No. 3 Ashley Highfield, director of new media and technology, BBC

Last year's position: 1

Last year's Agenda Setters winner remains high on the list. This year the BBC is really stepping up its innovation on the digital and new media platforms and over Freeview and DAB digital radio.

Highfield, still in his thirties (just), and into his sixth year with the corporation is certainly blazing a trail for the wider use of technology within the BBC - and doing what he can to inject momentum into the brontosaurus of broadcasting.

TV-on-demand, a bespoke media player, streamed shows and a greater reliance upon interactivity are keeping the BBC in touch with the Tivo-inspired broadcast innovation curve.

The MyBBCPlayer device, currently being trialled, will allow viewers to watch content online from the previous week's programming but may have even more users, according to the rumour mill, which suggests the BBC may even make a foray into the music download market. Such a dramatic change of direction, and such a bold commercial venture would represent a major shift in the Beeb's focus.

The government's deadline for switching off the analogue signal and moving all television over to digital draws ever nearer and the BBC will not only be instrumental in making that happen but will also be ideally situated to exploit the convergence of internet and broadcasting.

As one panellist says of Highfield and the Beeb: "I don't see anyone else easily beating them on the breadth of innovation of what they're doing in trying to... showcase new ways of accessing the broadcast world."