Robert Peston Confirmed For Edinburgh Keynote.

LONDON, May 11, 2009: BBC News Business Editor Robert Peston will give the Richard Dunn Memorial Lecture at this year’s MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival, which takes place 28-30 August.

Peston, a respected business journalist who became a household name with his reporting of the current financial crisis, is to deliver the high-profile Richard Dunn Memorial Lecture. The far reaching lecture will take stock of the impact the global recession has had on our economy and media industry – and will look at the responsibilities and challenges for television in reporting the credit crunch. He will also reflect and comment upon his own, influential, role in the eye of the storm.

Peston is in charge of business and city coverage across TV, Radio and online for the BBC. As the credit crunch has unfolded, he has been an almost constant presence on TV and radio news programmes including BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme and BBC News at Ten – and his award-winning blog has become a must-visit website.

Peston, who was previously Financial editor and Political editor of the Financial Times, and City editor of the Sunday Telegraph, has swept the board in this year’s business journalism awards, most notably winning the RTS “Journalist of the Year 2009”, RTS “Specialist Journalist of the Year 2009” and RTS “Scoop of the Year” for breaking the Northern Rock Crisis story.

The Richard Dunn Memorial Lecture previous speakers include Jamie Oliver, Simon Cowell and Gerry McCann.

The Richard Dunn Memorial Lecture will take place during the Festival weekend. Robert Peston joins a strong line-up of speakers including The Wire creator David Simon who is set to deliver a Masterclass. This year’s MacTaggart Lecture will be given by James Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive, Europe and Asia, News Corporation, and Chairman of BSkyB.

Press contact: Debra Johnson, Taylor Herring PR. Tel: 0208 206 5151 or [email protected]