Galloway, Gore set for Edinburgh

Politicians George Galloway and Al Gore, naturalist Sir David Attenborough and the creators of South Park will all speak at this year's Edinburgh TV Festival.

The 2006 lineup for the annual industry event - held over three days in August - also includes journalist Rageh Omaar and comic writer Armando Iannucci.

Galloway will go head-to-head with former Sun editor Kelvin Mackenzie in a debate on whether it is easier to get on TV if you are right wing, while former US vice-President Gore will talk about his viewer-created content network, Current TV, in the Alternative MacTaggart Lecture. ITV chief executive Charles Allen was previously confirmed for the keynote MacTaggart Lecture.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of South Park, will fly into the UK to deliver a special Edinburgh Masterclass on the cult sitcom, now in its tenth season. The pair will discuss how the series has evolved since its 1997 launch, their approach to the worlds of celebrity and politics, and what's next for the show.

"This is a great line up," said Alison Sharman, advisory chair for the festival. "I am very excited by the quality and breadth of the speakers announced. I am sure they will make waves - and make news - in their contribution to the great debate of our broadcasting time: how do we all as broadcasters respond to the huge challenges of the rapidly changing digital environment."