Media Educators Conference Open For Registration

The Television Academy Foundation today announced its annual Media Educators Conference, bringing college and university media arts educators from across the country together with top Hollywood professionals for an immersive three-day educational event on the Academy's North Hollywood campus Oct. 25-27. 

The event is co-chaired by Tina Perry, president, OWN Network & OTT Streaming, and Jamila Hunter, executive vice president of programming and development at Freeform, and offers a wide variety of curriculum-enhancing seminars with industry leaders. The conference presents the latest insights and news on the art, science and business of television and provides invaluable information on how professors can connect their classrooms with the television industry. Faculty attendees will receive a one-year complimentary academic membership to the Television Academy.

The 2023 conference will kick off with opening remarks from Foundation Chair Cris Abrego, Chairman of the Americas, Banijay, followed by a keynote discussion between David Eilenberg, head of content, Roku Media, and moderator Jeff Conway, senior contributor, Forbes, Hollywood and Entertainment.

The conference features a thought-provoking and informative agenda of media-industry panels and sessions that include: 

• "The State of the Industry" with Joe Flint, staff writer, Wall Street Journal; Andrew Wallenstein, president and chief media analyst, Variety Intelligence Platform; Mariel Turner, senior culture editor and IGTV host, Shondaland.com; and Brian Lowry, media critic, CNN.
• "Analytics & Insights" with Stephanie Yates, senior vice president, content strategy, ALLBLK and WE tv; Michael Mulvihill, president, insights and analytics, FOX Entertainment, Tubi and FOX Sports; Bryan Mu, senior vice president, research and insights, Universal Studio Group; and Laurel Weir, executive vice president/head of programming and strategic insights and research, SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks; moderated by Kseniya Ivnitskaya, senior research manager at Dotdash Meredith.
• "A Conversation With" actress, writer and producer Deborah Pratt (Quantum Leap).
• "Masterclass: Directing for TV" with directors Dr. Rachel Raimist (Roswell, New Mexico; Up Here) and Morenike Joela Evans (Quantum Leap; iCarly).
• "Navigating Unscripted Television: Insights From Industry Leaders" with Alisa Serrod, executive producer and showrunner, Edmonds Entertainment; Jill Dickerson, executive vice president, head of development, 44 Blue Productions; casting director Doron Ofir (Temptation Island); and executive producer Sean Rankine (Put A Ring On It).
• "At the Frontline of Unscripted" with Noah Pollack, vice president of unscripted content, Tubi; Craig Thomson, executive producer, international news, Vice Media Group; Adam Desiderio, director/producer, Vice Media Group; and Ben C. Solomon, director/correspondent, Vice Media Group.
• "Creative Jobs of the Future Featuring CVL Economics" with Alissa Dubetz, director, CVL Economics.
• "Preserving TV History: Exploring the Television Academy Foundation's Archive" with Megan Chao, documentary producer and picture editor; Susan Moore, senior supervising producer Access Hollywood; and Jenni Matz, director, The Interviews, Television Academy Foundation; Gregory Joe Hernandez, special projects writer, USC News; moderated by media and tech executive Ivana Kirkbride.

The event will also feature the Foundation's signature public series "The Power of TV: Exploring TV's Role in Shaping Healthy Masculinity" with showrunner Glen Mazzara (The Walking Dead); Gary Barker, president and CEO, Equimundo; and Ted Bunch, chief development officer, A Call to Men. 

The Television Academy Foundation invites potential Media Educators Conference attendees to apply for the Alex Trebek Legacy Fellowship. Named in honor of the beloved, longtime host of the quiz show Jeopardy!, the Alex Trebek Legacy Fellowships cover costs for recipients, including registration, travel and/or hotel accommodations for this year's conference, and are made possible by generous gifts from the Harry & Judy Friedman Family Foundation and Sony Pictures Entertainment. To apply for a Media Educators Conference fellowship, please click here. The deadline for applications is Sept. 15, 2023.

"The Media Educators Conference curriculum is designed to support instructors as they prepare the next generation of industry professionals," said Cris Abrego, chair of the Television Academy Foundation. "We look forward to welcoming aspirational educators from across the country to engage and learn from leading television professionals." 

Price is $350 per person, to register visit TelevisionAcademy.com/media-educators. Registration closes Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 5:00 p.m. PDT.

The 2023 Media Educators Conference is sponsored by the Los Angeles Times; Avid; New York University (NYU); and the UCLA School of Film, Theater & Television. The Alex Trebek Legacy Fund is sponsored by the Harry & Judy Friedman Family Foundation and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

About the Television Academy Foundation
Established in 1959 as the charitable arm of the Television Academy, the Television Academy Foundation is dedicated to preserving the legacy of television while educating and inspiring those who will shape its future. Through renowned educational and outreach programs, such as The Interviews: An Oral History of Television Project, College Television Awards and Summit, Student Internship Program, and the Media Educators Conference, the Foundation seeks to widen the circle of voices our industry represents and to create more opportunity for television to reflect all of society. For more information on the Foundation, please visit TelevisionAcademy.com/Foundation.

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Media Contacts:
Jane Sparango
jane@breakwhitelight.com
310.339.1214

Christina Parisi
christina@breakwhitelight.com
310.962.3027

breakwhitelight for the Television Academy

For the complete press release, click here.