12 MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Theresa Wise, CEO of the RTS, talks to Michael Burns about the latest technology trends and helping the next generation of talent to thrive in the industry
“The past few years have seen a bit of a production boom in the industry. As a result, we’ve got a burgeoning market of new production technologies that are helping the production process. So it’s great to be at IBC to see what’s new and important and what might make a difference in our industry,” says Theresa Wise, CEO of the RTS. “People here have an eye on how technology moves the market, changes practices and makes things more cost- effective. Often, it’s a case of making a very high quality feel more achievable with a bit less money, helping budgets to go further. “It’s also great to have the intensity of a lot of people from different organisations in one place, swapping ideas and looking at different commercial deal structures and different problem-solving approaches. I always fi nd many sessions interesting, both the scheduled ones and the spontaneous discussions while networking.” The RTS hosts its biennial fl agship convention, the Cambridge Convention 2023, just after IBC. Sponsored by the UK’s Channel 4 and chaired by Channel 4 CEO Alex Mahon, it boasts an agenda-setting programme, titled ‘Too Much to Watch’. Speakers include Liberty Global CEO Mike Fries; Shay Segev, CEO, DAZN; and Debbie Weinstein, VP & MD, Google UK & Ireland.
FRAGMENTATION OF OPPORTUNITIES “My observations are that we’re in a situation where the industry has produced a huge amount of amazing content, but there’s also been a lot of cost infl ation,” explains Wise. “What do you do when people are consuming from lots and lots of different platforms, how do you discover new content? There’s a heap of issues that come from a fragmentation of opportunities to view, and the convention will explore that.” Wise suggests several solutions will be discussed, such as new technologies that enable more cost-effective productions, and AI. “People also need to think about how to market and make their content stand out, be discoverable, memorable and so forth. And that’s down to creative ways of fi nding the consumer,” she says. “Great shows do punch through; when you’ve got something amazing which captures the imagination, it has tremendous power to lift other parts of the business.”
Theresa Wise, CEO, RTS
“People here have an eye on how technology moves the market, changes practices and makes things more cost-effective”
The RTS is also known for its bursary schemes, which Wise describes as “the heart of what we do. We’ve now got over 300 brilliant bursary scholars, some of them are in the world of work and some are still studying. They’re all from lower income backgrounds and are really talented. Supporting them is part of helping the industry to widen participation.” One of the schemes, the Steve Hewett scholarship, is partly funded by the proceeds of the annual memorial lecture. “Excitingly, we’ve got John Ryley [former CEO of Sky News] and Lyse Doucet [BBC News] giving that lecture this year,” says Wise. “It’s using the wonderful access that we have to the industry to bring up the next generation of young talent.” “We’re also super-proud of what our nations
and regions are doing,” she continues. “They do events showcasing their vibrancy and individuality, and I get along to a fair number; they’re absolutely heartening and lovely. I think the RTS is unique in its depth of supporting the industry across the UK, not just the capital. We had a ‘Behind The Scenes’
at Eurovision in London, and RTS Northwest hosted a storytelling conference in the wake of Eurovision to highlight Liverpool’s creative legacy.
“People talk about making a difference; we
are a purpose-led organisation. There are a whole series of micro engagements every day: being able to answer somebody’s question, or introduce somebody to somebody whom they might not otherwise have met, or reward somebody for extraordinary work in the industry.” It’s been 10 years since Wise became CEO of the society. “Part of what I loved doing was transforming this organisation into something vibrant, relevant, modern, a true partner of such an exciting industry,” she says. “That embodies our original charitable objective; to promote both the science and the art of television, the creative side and the supporting ops and technology. Being able to remain true to that is a thing of rare privilege. I feel very lucky to be in this position.”
Theresa Wise is CEO of the RTS, one of IBC’s owners.
Visit the society throughout the show on the Partnership Pavilion in Hall 8.
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