Ben McOwen Wilson

Follow the eyeballs, follow the money: the battle for consumer attention is hotting up

Broadcasters no longer battle just each other in the bid for growth. With expanding options in leisure and home entertainment, and consumers reeling from the cost of living crisis, the competition has broadened. Now, it includes other leisure pursuits as much as traditional rivals.

This battle for consumer attention was the focus of the second convention session, “Follow the eyeballs, follow the money: winning in the attention economy”. 

RTS awards 2021 Fellowships

RTS Fellowships recognise industry luminaries who have made an outstanding, sustained and exceptional contribution to the industry.

This year the Fellowships have been presented to Simon Heath, CEO, World Productions; Sally Joynson, CEO, Screen Yorkshire; Danielle Lux, MD, CPL Productions; Ben McOwen Wilson, MD, YouTube UK and Ireland and Director, EMEA; Clive Myrie, BBC and John Whiston, MD, Continuing Drama, ITV.

Broadcast Britain: Reshaping Britishness on the global stage

In a stirring session that set that the scene for the 2021 RTS Cambridge Convention, the event’s Chair, Ben McOwen Wilson, encouraged his audience to face up to the biggest challenges to the British television ecosystem. These included the audience shift to digital, the power of the streamers and the problems of how to represent Britishness accurately on the screen, both to UK audiences and overseas.

Broadcast Britain | RTS Cambridge Convention 2021

Ben McOwen Wilson, YouTube Managing Director UK and Ireland, sets the scene for the Convention with a look at the challenges and opportunities for the UK’s television industry post-Brexit, post-pandemic and in the face of accelerating technological and viewer behaviour shifts.

He asks the question: how can - and how must - television redefine itself and its sense of "Britishness" to create a platform for global success and for reconnection with domestic audiences?

First speakers announced for in-person RTS Cambridge Convention 2021

Sky’s Group CEO Dana Strong is confirmed as the first international keynote for the conference, marking her first European outing since her appointment earlier this year.

The initial line-up of industry leaders also confirmed to speak at the conference includes Tim Davie, Director-General BBC; Alex Mahon, CEO, Channel 4; Carolyn McCall, CEO, ITV; Richard Sharp, Chair of the BBC and Mark Thompson, Chairman, Ancestry.com and Former President and CEO of The New York Times Company.

Further high-profile speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

Is trust still a fundamental duty for PSBs?

From left: Ben McOwen Wilson, Vikki Cook, Deborah Turness, Aasmah Mir, Martin Lewis and Ed Williams (Credit: RTS/Richard Kendal)

Trust isn’t scientific, it’s instinctive, it comes from the gut, not from the brain,” Martin Lewis told the Cambridge audience, and he should know. The founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, consumer business warrior and the man who sued Facebook and won is also the most trusted man in Britain, according to Google.