Channel 4 to remain in London HQ

I was always under the impression that Right to Reply was produced by Scottish Television in Glasgow? Unless I’m getting it mixed up with another show.

It was definately made at C4 HQ for a period.

I can't see this ending up anywhere other than Glasgow and Manchester - C4 have already got small bases in both cities and surely logical to expand both in areas where there is a media presence than start afresh somewhere new.

I think it always was, I don't remember it being made by anyone else either

Surely that's the point though? It's not just to move it out of London but to try and encourage the creative industries elsewhere.

In that respect Manchester and Glasgow are at a disadvantage. It would certainly be a total waste of time if they went for the boring option and plumped for Manchester/Salford

Birmingham will definitely get something, there's been lot of campaigning to bring it back into the telly landscape.

As for the others, a lot will depend on where the centre of gravity is - Bristol/Birmingham/London will be too southern for example

No, it was produced and recorded at Charlotte St. However, the first presenter, Gus MacDonald was also STV's MD, and STV Glasgow had the first 'Video Box' outside of London (possibly via MacDonald's influence)

If you remember the studio was built in the original cinema seating area which was sloping of course and so the proposed studio floor had to be levelled up first.

Now a restaurant https://www.gauchorestaurants.com/restaurants/charlotte-street/

The British Olympic Association are one of the tenants in the building now. After Channel 4 left it was bought by the Daily Mail and was home to Channel One. When that closed it was offices for a couple of their websites

It's been totally gutted and refitted since the channel 4 days.



I always assumed it was a new building when C4 started, or did they plan a cinema and then change their minds?

I don't think there really is a point other than political. Moving to Birmingham might be good for Birmingham but is it good for C4?

Also are the jobs creative ones or effectively just administration?

A long time ago, but from memory it was the Scala cinema before C4 bought it. It was definitely a conversion by C4 - not new build.

Attempting to promote a certain industry in a location is a political move.

Is Birmingham good for C4? Well in terms of transport its better than some of the other options and in PR terms it's better than 'Salford again!'

As I understand it they're mostly non production jobs as Channel 4 don't produce anything. But the second HQ site will also have Channel 4 News' second studio. However it will/should have a knock on effect to other creative companies, not just TV producers

Curious to see my home city of Liverpool shortlisted. Despite being one of the largest cities in the country, it tends to get screwed (and not just in broadcasting) because it's near Manchester (designated 'regional capital' many decades ago) and therefore deemed superfluous in its existence. So Liverpool's obvious argument is surely that a Channel 4 presence would go at least some way to rectify the situation. Alas, I think its chances of getting this are remote to zero.

And Liverpool as the base would also have the tricky problem of how to stop Phil Redmond turning up in reception on the hour, every hour asking why Brookside was cancelled..