Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade (pictured) has been announced as a keynote speaker for the 45th Banff World Media Festival (BANFF) in June.

Wade has served as CEO of Fox Entertainment since October 2022, and oversees its various content businesses, including the Fox Network, Fox Entertainment Studios, Fox Entertainment Global, Studio Ramsay Global, Bento Box Entertainment, MarVista Entertainment, and TMZ.

He first joined Fox in 2017, and served as president, alternative entertainment and specials. During that time he led the company’s unscripted slate, launching titles such as The Masked Singer. Prior to joining Fox, he was the showrunner of Dancing with the Stars on ABC and was head of entertainment development at BBC Worldwide.

“Being part of BANFF’s 45th milestone year is quite an honour,” said Wade in a statement. “This annual must-attend festival is like no other, uniting our industry in celebration of creativity and forward-thinking innovation. I very much look forward to sharing Fox Entertainment’s global growth story and the strategies that are driving our content business.”

“Rob is a seasoned producer, savvy creative executive, and now CEO of Fox Entertainment, with exactly the kind of forward-thinking and focus on creative and business excellence that defines BANFF,” added Kevin Beggs, chairman and chief creative officer at Lionsgate Television Group and chair of BANFF’s board of directors.

Wade is the first keynote speaker to be announced for the festival, which takes place at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Banff, Alta. from June 9 to 12. Additional speakers will be announced in the coming months.

The festival’s programming will focus on international financing and coproduction as part of its Better Together content stream. Another stream will be Soundtrack, which is focused on music on screen. Other key areas in the programming will be the tech sector, looking at artificial intelligence, online platforms and social media.

BANFF will also once again host the Rockie Awards, with the gala event taking place on June 10 and the international program competition on June 11.

The festival announced Monday that the annual Indigenous Screen Summit will take place on June 9 with Rogers Communications joining as a multi-year presenting partner.

Image courtesy of Fox Entertainment