Cambridge to host the 2021 Royal Television Society Convention

The theme for the conference is “Broadcast Britain: Reshaping Britishness On The Global Stage”

Scheduled speakers include former US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Mary Beard, Professor of Classics at the University of CambridgeChris Boland / UNSPLASH

by Ryan Coppack

This article is 4 years old

Thursday September 16 2021, 11:33am

The Royal Television Society has been hosting its 2021 conference in King’s College, Cambridge this week.

The theme for the conference is “Broadcast Britain: Reshaping Britishness On The Global Stage”. Scheduled speakers include former US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Mary Beard, Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge.

Also arranged to speak at the conference are Tim Davie, Director-General of the BBC, Robert Kyncl, Chief Business Officer at YouTube, and Dana Strong, Chief Executive of Sky.

The conference is being held at West Road Concert Hall, with dinners, receptions, and other hosting duties at King's.

Oliver Dowden, former culture secretary, was expected to address the conference on the government’s position on the ownership of Channel 4 yesterday, but was replaced in Boris Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle.

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Professor Mary Beard hails plans to grow Latin in state schools

Replacing Dowden at the RTS Cambridge Convention, Media Minister John Whittingdale addressed the issue of Channel 4’s ownership.

Whittingdale stated that “the government is much more concerned with [Channel 4’s] long-term future” and that the channel will need cash to “invest in technology and programming” and “compete with the streaming giants”.

He continued that it is the government’s “strong position” that this “should not be underwritten by a granny in Stockport or in Southend”, expressing support for the privatisation of the channel.

The conference will be closed by Gareth Southgate OBE, England football manager, who will speak in conversation with Clare Balding OBE, journalist, broadcaster and author, on football and its relation to Britishness.

Edited on (16/09) to clarify that the conference is being held at West Road Concert Hall, with King's College hosting receptions, dinners etc.

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