BBC director general to give Edinburgh Fest MacTaggart Lecture

The MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival (MGEITF) has announced that BBC's director general, Mark Thompson, will be giving this year's MacTaggart Lecture during the fest. 'Since James Murdoch gave last year's MacTaggart Lecture, the future of the BBC has become a national talking point,' said Tim Hincks, MGEITF executive chair and CEO of Endemol UK. 'It's a real coup therefore that a year on the BBC's top man has agreed to share his vision about the future of the corporation in what promises to be one of the key media events of 2011.' The MacTaggart Lecture, which started 34 years ago as a way to open the festival, will be held on August 27.