BBC Television Centre - Future Relocation

Future Relocation

It was announced on 18 October 2007 that in order to meet a £2 billion shortfall in funding, the BBC intends to "reduce the size of the property portfolio in west London by selling BBC Television Centre by the end the financial year 2012/13", with Director General Mark Thompson saying the plan will deliver "a smaller, but fitter, BBC" in the digital age. A BBC spokeswoman has added that "this is a full scale disposal of BBC Television Centre and we won't be leasing it back"

By the end of 2012, all BBC News, national radio and BBC World Service broadcasts will move to Broadcasting House in central London. The building is planned to have the largest live newsroom in the world. The BBC News Centre at Television Centre was only opened in 1997, in a new complex at the front of the building. The decision to move radio news to this building was attributed to Director General John Birt, a move that was resisted by the then managing director of BBC Radio, Liz Forgan, who resigned after failing to dissuade the governors. Birt's decision has caused problems for BBC Radio in particular, for example politicians accustomed to travelling to interviews at Broadcasting House have been reluctant to make the journey to White City, despite being only 4+1⁄₂ miles (7.2 km) west.

Two other departments, Sport and Children's, moved from Television Centre to MediaCityUK in Salford Quays in 2012, along with Children's Learning, Radio 5 Live and part of BBC Future Media & Technology. This move saw up to 1,500 London-based posts relocating to Manchester. BBC Breakfast (which is part of BBC News) moved to Salford in April 2012.

Despite all these plans, which have met with some opposition amongst employees, councillors and the public, the BBC have still not confirmed whether the building will definitely close. Although the BBC has said production will cease by the end of 2013 it is not clear what will happen to the building. The BBC themselves envisage it as a cultural centre and other parties have suggested the studios should be retained. By September 2010 the BBC had equipped four of the studios for HD working (studios 1, 4, 6 and 8).

Following the UK "credit crunch" and the beginning of the recession, the plans for Television Centre came under review. Employees were informed in 2010, via email, that it was doubtful that the building would be disposed of by 2013, and possibly even 2016, when the BBC Charter is up for renewal. However, this decision was reversed in June 2011, and the corporation officially put Television Centre on the property market.