February 2017 Who’s watching? Fact and fiction in streaming TV Plus Mark Thompson’s encounter with the President CrewStartTM Struggling with start paperwork? Hiring artists and crew? CrewStart™ manages the onboarding process for you, from the initial invitation, to ensuring that paperwork is completed correctly, signed and approved online. CrewStart™ is designed to help your team automate the processing of contracts, start forms, daily rate vouchers and timesheets. CrewStart™ benefits: Reduce administration Sign contracts securely Submit start paperwork Calculate timesheets Approve documents Ensure accuracy Auditable reports To find out how you can save time and go paperless on your next production, visit the Digital Production Office® website www.digitalproductionoffice.com Contact our team for more information: T: +44 (0)1753 630300 E: [email protected] www.digitalproductionoffice.com www.sargent-disc.com @DigiProdOffice @SargentDisc /digitalproductionoffice /SargentDisc Your guide to upcoming national and RTS NEWS regional events NORTH WEST SOUTHERN National events Local events Wednesday 22 February Wednesday 22 March Student media conference Meet the professionals RTS EARLY EVENING EVENT BRISTOL Followed by the Student An opportunity for students Thursday 23 February Sunday 19 March Television Awards. The from production-based courses False news, unverified claims RTS West of England conference is for media across the South to meet and alternative facts Awards 2017 students across the North West. informally a wide range of What is the future for honest Venue: Bristol Old Vic, King Sessions include: How to get media production professionals. journalism in a post-truth world? Street, Bristol BS1 4ED into TV; Using digital media 2:00pm-5:30pm Panellists include: Nick Robinson, ■ Belinda Biggam in drama; Exploring virtual Venue: Bournemouth University, BBC journalist and Today pre- ■ [email protected] and augmented reality; and Talbot Campus BH12 5BB senter; Allegra Stratton, national Newsgathering. To reserve your ■ Gordon Cooper editor, ITV News, ITN; Patrick DEVON & CORNWALL place, email rachelpinkney@ ■ [email protected] Walker, director of media part- ■ Kingsley Marshall yahoo.co.uk. 1:30pm to 5:30pm nerships, Facebook; and Rt Hon ■ Kingsley.Marshall@falmouth. Venue: Compass Room, The THAMES VALLEY John Whittingdale OBE MP, former ac.uk Lowry, Salford Quays, Salford Wednesday 15 February Secretary of State for Culture, M50 3AZ Advances in compression Media and Sport. Chair: Stewart EAST Student Television Awards Speaker: Ian Trow, senior direc- Purvis CBE. More speakers TBA. ■ Nikki O’Donnell Presented by Roger tor, emerging technology and 6:30pm for a 7:00pm start. ■ [email protected] Johnson, with special guest strategy at Harmonic. 6:30pm Venue: The Hospital Club, 24 Endell Jack P Shepherd. Book via for 7:00pm Street, London WC2H 9HQ LONDON [email protected]. Venue: Pincents Manor Hotel, ■ Book online at www.rts.org.uk ■ Daniel Cherowbrier 6:30pm Calcot, Reading RG31 4UQ ■ [email protected] Venue: Compass Room, The ■ Penny Westlake RTS AWARDS Lowry, Salford Quays, Salford ■ [email protected] Wednesday 1 March MIDLANDS M50 3AZ RTS Television Journalism Thursday 23 March ■ Rachel Pinkney 07966 230639 WALES Awards 2017 Networking seminar ■ [email protected] Thursday 16 February Venue: London Hilton on Park Find out what’s happening in Clive Myrie, in conversation Lane, London W1K 1BE your region from guest speakers, NORTHERN IRELAND with Tim Hartley ■ Jamie O’Neill 020 7822 2821 and network with other ■ John Mitchell Booking essential: email ■ [email protected] professionals. To book a place, ■ mitch.mvbroadcast@btinter- [email protected] or call email [email protected]. net.com 07980 007 841. 6:15pm (light RTS EARLY EVENING EVENT 11:45am-2:30pm refreshments available) for Tuesday 7 March Venue: University of Worcester, REPUBLIC OF IRELAND 7:00pm John Petter, in conversation Henwick Grove, Worcester WR2 6AJ Wednesday 15 February Venue: Television Studio, ATRiuM John Petter, CEO of BT Consumer. ■ Jayne Greene 07792 776585 Student Television Awards Building, USW, 86-88 Adam 6:30pm for 6:45pm start ■ [email protected] 8:00pm Street, Cardiff CF24 2FN Venue: BT Tower, Maple Street, Venue: RTÉ Television Centre, ■ Hywel Wiliam 07980 007841 London W1T 4JZ NORTH EAST & THE BORDER Studio 1, Stillorgan Road, ■ [email protected] ■ Book online at www.rts.org.uk Thursday 23 February Montrose, Dublin 4 Networking evenings ■ Charles Byrne (353) 87251 3092 YORKSHIRE Tuesday 21 March The last Thursday of the month, ■ [email protected] Friday 10 March RTS Programme Awards 2017 for anyone working in TV, film, Emmerdale: Anatomy of a hit In partnership with Audio Network computer games or digital SCOTLAND Speakers TBA. Panellists Venue: Grosvenor House Hotel, production. 6:00pm onwards. Wednesday 1 March will include producers, Park Lane, London W1K 7TN Venue: Tyneside Bar Café, Tyne- AGM followed by directors, writers and actors. ■ Alice Turner 020 7822 2822 side Cinema, 10 Pilgrim St, New- Student Television Awards There will also be craft ■ [email protected] castle upon Tyne NE1 6QG AGM at 6:00pm, followed by the workshops for students and ■ Jill Graham awards reception (light buffet) young people interested RTS CONFERENCE ■ [email protected] at 7:00pm in a career in television. To 13-15 September Venue: The Hub Glasgow, Pacific register your interest, email RTS Cambridge Convention Quay, Pacific Drive, Glasgow [email protected] 2017 G51 1EA Venue: Leeds College of Music, Venue: West Road Concert Hall, ■ James Wilson 07899 761167 3 Quarry Hill, Leeds LS2 7PD Cambridge CB3 9DP and King’s ■ james.wilson@cityofglasgow- ■ Lisa Holdsworth 07790 145280 College, Cambridge CB2 1ST college.ac.uk ■ lisa@allonewordproductions. ■ Booking opens soon co.uk 4 TV diary Jess Fowle celebrates a historic week for True North, which seems to have grown too big for its pizzas n auspicious start on the four-hour train ride to pitch from tales of Bake Off’s drawn-out ges- to the week. The in London. There are times when I tation. In the meantime, we’re deter- news breaks that board the East Coast main line from mined to prove the concept works. Sky has taken a Happy Valley to Medialand slightly majority stake in resentfully. ■ Our development exec is teaching True North. Our But, today, I’m feeling philosophical. herself piano and I am training for baby, born 16 years The post-Brexit world presents an a particularly masochistic challenge ago, is all grown-up. What started with enormous challenge to all of us media called Up the Buttress (The Buttress Athree people, one desk and one com- luvvies, and something tells me that being a ridiculously vertiginous, puter regularly employs more than those 200 miles that separate us from slimy, cobbled local “snicket”, to be 150 talented programme-makers the metropolis are going to give us a conquered on a mountain bike). across bases in Leeds and Manchester creative edge in years to come. The only way I can train is to do it and has 11 series in production. Rather than seeing the M62 as secretly – at 6:00am – while no one is The deal with Sky has been a long a long, thin car park, we’re now watching. Today I manage 25 metres time in the making and it’s both excit- reimagining it as a cultural fault line before coming off. Tomorrow, I am ing and a relief to finally tell our team. across modern Britain. And we’re determined it will be 30. We’re all fiercely proud of our inde- perched right on top of it. pendent Northern roots and massively ■ The week that started so well has invigorated by what the future holds. ■ One of our shows, Building the ended even better. True North is Dream, is exactly half way through a named as one of the best places to ■ I’m woken slightly befuddled after five-year, 100-part order. We want to work in TV. A near crisis is averted last night’s fizz. Our development make sure that we’re not missing any after Dominos says our celebratory WhatsApp group is going crazy. My tricks. Thankfully, we have some ded- order is too big to deliver. co-creative director, Andrew Sheldon, icated viewers inside the company. Our brilliant office manager heads is at Realscreen with executive pro- Today, we’re running a programme into town to pick up the pizzas and ducer Fiona O’Sullivan - creator of review. It’s like a book group but we finally celebrate with a Skype our toe- curlingly honest relationship without the wine. The brilliant series hook-up between the teams in Leeds show, The Lie Detective. Three US net- producer is remarkably resilient as and Manchester. works are fighting over the format. his colleagues analyse and question Andrew and I have been partners every part of the format. ■ Various members of the True North in crime for 23 years and he had felt We come away with lots of tweaks cycling team nobble me – to ask if torn – having to be away from base – all within budget – that will give Sky will provide brand new Pinarellos for our Sky announcement. He the show even greater production for our little team or if Chris Froome seems to have cheered up now. values and creative edge. can be our coach. I say I will investi- gate. Maybe some jerseys, perhaps? ■ Try to run off the hangover with a ■ We’re developing a dramatic trans- headtorch-lit riverside run at home formation show with a BBC commis- Jess Fowle is creative director and in Hebden Bridge, before setting off sioning editor and I’m taking heart co-founder of True North. Television www.rts.org.uk February 2017 5 Streaming facts from fiction ave Netflix and Amazon surrounding both shows.