MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival

The London media's mover-and-shakers descend on Edinburgh for three days for this annual get-together. While there generally is a light-hearted festive atmosphere, this is primarily an industry event, providing an opportunity for delegates to discuss where UK television is heading and to hear from industry heads and new media pundits what issues are coming to the fore.

There are numerous talks and seminars on subjects such as reality television, sex on the small screen, how the internet is changing the broadcasting industry landscape, and how programme-makers should position themselves when tackling hot issues of the day.

Those looking for that elusive break to get into television might find it at the free television festival scheme The Network.

As well as the lesser well kent power-brokers in suits, there's usually quite a few familiar faces from tellyland among the 2,000 or so delegates, with some of the events broadcast.

The MGEITF is a charitable organisation.  The Festival programme is developed by an Advisory Committee made up of individuals from across the industry.

Proceeds from sponsorship and the sale of each delegate pass support the MGEITF’s talent schemes.  The schemes identify and support emerging talent to promote a healthy and diverse future for our industry.

MacTaggart Lecture

The keynote address is the MacTaggart Lecture and is closely watched by national media as it can augur new insights into the direction of broadcasting.

In 2012, the MacTaggart is being delivered by Chairman and CEO of Shine Group Elisabeth Murdoch.

For the first time in the 35-year history of the lecture series, the MGEITF 2011was being given by a technology leader - Google's Eric Schmidt.

In 2010, BBC Chief Controller Mark Thompson spent much of his time defending the licence fee against the kind of claims made in the previous year's lecture by James Murdoch. Murdoch put the case for a subscription-based news business model, and attacked the publicly funded BBC and its "expansion of state-sponsored journalism".

Newsnight presenter Jeremy Paxman in his 2007 MacTaggart Lecture argued that the BBC needs to concentrate more funding on news to uphold journalism standards