BCI 2008 Conference

The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) has announced details about its National Conference, which will take place from Wednesday 17th - Thursday 18th of September, in the Croke Park Conference Centre, Dublin 3.

Entitled "Does the Medium Matter?" and chaired by broadcaster and journalist Claire Byrne, this year's conference will address the themes of digital and new media from a variety of standpoints. A host of national and international speakers will explore the challenges of content delivery across increasingly diverse platforms and will examine the implications for providers and consumers.

On the theme of digital delivery, speakers in the session include Lucy Gaffney, Chairperson, Boxer DTT; Alex Pumfrey, Programme Director, Digital UK and James Cridland, Head of Future Media and Technology, BBC Audio and Music Interactive.

The area of new media has been a source of consideration and debate for practitioners and citizens alike, particularly in terms of how emerging and emergent technologies can and do interact with more traditional media forms. Speakers for this session include Jonathan Marks, media anthropologist; and Philip Macartney, Head of Sales, Bebo Ireland.

2008 also marks the 20th anniversary of the 1988 Radio and Television Act, which heralded the beginning of commercial radio and television in Ireland. This year's conference will look at the growth of radio and television in Ireland in the intervening years and examine the future implications for the sector through a panel debate. A number of workshops linking in with the conference theme will complete the conference line-up.

Information on how to register your interest in the conference is available online.