Kevin Lygo

A new era for ITV

The final quarter of 2022 is likely to go down as one of the most significant periods in the long and remarkable TV career of Kevin Lygo, ITV’s Managing Director of media and entertainment.

For starters, there’s been one of the most successful ever series of the entertainment flagship I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, not forgetting ITV1’s high-profile coverage of the Qatar World Cup, with plaudits for the irascible studio pundit Roy Keane and, crucially, the overdue launch of the broadcaster’s shiny and heavily marketed new streaming service, ITVX.

From Millionaire to MasterChef: Why Unscripted remains TV’s mainstay

From left: Doug Wood, Natalka Znak, Gama Gbio, Rob Rinder, Clare Laycock and Kevin Lygo

“Corporate subconscious bias” was tested by lawyer and presenter Rob Rinder in a session designed to challenge TV folk’s preconceptions about the world of global formats and discover what it takes to create a hit. 

As Rinder put it: “There seems to be a general consensus that we should be investing in drama, that this is where the heart of commercial value is in television.  

“But this panel [will] seek to demonstrate that there’s a global dominance elsewhere – and that’s in the popularity of unscripted television.” 

ITV's Carolyn McCall: The importance of PSB news has never been greater for our democracy

Carolyn McCall chairing the RTS Cambridge Convention 2019 (Credit: RTS/Richard Kendal)

Shifting viewing habits, developments in technology and the rapidly evolving competitive landscape are having a fundamental impact on our industry,” argued RTS Convention Chair Carolyn McCall as she opened Cambridge 2019.

But amid the change and uncertainty, which included Britain’s future relationship with Europe and the rest of the world, McCall maintained that television had a bright future.

Live blog: Content, Consumers and Everything In Between

McCall is joined by Susanna Reid, Neil Mortensen, Kevin Lygo and the consumer panel in Leeds with Ranvir Singh, as they discuss a wide ranging look at the challenges and opportunities for the television industry in a fast-changing world.

Chairs

Susanna ReidJournalist and Broadcaster 

Ranvir Singh, Journalist and Broadcaster

Speakers

Channel 4 News' Jon Snow hits out at social media giant Facebook

The Channel 4 News anchor called for journalists and their recruiters to leave their bubble in order to widen the awareness and understanding of people outside the media elite.

Snow said that the recent Grenfell Tower tragedy had exposed a shameful lack in awareness of issues facing those on lower incomes.

In a moving speech, Snow spoke of the guilt he felt when confronted by the survivors of the Grenfell disaster who asked broadcasters “where were you? Why didn’t you come here before?”

Lygo vs Moore: TV's most powerful people go head to head

Kevin Lygo at RTS Cambridge 2015

Kevin Lygo

The CV: Lygo

In February, Kevin Lygo, 58, became ITV’s Director of Television, following the exit of Peter Fincham after eight years in the role.

2010-16 Lygo served as Director of ITV Studios, acquiring 14 production companies and establishing a robust presence in the US. He implemented CEO Adam Crozier and outgoing Chair Archie Norman’s strategy to rebalance ITV to make it less dependent on ad revenue.

RTS Cambridge Convention 2015 programme announced

The preliminary programme for this year's RTS Cambridge Convention has been announced. 

The convention, held on a biennial basis, brings together leading figures from the television and its related industry.

This year's event looks forward to television in 2020, focusing on the challenge for content, creativity and business models.

The programme features sessions covering foreign ownership of UK production, the rise of the smart phone in television viewing, and the influence of talent in programme-making.