Ain’t No Party Like An RTS Futures Party

Combine people with a love of watching and making TV, with the prime location of the Design Museum right by the River Thames, and you have the makings of a fantastic event – The RTS Summer Party run by RTS Futures (the “younger” branch of the Royal Television Society) and the Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival Talent Schemes (The Network, for new entrants, and Ones To Watch, for emerging talent).

Over 100 people attended the party at the Design Museum, from industry professionals to TV enthusiasts

The evening kicked off with a panel discussion, hosted by TV, radio presenter and occasional stand-up comic Kirsten O’Brien, arguably most known for fronting SMart (one of the most successful children’s shows if I do say so myself)

The topic centred around one great question: “is TV out of touch”? With such a diverse range of people in attendance, from the TV insiders on the panel to media fanatics, critics and “newbies” in the audience, it was clear that no definitive conclusion was going to be reached that night! Nonetheless, the panel gave their best responses.

The panel discuss the current state and future of TV (L-R: Kirsten O’Brien, Faraz Osman, Camilla Lewis, Dom Bird and Damian Kavanagh)

Damian Kavanagh, controller of BBC Three, clarified the BBC’s position, following the highly publicised backlash against the proposed removal of the channel’s TV platform in 2016. He explained that, while channels are expensive to run and maintain, BBC Three content would not simply disappear. Rather it would be re-distributed to BBC One and Two in order to save money and to maximise viewing figures.

However Faraz Osman, Managing Director of production indie Lemonade Money, stated that £20 million less is being spent on commissioning programmes for young people. It troubled him that the largest media corporations were beginning to move young people online, at the risk of alienating young users.

Camilla Lewis, CEO of her own production company Curve Media and Chair of RTS Futures, begged to differ. “The stories aren’t dead” she insisted, arguing that there is no reason to panic over the future of TV, as the young generation are increasingly becoming multi-screen, tech-savvy users who can adapt to these changes.

Following questions from the audience, talk turned to the extent to which TV is successfully representing our nation, in terms of both programming and recruitment. Dom Bird, Channel 4’s Head of Formats, argued that targeting different age groups is vital to the corporation’s success, citing E4 as a channel that has specifically reached out to the 18-34s.

Much like his fellow panellists, Dom agreed that more needs to be done in TV to better reflect the population, particularly when it comes to finding and recruiting people behind the scenes. This, he argued, could lead to a greater diversity of on-screen talent. While not a final solution to the diversity question, shows such as The Last Leg and The Undateables are steps in the right direction, as they seek to reduce the stigma surrounding disability in broadcasting.

As the question and answer session reached its close, Faraz rounded it off with a saying that stuck in my mind. He said that, whatever you end up doing in TV, “don’t make money your motivator, make fun!” On that note, it seemed appropriate to make the most of the opportunity to mingle with other guests, from the TV talent schemes and beyond.

Networking…with The Network talent “schemers” of 2015

The thing that stood out to me the most was the welcoming atmosphere. It didn’t matter if you rocked up alone or with an army of friends, by the end you were guaranteed to have made a few new friends, contacts…or even just learned something new about someone you had never met before. One thing is for sure:- TV people definitely know how to throw a party. Here’s hoping for more events like this in the near (RTS) future.

For more information, including the full event report, interviews and photos visit RTS Futures

Follow @RTS_Futures on Twitter for upcoming TV-related events and information