Departing TV Festival will not deter TV industry from coming to Edinburgh, says SNL UK assistant producer

Alex Cartlidge, co-director of Country Mile Productions and assistant producer of the comedy show, said he believed the departure of the festival for Manchester would have little effect on future Fringe shows being picked up and turned into screen productions.

Meanwhile, Screen Scotland executive director Isabel Davis dismissed the festival - which earlier this year revealed plans to leave Edinburgh for Greater Manchester from next year, citing rising costs in holding an event in the Scottish capital - as a “three day conference for business”, saying “the real business insight” for screen executives happens around the Fringe.

Speaking at a panel event at Shedinburgh, Mr Cartlidge said he believed “99 per cent” of the TV industry would continue coming to Edinburgh.

He said: “The reason you’re coming to Edinburgh, if you’re a TV producer is for the Fringe, the TV Festival happens to be on, and you can convince your boss to put a few of those things through company expenses, but a lot of the [TV Festival] events are put online and written up, but if TV companies have the choice next year between going to Manchester or coming here, 99 per cent of people will come here.

“The reason people are coming here is to see shows that they interact with and see what the next stages of the industry from theatre to comedy and drama are at - this is where the work actually happens.”

Ms Davis, who was also on the panel, said the Fringe was the “obvious reason” TV industry executives come to Edinburgh.

Ms Davis, who last month announced she is to leave Screen Scotland after eight years at the helm, said: “The TV festival - and I’m not here to slag it off - is just a three day conference for business, it is a very polished, very high ticket price event. But the thing we’ve learned from people who’ve come here for decades is that unmoderated conversations, the real business insight, as well as creative conversations, it’s the obvious reason why people need to be in Edinburgh, it’s about content.”

Tony Lankester, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, said last month that his organisation would team up with Screen Scotland to create an alternative event to the TV Festival.

He said a consortium was planning a “significant”, “new, fresh” alternative covering all elements of screen creativity.

The event came as Creative Scotland - of which Screen Scotland is a part - announced it had commenced the search for a new chief executive to replace Iain Munro, who said in June he would step down after 30 years in public service in the arts. Mr Munro will remain in post until the end of this year.

A spokesperson said: “Creative Scotland is now inviting applications for the post of chief executive officer, to lead the organisation and work with a broad spectrum of people and organisations, helping ensure Scotland’s continued growth as a creative and culturally vibrant nation.”