The British broadcasting industry is rarely out of the news with the threat of privatisation of Channel 4, debates around the future of the licence fee, through to questions about who runs the regulator OFCOM. This is a timely look at the challenges and opportunities for TV and broadcasting as it navigates this turbulent period. Looking at everything from the terms of trade, platform and technological change, the future of Public Service Broadcasting, Subscription Video-on-Demand, regulation, globalisation, regional spend, diversity and privatisation.

If you would like to book tickets to this event individually, rather than the conference as a whole, please email boxoffice@bradfordlitfest.co.uk

About The Chair

Aaqil Ahmed

Aaqil is the former Head of Religion and Ethics at the BBC and Channel 4, delivering many award-winning programmes, including The Life of Muhammad. He is also Professor of Media at Bolton University, Non-Executive Director of the Advertising Standards Authority and a consultant in Television production, communications and diversity.

 

About The Speakers

Headshot of Caroline Cooper Charles

Caroline Cooper Charles

As Chief Executive of Screen Yorkshire Caroline champions the film, TV and wider screen industries in Yorkshire & Humber and provides leadership to a talented team of industry experts who deliver skills and talent development, production support and content investment. Caroline’s 25-year career within the screen industries has evolved from running her first production company with acclaimed music video director Dawn Shadforth to her previous role as Head of Creative at Screen Yorkshire. Along this journey she has spent time as Talent Development Executive for Scottish Film Talent Network, Head of Film at Creative England, Head of Creative Development at Warp X, managed the UK Film Council’s nationwide short film programme through her company Lifesize Pictures and spent a year as Director of the Sheffield International Documentary Festival.

Chris Curtis

Chris Curtis has been a journalist for 20 years and has spent the last 15 working at the TV trade bible Broadcast, focusing primarily on news. He became its editor in February 2014 and its editor in chief in 2019.

Chris leads a team that generates exclusive content across two daily online newsletters and a glossy monthly print magazine, as well as playing a key role on awards, conferences and events. Chris is also the editorial lead for the Broadcast Intelligence service. 

As well as being an awards judge for Bafta and the Royal Television Society, Chris has discussed issues affecting the TV industry right across the media, including BBC Breakfast and all the major news bulletins.

He previously covered the hotel and fashion industries for Centaur and Emap respectively.

Narinder Minhas

Narinder Minhas, CEO of Cardiff Productions, is an award-winning executive producer and creative leader, with a strong track-record of delivering editorially bold and visually distinct content, including documentaries like Tan France: Beauty and the Bleach, Peter: The Human Cyborg and The Private Life of Harley Street; specialist factual programmes such as The Massacre That Shook The Empire and Prince Charles: The Bachelor Years; formats like Priest Idol and We Are Black and British; arts shows such as The Real Michael Caine and Soul Nation; dramas like BBC2’s The Slavery Business; and innovative digital projects like 4thought.tv. Narinder is also an honorary research fellow at the University of Exeter.

Headshot of Cat Lewis

Cat Lewis

Cat Lewis is a widely experienced Executive Producer for television.  Cat has worked across many channels including the BBC, ITV and Channel 4.  In 2007 she launched her own Greater Manchester based independent production company called Nine Lives Media, and has won numerous awards including two Baftas, a national RTS, and an International Emmy.  Nine Lives supports regionally produced programmes and encourages the development of young talent in the sector.  In partnership with Avanti Media, the company won the 2017 bidding process to deliver Songs of Praise, and the re-launch of this national brand has been highly acclaimed.