Melanie Dawes

How Safe Is Our News? | RTS London Convention 2024

With the relationship between news providers and tech platforms coming under increasing scrutiny from governments and regulators worldwide, is carefully produced news potentially being buried? With audiences increasingly online, does the right news reach them or could it be lost in a sea of misinformation, or not carried at all? Can we learn from global examples where policy has polarised the two groups – or can big tech and traditional news providers learn to work together?

Speakers:

Iain Bundred – Head of Public Policy for UK and Northern Europe, YouTube

Ofcom CEO Melanie Dawes on the licence fee, privatising Channel 4 and Piers Morgan

At a time when many observers fear decisions on broadcasting matters, from the size (or existence) of the BBC licence fee to the possible priva­tisation of Channel 4, will be politically motivated, Ofcom Chief Executive Melanie Dawes was keen to stress her organisation’s independence – regardless of who is finally appointed Chair of the regulator or who had just been made culture secretary.

Melanie Dawes: Ofcom’s diversity champion

All eyes will be on ­Melanie Dawes when she speaks at the RTS Cambridge Convention in mid-September. The CEO of Ofcom for the past tumultuous 18 months was pre­ceded by the charismatic Sharon White – a star attraction at the conference whenever she spoke.

“Melanie Dawes is the most experienced and impressive Chief Executive that Ofcom has had,” opines an industry insider. And this will be the first opportunity most of her audience has had to hear her in person, thanks to the pandemic.