Personally, I think this is a disruptive but really welcome development.
I think some thought really needs to go into this - not just moving one team (say Education) or one programme (News at 1, say).
If there’s a real appetite for some devolved thinking then there are some units (politics) which seem to have a need for a London base, but I’d pose the question of which other depts have as strong a ‘space and place’ claim and flip it.
I personally am less keen on moving entire news portfolios (e.g. education, business etc.) or channels and would prefer them to be spread throughout so e.g. having some Radio 2 programmes coming from Salford, Leeds, Norwich, Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow or Edinburgh. That way you'd get more diversity and opportunity than just pushing the entire channel to a single location.
You've also got some bizarre set-ups going on though moving things out of London - Sunday Morning Live is one.
Has BBC Northern Ireland's name on it, but is pretty much all London based after it moved there a few years ago after being based in Belfast.
Actually it's had "BBC Studios Factual Salford" on it for a while now!
I believe only the 2020 run had BBC Studios Factual Salford on it's end board - and that was largely because of the Covid restrictions. The 2019 run had BBC Studios Northern Ireland.
Recent pre-2020 series which have come from a studio in London, have been made by production teams based in both Belfast and Salford. (The live studio elements were typically produced by a Belfast-based team, the VT inserts by a Salford-based team.)
Newsbeat and Asian Network moving to Birmingham. Morning Live is moving to Salford. The Today programme and Newsnight to regularly present editions outside of London.
Quote:
A transformation in the way we commission TV programmes - For the first time, a clear majority of our UK-wide TV will be made across the UK, not in London: at least 60% of network TV commissions by spend.
A transformation in the commissioning and production of network radio and online audio - 50% of network radio and music spend will be outside London by 2027/28.
Major parts of BBC News to shift across the UK - We will move significant parts of BBC News to centres across the UK, ensuring we cover the stories that matter most to audiences and more effectively representing different voices and perspectives. Half of our UK-focused story teams will be based around the country
A truly UK-wide BBC - We will make Salford the main base for our digital and technology teams - a global centre of excellence - supported by digital teams in Glasgow, Cardiff and London; we will expand BBC Studios bases in Bristol, Cardiff and Glasgow; upgrade our Belfast HQ; in radio, Newsbeat and Asian Network will be based in Birmingham; while Radio 3 and 6 Music will be rooted in Salford.
A big investment in BBC local reporting - A network of digital community journalists will enhance our regional news provision; we’ll introduce a tailored BBC One across Yorkshire, North West and North East England; we’ll see up to six new peak-time BBC local radio services -including in Bradford, Sunderland and Wolverhampton; and new BBC local on-demand bulletins for over 50 areas on BBC Sounds.
BBC Regional News will also be in HD from the end of 2022 and there will be a "tailored" BBC1 for some English regions:
The BBC’s regional and Nations TV news service at 6.30pm is the UK’s most-watched news programme. It matters now more than ever before. To support this critical output:
• We will aim to launch BBC One HD services across all English regions by the end of 2022 to enhance the viewing experience for millions of viewers
• We will transform the range and diversity of our storytelling across regional TV and current affairs by harnessing our new network of digital community reporters
• We will introduce a tailored BBC One across Yorkshire, North West and North East England, with regional continuity and marketing campaigns that help audiences discover our most relevant programming and services.
Last edited by Omnipresent on 18 March 2021 12:05pm - 2 times in total
BBC Regional News will also be in HD from the end of 2022 and there
will be a "tailored" BBC1 for some English regions:
Interesting. It looks as if the NE, NW, and Yorkshire regions might become (in BBC terms) Lite-Nations with their own pres, and extra non news output ? That might be why regional BBC 1 HD in all regions suddenly becomes affordable /viable ?
BBC Regional News will also be in HD from the end of 2022 and there
will be a "tailored" BBC1 for some English regions:
Interesting. It looks as if the NE, NW, and Yorkshire regions might become (in BBC terms) Lite-Nations with their own pres, and extra non news output ? That might be why regional BBC 1 HD in all regions suddenly becomes affordable /viable ?
I suspect what it really means is some of the sub-regions may go in order to require fewer HD variants - disguising cuts (probably necessary in this case IMO for the greater benefit of HD) as something positive. I do think though a bigger HD region with a supporting more local bulletin on the iPlayer would be the best way forward.
Regional presentation would be a complete unnecessary waste of money and something most viewers wouldn't care less about - the same as whether a show is in a studio in Salford or London. Hope though Morning Live moving North meansa they finally do something with the Salford studio though.
BBC Regional News will also be in HD from the end of 2022 and there
will be a "tailored" BBC1 for some English regions:
Interesting. It looks as if the NE, NW, and Yorkshire regions might become (in BBC terms) Lite-Nations with their own pres, and extra non news output ? That might be why regional BBC 1 HD in all regions suddenly becomes affordable /viable ?
I suspect what it really means is some of the sub-regions may go in order to require fewer HD variants - disguising cuts (probably necessary in this case IMO for the greater benefit of HD) as something positive. I do think though a bigger HD region with a supporting more local bulletin on the iPlayer would be the best way forward.
Regional presentation would be a complete unnecessary waste of money and something most viewers wouldn't care less about - the same as whether a show is in a studio in Salford or London. Hope though Morning Live moving North meansa they finally do something with the Salford studio though.
But isn't it about the subtler ways being outside of London can inform the content and feel of the programmes?
BBC Regional News will also be in HD from the end of 2022 and there
will be a "tailored" BBC1 for some English regions:
Interesting. It looks as if the NE, NW, and Yorkshire regions might become (in BBC terms) Lite-Nations with their own pres, and extra non news output ? That might be why regional BBC 1 HD in all regions suddenly becomes affordable /viable ?
I suspect what it really means is some of the sub-regions may go in order to require fewer HD variants - disguising cuts (probably necessary in this case IMO for the greater benefit of HD) as something positive. I do think though a bigger HD region with a supporting more local bulletin on the iPlayer would be the best way forward.
Regional presentation would be a complete unnecessary waste of money and something most viewers wouldn't care less about - the same as whether a show is in a studio in Salford or London. Hope though Morning Live moving North meansa they finally do something with the Salford studio though.
Regional pres could be possibly done by Red Bee in W12, as additional 'layers' added to the core 'NC1' feed ?
A bit like UTV was after moving to Chiswick
I wouldn't think the regions would be doing any local pres locally ?
Interesting stuff. Newsnight to be presented from different regional bases throughout the year is interesting.
Radio 1 Newsbeat to Birmingham is curious, Salford might have been a more logical choice to share resources with Newsround in producing news for younger (but different) audiences
