics, Bloomberg News, followed by ITV’s CEO Carolyn McCall delivering a UK keynote in conversation with Dharshini David, Senior Correspondent & Presenter, BBC News.

Session six, US Global Vision with the Clintons, will follow with Professor Mary Beard, Professor of Classics, University of Cambridge conversing with Chelsea Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton, and then the second Global Vision US keynote for the conference, Kevin Mayer, Chairman of the Board of Directors, DAZN Group.

The penultimate session for day one of the conference will feature Alex Mahon, CEO of Channel 4 delivering a UK keynote, and the day will close with the Secretary of State keynote, with the conference Chair Ben McOwen Wilson speaking with The Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP.

Day two will open with Tim Davie, Director General of the BBC delivering a keynote in conversation with Deborah Turness, CEO, ITN, followed by session 11 – a Global Vision keynote with Lutz Schueler, CEO of Virgin Media O2.

Session 12 will focus on the challenges of fake news for broadcasters and will see an esteemed panel discuss the topic including Sander van der Linden, Professor of Social Psychology in Society and Director of the Cambridge Social Decision Making Lab, University of Cambridge; Matthew Price, Editor, Data and Forensics Unit, Sky News; Marianna Spring, Specialist Disinformation and Social Media Reporter, BBC News and Deborah Turness, CEO, ITN, chaired by Naga Munchetty, Journalist and Presenter, BBC Breakfast.

Provocateur: Mark Thompson will follow this session, with Kirsty Wark joined by Ancestry.com CEO Mark Thompson to discuss the future of public service broadcasting. Leading on from this Wark will be joined by panellists Maria Kyriacou, President, ViacomCBS Networks UK, Australia and Israel, Alex Mahon, CEO, Channel 4 and Fraser Nelson, Editor, The Spectator to further elaborate on the PSB discussion.

The last session of the morning will be the final UK keynote of the conference, with Melanie Dawes, Chief Executive of Ofcom in conversation with Clive Myrie, Journalist, BBC News.

Dawes will be followed by Sinéad Burke, Founder and CEO, Tilting the Lens, will be joined by a panel of successful disabled media players including Presenter Briony May Williams and David Proud, Actor, Writer & Director, to discuss and celebrate diverse disabled talent in the industry. Following this, session 17 will take place chaired by Lorraine Heggessey, Chair, Grierson Trust and Advisor, Channel 4 Growth Fund. Heggessey will moderate a conversation with Ralph Lee, Chief Executive, Production, BBC Studios, Brandon Riegg, VP, Unscripted and Documentary Series, Netflix, Sanjay Singhal, Chief Executive, Voltage TV and Jane Turton, CEO, All3Media with a focus on the influence of global streamers on content production for UK indies.

The final Global Vision session of the conference will then take place, with Casey Bloys, Chief Content Officer, HBO and HBO Max.

The closing session for the RTS Cambridge Convention will be with England football manager Gareth Southgate OBE, who will in conversation with broadcaster, journalist, and author Clare Balding OBE exploring what Britishness means.

Click here for more information or to book your place.

Should there be a change in Government restrictions owing to new covid variants of concern, which prevents the Convention proceeding, the RTS will be providing full refunds.