Executives meet for government incentive to boost media

by Tristan O'Carroll, mediaweek.co.uk 21-Nov-08, 14:45

LONDON - A string of key media executives, including Andy Duncan and Nicholas Coleridge, held their first meeting last night as part of the Government's bid to boost the UK's media economy.

The executives, who met in Liverpool, have previously been appointed as ambassadors to the Government's specially convened cabinet for the creative industries.

The ambassadors will help inform the cabinet's focus ahead of its inaugural meeting - dubbed a Davos for the creative industries - in Hertfordshire from 26-28 October 2009.

The event has been developed as part of the Government's "Creative Britain: New Talents for the New Economy" policy push, which is aimed at increasing the UK's creative industries.

The 23 cabinet ambassadors have been drawn from the worlds of art and antiques, crafts, design, fashion, film and video, games, music, performing arts, publishing, software and television and radio.

The Government said that, in the UK, the creative industries make a major contribution to the economy, employing more than two million people and contributing £60bn a year.

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham said: "Britain's creative industries are an incredible success story, but current global economic challenges mean we can't take future growth for granted. In the face of growing international competition, government support for key sectors becomes increasingly important.

"The involvement of these influential and successful individuals, with their extensive experience of global business, will undoubtedly help with our ambition that this will, in time, become one of the most significant and relevant events in the international business calendar, a Davos for the creative industries."