Description
The MacTaggart Lecture is the keynote speech given at the start of the Edinburgh Television Festival. Named in honour of the writer, producer and director who died in 1974, it has been used as a platform for broadcasting chiefs to layout their views and vision for the future, and television programme creators to talk about their view of where television is going.
In 2011, Google Chair Eric Schmidt became the first speaker not involved with television and broadcasting that has given the lecture. YouTube is also joint sponsor of the Edinburgh television festival, along with the longtime sponsor the Guardian.
In 2013, Kevin Spacey became the first actor to give the MacTaggart.
MacTaggart Lecture speakers
- 2013 Kevin Spacey
- 2012 Elisabeth Murdoch, Shine Group Chair
- 2011 Eric Schmidt, Google Chairman
- 2010 Mark Thompson, BBC Director General
- 2009 James Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive, Europe and Asia, News Corporation
- 2008 Peter Fincham, Director of Television, ITV
- 2007 Jeremy Paxman, Broadcaster, Newsnight, BBC
- 2006 Charles Allen, Chief Executive, ITV
- 2005 Lord Birt
- 2004 John Humphrys
- 2003 Tony Ball, Chief Executive, BSkyB
- 2002 Mark Thompson, Chief Executive, Channel 4
- 2001 David Liddiment, Director of Channels, ITV Network
- 2000 Greg Dyke, Director General, BBC
- 1999 Richard Eyre, Chief Executive, ITV Network Centre
- 1998 Peter Bazalgette, Managing Director, Bazal
- 1997 Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran, Writers
- 1996 John Birt, Director General, BBC
- 1995 Janet Street-Porter
- 1994 Greg Dyke
- 1993 Dennis Potter, Playwright and Director
- 1992 Michael Grade, Chief Executive, Channel 4
- 1991 David Elstein, Director of Programmes, Thames Television
- 1990 Verity Lambert, Independent Film and Television Producer, Cinema Verity
- 1989 Rupert Murdoch, CEO News Corporation and proprietor, Sky TV
- 1988 Christine Ockrent, Broadcaster and Journalist
- 1987 Phillip Whitehead, Independent Producer
- 1986 Troy Kennedy Martin, Writer
- 1985 John Schlesinger, Film Director
- 1984 Denis Forman, Granada
- 1983 Dr Jonathan Miller, Film Director
- 1982 Ted Turner, Cable Network News, USA
- 1981 Peter Jay
- 1980 John Mortimer, Writer
- 1979 Jeremy Isaacs, Channel 4
- 1978 Norman Lear, Producer
- 1977 Marcel Ophuls, Film and Television Director
- 1976 John McGrath, Playwright
Related