Westminster Media Forum

Ofcom is currently conducting its second review of Public Service Television Broadcasting (PSB).

This seminar has been planned in discussion with senior officials at Ofcom, and structured and timed to relate to the current consultation. Its purpose is to draw together perspectives on whether regulatory intervention in public service broadcasting remains necessary and sufficient in the online, multimedia world.

Stakeholders from industry, government, Ofcom and the viewing public will engage in discussions on the latest issues affecting public service broadcasters. Panellists from across the sector will examine the regulatory options under consideration by Ofcom and the role the regulation can and should play in PSB in the future, as well as the changes to the market and audience context, and the future market evolution for PSB.

We are delighted that Peter Phillips, Partner, Strategy & Market Developments, Ofcom; and Andy Duncan, Chief Executive, Channel 4, have agreed to deliver a keynote address. Lembit Öpik MP, Vice-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary BBC Group, and Jeremy Hunt MP, Conservative Shadow Secretary of State, Culture Media and Sport, will be chairing part of this seminar.

Other confirmed speakers include: Professor Steven Barnett, Professor of Communications, University of Westminster; Magnus Brooke, Director of Regulatory Affairs, ITV; Maggie Brown, Media Journalist; Anne Bulford, Group Finance Director, Channel 4; Carolyn Fairbairn, Director, Group Development and Strategy, ITV; Professor Ivor Gaber, Research Professor in Media & Politics, University of Bedfordshire, and Board Member, Voice of the Listener and Viewer; Alex Graham, Chief Executive, Wall to Wall; Dame Patricia Hodgson, Trustee, BBC Trust; Martin Le Jeune, Independent Consultant, Open Road; Anthony Lilley, Chief Executive, Magic Lantern Productions; Graham McWilliam, Group Director of Corporate Affairs, BSkyB; Kip Meek, Chairman, Ingenious Media; Sue Robertson, Director of Corporate Affairs, Five; Tim Sparke, Managing Director, Joiningthedots.tv and MercuryMedia; and Caroline Thomson, Chief Operating Officer, BBC.

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To view the latest online agenda, please click here.

Millions of people are members of online communities, uploading material about themselves and their friends. Sometimes this is personal information or photographs taken in private places. But it can be accessed online by almost anyone, including strangers.

• How is the social networking phenomenon affecting the way journalists gather news?
• How should regulatory bodies, such as the Press Complaints Commission, react to the new challenges in protecting privacy?
• Is there a change in public attitudes to privacy?

At a time of renewed debate about the impact of new communications on people with no claim to celebrity, this event will examine the rights and responsibilities of digital media businesses and users - and a possible role for regulation - in protecting the privacy of the individual on digital platforms.

Discussion at the seminar will also focus on the individuals, media organisations and regulatory bodies’ roles in the protection of privacy in the new era of 24/7 news across multimedia platforms from the perspective of the media and the individual.

Dave Evans, Senior Data Protection Practice Manager, Information Commissioner’s Office; Tim Toulmin, Director, Press Complaints Commission; David Racadio, Research Director, The Reputation Centre, Ipsos MORI will be delivering keynote addresses.

We are delighted that Chris Bryant MP and John Whittingdale MP, Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, have agreed to chair this event.

Additional speakers include: Stephen Abell, Assistant Director, Press Complaints Commission; Gideon Benaim, Partner, Schillings; Professor Pam Briggs, Director, Psychology and Communication Technology (PaCT) Lab, Northumbria University; Simon Bucks, President, Society of Editors; Phil Hall, Chairman, Phil Hall Associates; Peter Horrocks, Head of Newsroom, BBC; Tom Ilube, Chief Executive Officer, Garlik; Will McInnes, Managing Director, Nixon McInnes; Eve Salomon, Member, Press Complaints Commission; Mark Thomson, Partner, Carter-Ruck; and Rhidian Wynn-Davies, Consulting Editor, The Telegraph.

To book a place at this event, please click here.
To view the latest online agenda, please click here.

The purpose of this seminar is to draw together perspectives on whether regulatory intervention in public service broadcasting remains necessary and sufficient in the online, multimedia world. The seminar will examine the changes to the market and audience context, and the future market evolution for PSB.

We are delighted that Chris Bone, Head of International Broadcasting Policy Branch, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and Kate Stross, Director of Content, Ofcom, will be delivering keynote addresses. Other speakers include:

Austin Mitchell MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Advertising, has kindly agreed to chair part of this seminar. Other confirmed speakers include: Tony Collins, Executive Editor, Computer Weekly; Jonathan Hardy, National Secretary, Campaign for Press and Broadcast Freedom; Sean McGuire, Managing Director, Oliver & Ohlbaum; Steve Read, Managing Director, 1^st Place; Tim Suter, Managing Director, Perspective; and Bob Wootton, Director of Media and Advertising, ISBA.

Panel sessions will examine:

• The view from industry;
• Product placement: the industry and audience perspective; and
• Future market trends.

To view the latest agenda for this event, please click here.
To book places at this event, please click here.

With the Lords Communication Committee Enquiry into media ownership and the news well under way, trust in, and the reliability of, reported news is currently under considerable scrutiny. This seminar will bring together stakeholders from across PR and journalism to discuss the future direction that both sectors are moving in and how PR came to play such a central role in the reporting process.

We are delighted that Howell James, Permanent Secretary, Government Communications, The Cabinet Office, and Nick Davies, Journalist, and Author, Flat Earth News, have kindly agreed to deliver keynote addresses at this seminar. Lord Fowler, Chairman, Lords Communications Committee, will be chairing part of this seminar.

Other speakers include: Charlie Beckett, Director, Polis; Eben Black, Head of Media (Global Government Relations), DLA Piper; Mark Borkowski, Agency Head, Borkowski; Tony Collins, Executive Editor, Computer Weekly; Jeremy Dear, General Secretary, National Union of Journalists; Dr Ben Goldacre, Broadcaster, Medical Doctor & Writer, The Guardian; Nigel Hawkes, Health Editor, The Times; Howell James, Permanent Secretary, Government Communications; Martin Moore, Director, Media Standards Trust; and Tim Toulmin, Director, Press Complaints Commission.

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To view the latest online agenda, please click here.

Following the publication of the DCMS's Creative Economy Strategy Document this seminar will examine the issues affecting the future direction of the games industry in the UK. Themes will include the development of a standardised classification system, the training and education of future games developers, financing the games industry and the globalisation and regionalisation of the industry.

We are delighted that the Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP, Minister for Culture, Creative Industries and Tourism, DCMS, and Paul Jackson, Director General, ELSPA, have kindly agreed to deliver keynote addresses at this seminar. Lord Puttnam has kindly agreed to chair part of this seminar.

Other speakers currently confirmed include: David Braben, Founder, Frontier Developments Ltd; Rick Gibson, Director, Games Investor Consulting; Professor Mark Griffiths, Professor of Gambling, Nottingham Trent University; Professor Paul Harris, Professor of Screen Media, University of Abertay Dundee; Mary Matthews, Strategy and Business Development Director, Blitz Games; Kate O’Connor, Executive Director, Policy and Development, Skillset; Rt Hon Keith Vaz MP, Chair, Home Affairs Select Committee; and Tim Wapshott, Games Critic, The Times.

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To view the latest agenda please click here.

Following the publication of Ofcom’s consultation document investigating the pay TV market, this seminar will examine the state of the market today and the future impact of new platforms, convergence and new content providers on it. Bringing together viewers’ representatives and independent experts with key stakeholders from industry and regulation, this seminar will also consider how consumers can gain maximum benefit from competition between subscribers and whether vertically integrated firms have the incentive to make their content available to other providers.

• The Market for Pay TV
• State of the Independent Production Sector
• The Future of Children’s Television Programming
• Sports Rights