ITV abandons the South Bank

BL

bluecortina 21 February 2017 3:30pm

I was under the impression that Gabriel's Wharf was owned by ITV - I'd heard a previous version of the plans which had them building a new tower on that site, and moving in there - but Lambeth Council weren't too keen.

Aha, that might explain why I couldn't find a planning application... I thought it was in Southwark!

The complex lies on the Prince's Meadow estate, it is covered by Lambeth council.

IS

Inspector Sands 21 February 2017 3:32pm

commseng posted:

That email to staff just pushes the fact that there will be new and exciting offices to work in.

Maybe I am just a bit long in the tooth, but wasn't the excitement about working in broadcasting to do with the facilities be they studios, OBs, edits, communications, and so on.

Can anyone really get excited about offices never mind how the walls are painted, the computers on the desk or that there is a ping pong table?

That was the glamour of telly yes but the sad fact is that TV is made in offices. I remember showing a friend round my former workplace, an office space that outputted many hours of programming and she asked what all the people at desks were doing? They were all making programmes, it's just it doesn't take rooms of specialist equipment to do it any more, it's all on computers and the back end is just servers and standard IT infrastructure that you'd find anywhere.

Studios still have their place, but increasingly less

BL

bluecortina 21 February 2017 3:33pm

Inspector Sands posted:

TedJrr posted:

I wonder if there is an intention to completely move out of Gray's Inn Road, bringing ITV and ITN under on roof? Also, mention of Chiswick Park is interesting. Although mentioned in the context of a site being considered, is this an indication that Ericsson's ITV operation could move back to the South Bank?

That's a bit of a leap of logic. Chiswick Park is a bit of an obvious place to look to move regardless of where their playout is, it's a bit of a media village. Ericsson wouldn't want to move into town anyway, they were looking at relocating out from W12 a while back.

As for ITN, unlikely. Why would ITV want to build a nice centre for all their staff, and then fill a large part of it with ITN?

Because ITN is in a leasehold building and by moving the operation to the SouthBank means ITV would save on it's share of the current rental costs and charge the other ITN shareholders rental fees? Pure, pure speculation on my part.

TV

TVDP 21 February 2017 3:41pm

The Tower will stay or it will be destroyed ?

CO

commseng 21 February 2017 3:51pm

Inspector Sands posted:

commseng posted:

That email to staff just pushes the fact that there will be new and exciting offices to work in.

Maybe I am just a bit long in the tooth, but wasn't the excitement about working in broadcasting to do with the facilities be they studios, OBs, edits, communications, and so on.

Can anyone really get excited about offices never mind how the walls are painted, the computers on the desk or that there is a ping pong table?

That was the glamour of telly yes but the sad fact is that TV is made in offices. I remember showing a friend round my former workplace, an office space that outputted many hours of programming and she asked what all the people at desks were doing? They were all making programmes, it's just it doesn't take rooms of specialist equipment to do it any more, it's all on computers and the back end is just servers and standard IT infrastructure that you'd find anywhere.

Studios still have their place, but increasingly less

Sadly I think you're right.
Like everything that was novel and interesting when it was difficult to do, it is now humdrum and commonplace.
The old apperatus rooms with varied equipment are all now just rack upon rack of servers. That is the way it goes. Why have studios when you can sort anything tricky out in an edit suite?

BA

Bail Moderator 21 February 2017 3:57pm

The logic I think is ITV move out, TLS close down, the building is redeveloped. The big studio(s) go and only a few smaller ones for Daybreak and the like are factored into the new design.

Where the large shows Norton, QI etc go would be up in the air, TVC can take some of it, but there's only 1 studio 1 at TVC.

Maybe we should club together to build some studio space, I can think of a number of "homeless" shows now that TLS joins the ranks of dead studios now...

AA

Aaron_2015 21 February 2017 4:22pm

BroadcastWales posted:

Something that may be interesting from this move is a change in the live daytime shows presentations. If they were to relocate GMB, Lorraine, This Morning & Loose Women then we would most likely see differences in the sets. Unless they can move to new studios and re construct the sets identical to how they would be in TLS.

I doubt they will find anywhere big enough for three different areas. This Morning will surely have the biggest change, losing the Southbank view? I imagine GMB will have a smaller set, then maybe Lorraine and This Morning will share (as they are quite similar shows)? Not sure about Loose Women though.

BC

Blake Connolly Founding member 21 February 2017 4:26pm

623058 posted:

Inspector Sands posted:

623058 posted:

Here comes the very big Q: How many studios outside daytime does ITV have? how many have them are being used to their full use?

Apart from the ones used for Coronation Street, Emmerdale and not counting those for news I'd have thought the answer is the 3 or 4 at the South Bank (the 4th being the old LNN/Daybreak studio)

Everything else has closed and the ones in Salford are hired by them

3 big studios along at the south bank, yet there is Maidstone, Elstree and TV centre all near by. I wonder how much its costing ITV to keep them running? Not even BGT or X factor come from them.

The times are a changing.

They always seem to be very busy studios, though. Graham Norton, Ant & Dec, QI, The Last Leg, HIGNFY, loads more. Every time I've been to see something there, there's been a second queue for something else recording at the same time.

I wouldn't call Maidstone nearby. Pinewood and Shepperton aren't the easiest places to get to on public transport, Elstree and Sky Studios are a little better but unless I'm forgetting anywhere else that just leaves TVC and Riverside, once they reopen, as the only big (and TC1 is the only one that's properly big) audience studios in central London. There are a few other much smaller facilities around like the Hospital Club but not a lot.

It'll be a real shame to lose Studio 1 at TLS, British television is losing yet another place steeped in history, the home of shiny-floor Saturday night telly. You can always tell something's been made there just because of the huge size of the audience.

AA

Aaron_2015 21 February 2017 4:28pm

Article from ITV News:

http://www.itv.com/news/london/2017-02-21/itv-to-build-new-headquarters-on-the-site-of-its-famous-south-bank-studios/

Quote:

The new headquarters will include dedicated studios for ITV Daytime shows Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women.

Sounds like there will be four new studios, rather than Lorraine and Loose Women having to share.

TO

tomo359 21 February 2017 5:00pm

Sorry if i've completely misunderstood the news, but didn't ITV buy their Southbank lot a few years ago? Why would they now want to get rid of it?

I have read a few articles and some seem to make out they are getting rid, others seem to make out they are moving out temporarily to redevelop the lot so i'm quite confused.

GO

gottago 21 February 2017 5:04pm

Aaron_2015 posted:

Article from ITV News:

http://www.itv.com/news/london/2017-02-21/itv-to-build-new-headquarters-on-the-site-of-its-famous-south-bank-studios/

Quote:

The new headquarters will include dedicated studios for ITV Daytime shows Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women.

Sounds like there will be four new studios, rather than Lorraine and Loose Women having to share.

That doesn't necessarily suggest four studios, just studios that can change sets for other daytime shows which is what Lorraine and Loose Women currently do in Studio 3, they're not going to add an extra one when they don't need to.

GO

gottago 21 February 2017 5:05pm

tomo359 posted:

Sorry if i've completely misunderstood the news, but didn't ITV buy their Southbank lot a few years ago? Why would they now want to get rid of it?

I have read a few articles and some seem to make out they are getting rid, others seem to make out they are moving out temporarily to redevelop the lot so i'm quite confused.

They're not getting rid of it, they're refurbing the building but losing the studios business in the process. Reread the original email.

(February 2017)