YouTube will become the first US tech giant to deliver the MacTaggart Lecture at the Edinburgh TV Festival.
Pedro Pina, the Head of YouTube EMEA will address delegates at a time where traditional broadcasters are still testing the water with content platforms.
“To be invited to give the MacTaggart lecture is an incredible honour, particularly at a moment when our industry has such a profound opportunity to redefine itself,” he said.
“Television has always been celebrated by its ability to connect us, and today, we are living in the most diverse and flourishing creative era in human history. The viewers haven’t vanished – they are more engaged than ever, they’re simply ready for us to meet them on their own terms. By bridging the unique storytelling of premium broadcasting with the democratic, expansive power of platforms like YouTube, we can unlock an extraordinary new chapter. I look forward to welcoming leaders to Edinburgh to embrace this future with optimism, and to building TV’s next golden age, together.”
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Pina oversees business, creator and content ecosystems across Europe, Middle East and Africa and prior to joining YouTube, he worked at its parent company, Google as global Client Partner and before that he was EVP Europe go Global Brands at McCann Worldgroup.
“I’m incredibly excited to welcome Pedro to the Festival. He is at the vanguard of the next wave of television. I think Pedro’s MacTaggart will be provocative, inspiring and a much-needed reset in how we think about the industry we all love,” added The Festival’s Advisory Chair, Adam Hawkins.
Previous lecturers include James Graham, James Harding, Michaela Coel, Dorothy Byrne, Ted Turner, Armando Iannucci, Rupert Murdoch, Dennis Potter, Jon Snow, Elisabeth Murdoch, David Olusoga, Louis Theroux, Jack Thorne and Emily Maitlis.
