Snow falls on MacTaggart

The Edinburgh International Television Festival (EITF) has revealed UK journalist and broadcaster Jon Snow will deliver its annual James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture.

The presenter will take to the stage on August 23 having been the face of Channel 4 (C4) News since 1989 and recently became the subject of headlines himself for alleged political bias against the Conservatives.

Snow, who follows the likes of Rupert Murdoch and actor Kevin Spacey in delivering the speech, will discuss the past, present and future of news, and its impact across all genres of programming.

“These are exceptionally complex and challenging times, but amid the digital revolution this is also one of the most exciting times to be in television: laced with opportunity,” said Snow.

Festival director Lisa Campbell added: “Jon Snow is nothing short of a broadcasting legend. His decades of experience combined with his enthusiasm for new ways of working has garnered awards as well as an enormous fan base of younger viewers in the UK and overseas.”

Last year Vice CEO Shane Smith used his MacTaggart appearance to predict an “M&A bloodbath” in the industry and the demise of linear television as we know it.

The event runs from August 23-25 in the Scottish capital and is sponsored by YouTube and BT.

It was announced earlier this year that UK comedian Russell Brand would be delivering the annual Alternative MacTaggart speech on August 24. Other speakers during the festival include: Amazon’s Roy Price; Starz’s Carmi Zlotnik; and Nat Geo’s Courtney Monroe.

Meanwhile, the Meet the Controllers strand will feature Charlotte Moore, director of content and the BBC; Kevin Lygo, director of television at ITV; and Jay Hunt, the outgoing chief creative officer at C4.

Elsewhere, the Leaders’ Debate will see Moore and Lygo joined by Zai Bennett, director of programmes at Sky UK; Ben Frow, director of programming at Channel 5; and Ralph Lee, deputy chief creative officer at C4, to discuss the future of broadcasting.