RTS Futures

RTS Futures summer party - Is TV out of touch?

RTS Futures Summer Party 2015

BBC Three controller Damian Kavanagh fielded harsh criticism from audience and panel alike at the RTS Futures Summer Party.

"Is TV out of touch?" asked former CBBC presenter Kirsten O’Brien, who chaired the event, "is it relevant for 16 to 34 year olds?"

With the BBC’s youth brand soon set to relinquish its linear channel, Kavanagh was told that young people were bearing the brunt of difficult BBC cuts.

How to be the best researcher

Without competent researchers, TV would be riddled with half-truths and even outright lies, the butt of viewers’ derision and the recipient of libel lawyers’ writs.

Helpfully, the latest RTS Futures event, "How to be the best... researcher", explained how the job should be done.

"Research is the life blood of the TV industry. Without research, we’d have no Big Brother, Gogglebox or Panorama," argued broadcaster and writer Rick Edwards, who chaired the June event.

TV vs Digital: A match made in heaven?

I Made it in Digital

RTS Futures assembled a panel of pioneers for its sold-out event at London's Hospital Club in late April, "I made it in... digital". An enthusiastic, youthful audience was eager to learn from their experiences of working at the cutting edge of new media. It learnt, perhaps surprisingly, that television – the dancing dad at an achingly hip party – still has a big role to play in the digital age.

Tips in 60 seconds... How to deal with rejection

No matter who you are, rejection is an inevitable part of working in the TV industry. So whether you're applying for jobs or pitching ideas, learning how to deal with rejection positively is a key part of success. In this video, Grace Owen talks you through some of her top tips for taking rejection on the chin.

Grace is the founder of the hugely popular Telly Talk London networking events. Chosen as a Broadcast Hotshot in 2014, Grace now freelances as a researcher an event coordinator as well as sitting on the RTS Futures Committee.

Stars share their tips at the RTS Futures I Made it ... On-Screen event

The all-star panel assembled for the final RTS Futures event of the year on how to present telly were forced to relive their small screen debuts. While embarrassing for the professionals, the clips simultaneously gave hope to the audience of would-be presenters.

"No one starts off being bloody brilliant - it's a learning curve," said event and ITV's All Star Family Fortunes host Vernon Kay.