This year's RTS Cambridge Convention took place at King’s College in Cambridge on 18-20th of September 2019.
Click here to download the full programme*
Wednesday 18 September
12.30 Accommodation registration opens King's College
13.00 Delegate registration opens Concert Hall
14.00 Convention Opens Concert Hall
Welcome by Tom Mockridge, RTS Chair
14.05 Session One: Content, Consumers and Everything In Between
Carolyn McCall, CEO ITV sets the scene for the Convention with a wide ranging look at the challenges and opportunities for the television industry in a fast-changing world. Hosted by Susanna Reid with contributions from Neil Mortensen, Kevin Lygo, and introducing the consumer panel in Leeds with Ranvir Singh.
Chairs
Susanna Reid, Journalist and Broadcaster
Ranvir Singh, Journalist and Broadcaster
Speakers
Carolyn McCall, CEO, ITV
With
Kevin Lygo, Director of Television, ITV
Neil Mortensen, Director of Audiences, ITV
15.05 Interstitial – The Future of Talent
Produced by Deloitte
Introduced by
Ed Shedd, North West Europe TMT Industry Leader, Deloitte
15.10 Session Two: A Far Off Place, Of Which We Know Nothing – Exploring Gen Z
Take a curated cruise to the heart of Gen Z, where 10 million teens attend a live concert without leaving their bedroom. Watch on in comfort while they host global house parties with friends they’ve never met. Featuring top travel tips such as how to create must-see content for a tribe that's turned its backpack on traditional TV.
Chair
Rob Chapman, CEO & Partner, Founders Intelligence
Speakers
Amber Gill, Love Island Winner 2019 and Influencer
Caspar Lee, Vlogger and Entrepreneur
Timothy Armoo, CEO, Fanbytes
Paul Bojarski, CEO, Sceenic
15.50 Tea break
16.10 Session Three: Running On Empty
Has the ideas well finally run dry for Unscripted? The blockbuster formats which dominated the world market remain popular but where are the big new breakout formats that can drive ratings and sales for the UK production industry? Is it time to start fracking for new ideas in more remote places?
Chair
Tim Davie, Chief Executive, BBC Studios
Speakers
Tim Hincks, Co-CEO, Expectation
Stephen Lambert, CEO, Studio Lambert
Alex Mahon, CEO, Channel 4
16.55 Session Four: In Conversation – Sharon White with Julie Etchingham
At her final Cambridge, Ofcom’s outgoing CEO Sharon White talks to ITN’s Julie Etchingham about the challenges facing our industry.
Chair
Julie Etchingham, Journalist and Broadcaster
Speaker
Sharon White, Chief Executive, Ofcom
17.30 Session Five: Secretary of State Keynote
Chair
Susanna Reid, Journalist and Broadcaster
Speaker
The Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
18.05 End of Day One
19.15 BBC Studios Drinks Reception King's College
20.00 Discovery Dinner King's College
22.30 China Global Television Network Nightcap King's College
Thursday 19 September
09.30 Opening Concert Hall
09.35 Session Six: International Keynote – David Zaslav
David Zaslav in conversation with Kate Silverton discusses Discovery’s move to direct to consumer, its ambitions to serve global audiences through verticals across sport, lifestyle and factual, and the subjects which inspire him personally to push the company’s business forward.
Chair
Kate Silverton, Journalist and Broadcaster
Speaker
David Zaslav, President & CEO, Discovery
10.05 Session Seven: The Rights Stuff
The revolution in consumer behaviour has major implications for producers too. Who will control rights in the new world order? A panel of industry leaders debate what the rise of the SVODs will mean for UK broadcasters and producers in the greatest shake up of the TV landscape since the Communications Act of 2003 gave the indies the rights to the programmes they produce.
Chair
Kirsty Wark, Journalist, Broadcaster and Writer
Speakers
Julian Bellamy, Managing Director, ITV Studios
Howard Davine, Former ABC Studios Executive Vice President, Business Operations
Dan McGolpin, Controller, Programming and iPlayer, BBC
Jane Turton, CEO, All3Media
10.55 Coffee Break
11.15 Session Eight: Keynote – Jeremy Darroch
Jeremy Darroch, in conversation with Graham Ruddick, discusses the need to disrupt yourself and partner with competitors in order to succeed in an increasingly competitive world.
Chair
Graham Ruddick, Deputy Business Editor, The Times
Speaker
Jeremy Darroch, Group Chief Executive, Sky
11.45 Session Nine: Who You Gonna Trust?
Exactly when did trust shift from being a fundamental duty to a valuable USP? Just how commercially critical is the trust between supplier and consumer these days? And who can we best trust to monetise trust?
Presentations
Martin Lewis, Founder and Chair, MoneySavingExpert.com
Ed Williams, CEO UK and EMEA Vice Chairman, Edelman
Chair
Aasmah Mir, Radio and Television Broadcaster
Speakers
Vikki Cook, Director, Content Media Policy, Ofcom
Ben McOwen Wilson, Managing Director, YouTube UK
Deborah Turness, President, NBC News International
12.45 Lunch
14.15 Session Ten: Piers Morgan Q&A: The World’s Gone Nuts!
Should James Bond be a woman? Should we stop calling kids naughty? Fresh from the frontline of battling vegans, snowflakes and virtue-signalling Millennials, Piers Morgan will make his case against a woke world he believes has finally lost the plot. Ask him anything in this no-holds-barred Q&A – no safe space necessary.
Chair
Christine Lampard, Broadcaster
Speaker
Piers Morgan, Journalist and Broadcaster
14.45 Session Eleven: Keynote – Alex Mahon
At a time of increasing global competition, Alex Mahon will explore the important role and relevance of Channel 4 in the broadcasting landscape.
Chair
John Hardie, Former ITN CEO and Editor-In-Chief
Speaker
Alex Mahon, CEO, Channel 4
15.15 Tea break
15.35 Session Twelve: Mad Men v Math Men – Will Data Kill Advertising?
In the advertising world, where the fight is for eyeballs and brand loyalty, who are the winners and losers in the traditional versus digital eco system? Do marketers rely too heavily on data or is there still a role for creative advertising which tells stories?
Keynote
Linda Yaccarino, Chairman, Advertising and Partnerships, NBCUniversal
To kick off the Advertising session, Linda Yaccarino will share NBCUniversal’s global vision which puts consumers at the heart of the business, and reveals the responsibilities of delivering that strategy.
Chair
John Gapper, Chief Business Columnist and Associate Editor, Financial Times
Speakers
Philippa Brown, Chief Executive, PHD
Rupert Ellwood, Partner and Head of Marketing Communications, Waitrose
Nils Leonard, Founder, Uncommon
Linda Yaccarino, Chairman, Advertising and Partnerships, NBCUniversal
16.40 Session Thirteen: Keynote – Tony Hall
Tony Hall will set out why, at a time of change and uncertainty, public service broadcasting is more important than ever. He will demonstrate how the BBC will continue to rise to new challenges in the market and play an even more important role for Britain at home and abroad.
Chair
Beth Rigby, Political Editor, Sky News
Speaker
Tony Hall, Director-General, BBC
17.10 End of Day Two
19.15 Freeview Reception King's College
20.00 Accenture Dinner King's College
22.30 Spencer Stuart Nightcap King's College
Entertainment provided by Benny Blanco
Friday 20 September
09.30 Opening Concert Hall
09.35 Session Fourteen: International Keynote – Reed Hastings
Reed Hastings in conversation with Kirsty Wark outlines the investment in storytelling, production and talent which helps Netflix keep its crown as Queen of the SVoDs.
Chair
Kirsty Wark, Journalist, Broadcaster and Writer
Speaker
Reed Hastings, CEO, Netflix
10.05 Session Fifteen: You Gotta Have A Stream
Is SVoD now the only game in town or are there other ways to create and build a business of scale? Reemah Sakaan and David Lynn discuss the future of streaming and the bridges that could be built to help us all cross to the other side.
Chair
Wayne Garvie, President, International Production, Sony Pictures Television
Speakers
David Lynn, President and CEO, Viacom International Media Networks
Reemah Sakaan, Group Launch Director, Britbox
10.45 Coffee
11.05 Session Sixteen: Blow the Bloody Doors Off
Lorraine Kelly has championed the underdog all her working life. With the help of group of very opinionated new entrants, she turns her focus onto the critical lack of social mobility in our industry. How do we attract and retain truly diverse talent? What works and what doesn't? Time for some answers.
Chair
Lorraine Kelly, Broadcaster
Speakers
Vikki Cook, Director, Content Media Policy, Ofcom
Alan Clements
11.35 Session Seventeen: Better Television or Better Diversity?
It’s been 10 years since Sir Lenny Henry first gave an impassioned call to arms at the RTS for the TV industry to increase diversity. There have been some victories, such as "diversity" being written into the BBC charter for the first time. But in the words of Greg Dyke television behind the camera remains "hideously white". Lenny takes a long hard look at what now needs to be done to step change diversity in our industry. And asks the question nobody wants to ask: Do we have choose between better television or better diversity?
Speakers
Karen Blackett OBE, UK Country Manager, WPP UK and Chairwoman, MediaCom, UK & Ireland
Sir Lenny Henry, Actor, Comedian and Diversity Campaigner
12.20 Convention Closes
Carolyn McCall, CEO, ITV and Chair, RTS Cambridge Convention 2019
Sir Peter Bazalgette, Chair, ITV
Theresa Wise, Chief Executive, RTS
12.30 Lunch King’s College
*subject to amendments
