Madeleine McCann's father is to return to Scotland for the first time since she was abducted to be a key speaker at a media festival in an effort to maintain public awareness of the case.

Gerry McCann is to appear at the industry summit in Edinburgh as a "major player" in the television industry.

Mr McCann is to be interviewed by Scottish presenter Kirsty Wark in front of 1200 media industry figures on how television has helped with the massive international campaign to find Madeleine.

Every year what is described as a major television player, usually a leading executive, comes under the spotlight at the Edinburgh International Television Festival in a feature called the Richard Dunn Interview.

Past interviewees have included television figures such as Simon Cowell and Chris Evans, ex-BBC director general Greg Dyke and Channel 5 chief executive Dawn Airey.

But this year the audience will hear the thoughts of the neurologist who has turned publicist under tragic circumstances.

Since the four-year-old was kidnapped in Praia de Luz, Portugal, on May 3, Gerry and Madeleine's mother, Kate, have orchestrated a huge media campaign to keep their daughter's disappearance in the public eye.

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