This year sees the leading event for the television industry, The Edinburgh TV Festival (brought to you by Screen Scotland), not only marking the major milestone of the 50th edition of the prestigious MacTaggart Lecture, but also introducing a series of exciting new programming initiatives aimed at expanding how it works with the industry and offering more opportunities for industry professionals to engage and attend than ever before.
Since the first James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture in 1976, the TV Festival has grown into the UK media industry’s leading site of dialogue and debate. The 2025 Festival will celebrate this milestone and kick off a year-long series of events marking this significant anniversary.
2025 Advisory Chair
It has also been revealed that Jane Tranter, CEO of Bad Wolf, will take on the prestigious position of Advisory Chair for the 2025 edition. Tranter will work closely with Creative Director Rowan Woods to set the editorial agenda and lead the curation of this year’s Festival.
Tranter is one of the UK’s most respected TV industry leaders, with an impressive career on both sides of the Atlantic that has included serving as the BBC’s Controller of Drama and subsequently Controller of Fiction in London, establishing BBC Worldwide Productions and Adjacent Productions for BBC Worldwide in Los Angeles. Since 2015 she has been CEO of the internationally-renowned, Cardiff-based independent production company, Bad Wolf.
Hers is a name instantly associated with bold, high-end drama including the critically acclaimed Industry, the adaptation of Philip Pullman’s beloved His Dark Materials trilogy, Emmy Award-winning The Night Of, BAFTA-winning I Hate Suzie and global hit Succession. While at the BBC she was responsible for rebooting Doctor Who and recently returned to the show again, with Bad Wolf producing Russell T Davies’ latest series alongside BBC Studios.
Tranter is a passionate advocate for the importance of supporting a thriving production industry in the nations and regions and will place this issue front and centre of the conversation at this year’s Festival.
Tranter said: “The continued success of the Edinburgh TV Festival is a clear illustration of the impact that the nations have had – and continue to have – on the cultural landscape of the UK, and around the world. The UK TV industry has flourished in the last half century and in no small way that is due to distinct, diverse and talented people, both on and off camera, making their voices heard. The Edinburgh TV Festival has always embraced a passionate debate and for its 50th anniversary I’d like to hear those voices rise to a loud, discursive, celebratory roar.”
Festival Chair Fatima Salaria said: “We couldn’t be more excited to have a powerhouse like Jane leading the Festival in such a landmark year. Her strong leadership, passionate advocacy for the nations and regions, and global vision make her the perfect force to drive us forward. She has a playful sense of mischief and a fearless instinct for danger—she doesn’t just embrace change; she runs at it. At a time of transformation in our industry, her ambition and bold vision will be invaluable—not just for the Festival, but for the future of television itself.”
Festival overhauls programming approach
Today the Festival also announces a significant overhaul of its approach to programming, with a series of new tools designed to foster greater openness and inclusivity. While the Festival continues to be rooted in, and deeply connected to, the industry it serves, it is evolving in the way it engages with industry professionals to ensure it reflects and represents the voices and perspectives of TV professionals from across the UK, as well as those working outside the traditional broadcast space.
To achieve this goal, the Festival will introduce an open call for session ideas – inviting anyone from across the industry to submit ideas for sessions via the Festival’s website. Submissions are open from today (Tuesday 4 February) and will close on 4 April. This exciting new initiative ensures that anyone, regardless of their position or location, can play a role in shaping the conversation at the Festival.
The Festival is also launching an open call for session producers, a fantastic opportunity for individuals who may not have submitted a specific session idea to contribute towards shaping the Festival programme. Anyone who produces a session will receive a free pass to attend the Festival. These initiatives will build on and replace the previous advisory committee model.
Woods and Tranter will continue to consult closely with the industry on key themes and topics. To help facilitate this, the Festival will introduce a series of open town hall meetings across the UK— in London, Cardiff, Glasgow, Belfast— where industry professionals can meet with Woods, Tranter, and the Festival team to discuss key issues, themes, and ideas for the event. These town hall meetings will take place in March and are open to everyone in the industry, with options for both in-person and online participation. Details on how to attend and participate are available on the Festival’s website.
Creative Director Rowan Woods said: “A major theme of last year’s Festival was the vital importance of inclusion and plurality of perspective, and it is in this spirit that we’re making significant steps to open up the Festival’s programming process. The ethos of the Edinburgh has always been ‘by the industry, for the industry’ and we want to ensure that everyone feels able to contribute regardless of background, seniority or location.”
Festival For All
To fully underscore its commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, and to celebrate this big milestone, the Festival will also be offering an unprecedented number of bursaries for the 2025 edition and a new programme aimed at removing obstacles to first-time attendees. Full details of eligibility and how to apply will be announced later this month.
Campbell Glennie, CEO of the TV Foundation and the Edinburgh TV Festival, said: “This August will be the biggest stage yet for our ongoing Festival For All initiative. If you’ve never been to the Festival before, this is the year to experience it and celebrate the industry with us. If you work in television in any capacity, the Edinburgh TV Festival is for you.”
Passes for the 2025 Festival go on sale today. For information on how to purchase passes, submit a session idea, apply to be a session producer, or participate in the town hall meetings, please visit the Festival: website www.thetvfestival.com