UCC and RTÉ co-host TV50 Media History Conference
Broadcaster and author John Bowman as the Plenary Speaker at the RTÉ TV50 conference
Broadcaster and author John Bowman as the Plenary Speaker at the RTÉ TV50 conference
Organised by UCC’s School of History, and streamed live to a worldwide audience on RTÉ.ie, the conference was opened by Pat Rabbitte, TD, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, in the historic setting of Aula Maxima at UCC. Speaking at the conference, Minister Rabbitte praised the RTÉ TV50 project, describing it as “an important event - part celebration, part analysis, part statement of intent for the future.”
RTÉ’s Director General, Noel Curran, who was the keynote speaker, discussed the choices facing public service television. He said that while RTÉ was at a crossroads, there was a real opportunity to re-shape the media landscape.
Three panel discussions, chaired by broadcasters Áine Lawlor, Doireann Ní Bhriain and Brenda Power, saw stimulating discussion from senior executives and journalists from RTÉ, TV3, TV4, The Irish Times and TechCentral.ie, as well as history and media academics, members of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland and the RTÉ Audience Council. They discussed a range of issues such as television’s role in our culture and its future, both for public service and commercial broadcasters.
John Bowman, broadcaster, writer and author of Window and Mirror: RTÉ Television 1961-2011, highlighted some of the pivotal moments in the development of Ireland’s television history, in addition to setting these in a global context.
The conference may be viewed on the RTÉ player until 29 September 2012 at http://www.rte.ie/tvplayer/ie/show/10046681/