C4’s Webb-Lamb appointed advisory chair of Edinburgh TV Fest

Channel 4 deputy director of programmes and head of popular factual, Kelly Webb-Lamb, has been appointed as the advisory chair of the Edinburgh Television Festival.

Alongside festival director Lisa Campbell, Webb-Lamb will spearhead a team of cross-genre industry executives to help curate the 2019 programme and lead the advisory committee.

The advisory chair is a one-year position and Webb-Lamb takes over from Sky Arts and Sky Entertainment head Phil Edgar-Jones.

Webb-Lamb’s Festival theme centres around the fundamental question of ‘What is TV for?’ as the industry strives to remain relevant in a quickly evolving industry.

For the 44th TV Festival, Webb-Lamb will focus on four key themes including young audiences; representation; truth, trust and transparency; and the globalisation of TV.

Webb-Lamb said: “Once upon a time I used to avoid Edinburgh… as it felt at times like an exclusive week full of telly people from London navel-gazing… but in the last few years the festival has evolved and I am excited to be able to be part of that evolution.

“In what promises to be a momentous year for the industry and as we race to keep up with the way viewers watch content, I’m really looking forward to interrogating and questioning what and who we’re all doing this for. I’m pleased to be working with Lisa and Graham and the advisory team to make sure next year’s festival is both dynamic and different.”

Campbell added: “It’s over a decade since a Channel 4 executive has headed up the advisory, and I’m really looking forward to working with Kelly who made headlines at this year’s Festival with her comments about ‘mediocre posh white people’ in TV. I’m sure she’ll be making more headlines in 2019 with a noisy and provocative programme of sessions.”