BBC Director General Tim Davie to headline Wales Screen Summit 2025
BBC Director General Tim Davie to headline Wales Screen Summit 2025
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BBC Director General Tim Davie will close this year’s Wales Screen Summit with a keynote fireside chat exploring the future of broadcasting as the corporation prepares for the renewal of its Royal Charter.
The two-day event, which takes place on October 7–8 at The Parkgate Hotel, Cardiff, is the premier gathering for Wales’ film and television industry. It will feature senior voices from across the sector, including commissioning editors, independent producers and industry trade bodies.
Mr Davie will be interviewed by summit host and BBC presenter Steffan Powell on the final day. Their discussion will cover the BBC’s role in a digital-first media landscape, including how public service broadcasters can adapt to shifting audience behaviour, challenges around funding, and maintaining trust in an increasingly fragmented market.
Tim Davie said: “Industry events such as the Wales Screen Summit are a great opportunity to get together, take stock, and look to the future.
“They are so often the breeding ground for new ideas, collaboration and exciting plans and I’m delighted to be there.”
The BBC chief’s appearance will be one of the highlights of a programme designed to spark debate on how the UK screen industries can sustain growth amid rapid technological and commercial change.
The summit will open with a panel debate titled “Is TV broken or can we fix it?”, sponsored by screen sector trade body PACT. Panellists will include Kate Beal (Woodcut Media), Llyr Morus (TAC), and Ed Sayer (TV Whisperer), alongside John McVay OBE, chief executive of PACT, who is nearing the end of his tenure.
John McVay said: “As I come to the end of my tenure at PACT I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts at the Wales Screen Summit based on the findings of our most recent census.
“The Wales Screen Summit continues to go from strength to strength and I admire the emphasis on giving indies and freelancers more practical advice, tools and contacts to help them pivot in these challenging times.”
This year’s programme will also feature exclusive 30-minute round table sessions with leading commissioning editors. Designed to give smaller groups direct access to decision-makers, these sessions will provide practical insight into commissioning opportunities and build stronger industry connections.
Confirmed participants include Nasfim Haque (BBC Three), Lindsay Bradbury (BBC Daytime), Joe Mace (ITV), Huw Kennair-Jones (ITV Drama), Beth Angell (S4C), Guto Rhun (S4C) and Sam Pearson (Hearst Networks), with more names expected to be added.
Summit founder Emyr Afan OBE said: “We are delighted to welcome the Director General Tim Davie and indie champion John McVay of PACT to the Wales Screen Summit 2025.
“True to our mission of placing Cardiff firmly in the diary of key industry leaders and influencers, we are also pleased to announce that we are hosting these round tables with commissioning editors to help the sector truly forge a new future together.
“The Wales Screen Summit provides opportunities to encourage growth for the creative industries in Wales so that we can play an even greater role in the newly announced Industrial Strategy for the UK.”
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