W1A - the story behind the series

If you have experienced the elation and the frustration of working for Auntie, you’ll recognise the horribly accurate portrayal in the BBC2 sitcom W1A.  Jon Plowman, Exec Producer, and John Morton, Writer/Director, (the team that previously produced the hit 2012 on the Olympics) will answer your questions about how they came up with the idea, how they make it and the reaction of the television community. 

In Conversation with Sky's Gary Davey

Sky's Managing Director of Content Gary Davey will be in conversation with Managing Director of Sugar Films, Pat Younge.

For the last year Gary Davey has been responsible for Sky’s entertainment, movies and news channels in the UK – as well as overseeing the entire entertainment offering of Sky Deutschland.

Gary’s long career in pay TV has seen him occupy senior roles in Italy, Hong Kong and the USA – as well as a previous stint at Sky. 

The drive for data - why analytics should be at the heart of your business

The TV industry is facing the greatest paradox in its long history. The quality of its craft and the demand for its product have never been higher. At the same time, its future commercial viability is very uncertain.

Digital has fundamentally and irrevocably altered television’s business model. Not only are viewers watching more content than ever on digital devices, they’re doing so across a wider range of platforms and in many different ways.

DeepMind's Demis Hassabis on the future of intelligent machines

Telly creatives let out a collective sigh of relief as artificial intelligence expert Demis Hassabis ruled out the possibility of computers replacing them any time soon.
 
“We are a long way from machines being truly creative,” said the founder of machine learning start-up DeepMind Technologies. But, Hassabis warned: “I don’t think it’s impossible.”
 

Who Benefits? How can poverty be better portrayed on TV

This conference will consider the portrayal of poverty on television; it is being held by the BBC, The Royal Television Society, NCVO and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Who Benefits? will be chaired by BBC Breakfast presenter, Louise Minchin. We'll be looking at some of the reality TV and documentary programmes that have been made in poorer communities: what they are, how they are made, and why audiences watch them.

Channel 4 wins big at the Grierson Awards

Grayson Perry at the Grierson Awards

Channel 4 swept the boards at last night’s Grierson Awards, which celebrate documentaries that have made a significant contribution to the form.

RTS award-winner Grayson Perry was crowned Documentary Presenter of the Year for his Channel 4 series Who Are You? with Grierson Trust chairman Lorraine Heggessey calling Perry a national treasure who “is an interviewer who gets under the skin of his subjects and an artist who captures their essence.”

Call for entries for RTS West of England Awards

Talented television professionals in Bristol and the West of England now have an extra chance to be recognised for their work, after the RTS extended the deadline for submissions to their awards. 

Entrants now have until midnight on Friday (4 December) to apply via the RTS website

The Gala Awards Party and Presentation Ceremony will take place at the Bristol Old Vic on Sunday 6 March 2016.

Freed Al Jazeera English journalist collects RTS award

Baher Mohamed

Al Jazeera English journalist Baher Mohamed has finally been presented with his RTS Television Journalism Judges' Award in Qatar.

Mohamed, along with his colleagues Peter Greste and Mohamed Fahmy, were recognised at the RTS Television Journalism Awards in February this year.

Greste was present at the ceremony, however Mohamed and Fahmy had to watch via satellite link from Cairo due to strict bail conditions.