Naked’s MD, Fatima Salaria, has been appointed Executive Chair of The Edinburgh TV Festival and its umbrella charity, The TV Foundation.
She will oversee the Festival and Foundation’s Executive Committee and work with the Festival team across the operational side of the organisation as well as in its charitable endeavours. Salaria takes over from So Television co-founder and managing director Graham Stuart who leaves after three years in the post.
Salaria left her position as Head of Specialist Factual at Channel 4 in September 2020, to join Fremantle-backed Naked as MD. Following a merger with sister label Boundless, Salaria now oversees all output across Naked Television’s broad slate of entertainment, factual and specialist factual programming which ranges from The Apprentice and The Rap Game UK; Grand Designs and 100% Hotter; to the recently announced Planet Sex fronted by Cara Delevingne.
Of her appointment Salaria said: “I can still remember the thrill of being at the Festival for the first time and the excitement, and a touch of fear, at being asked to speak as a panellist, so to be asked to take on this role now really is a huge honour. TV is changing and the Festival will reflect that while continuing to be a place where we bring our best ideas, challenge ourselves and have a great time as well.”
Campbell Glennie, Managing Director of The Edinburgh TV Festival and TV Foundation, added: “We are delighted that Fatima has agreed to join us as Executive Chair. As a key member of our Advisory Committee this year she was instrumental in bringing together some incredible sessions that really examined where we are as an industry, and she has supported all of our charitable schemes every step of the way. Fatima’s appetite for fairness, change and accessibility matches our own and I can’t wait to work with her.
“I would also like to thank Graham for his dedication, unequivocal support and input over his tenure, and especially throughout a challenging year. With Graham’s wisdom and guidance we reinvented ourselves this year to have our most attended, wide-reaching and inclusive edition to date. Graham’s shoes will be big ones to fill, but I know in Fatima we have the perfect person to lead us into an exciting new chapter.”
New appointments to the Board of Trustees for The TV Foundation – the charitable arm of the Festival – were also announced today: Channel 4’s head of creative diversity Babita Bahal, Apple TV’s production executive for Europe/Africa Jackie Myburgh and Fulwell 73’s Head of Scripted Saskia Schuster.
Jon Creamer
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