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Channel 4 to remain in London HQ

Three regional hubs, one of which will be a second HQ to be created, second news base to be set up (March 2018)

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IT
itsrobert Founding member
I don't know, you know - since 2008 Liverpool has had something of a cultural re-birth and it has a direct train service to London Euston which takes about 2 hours. I wouldn't say it has zero chance.
RA
radiolistener
Ha, what a surprise, the Islington and Notting Hill sets that run Channel 4, don't want to leave London.

"We can't possibly move to the provinces, Percival, where would Arabella go to school, she might end up in a private school with Northerners, we can't have that, can one?"
Last edited by radiolistener on 3 June 2018 5:52pm
MA
Markymark
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.



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.

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


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.


It was. Somewhere I've got an article about the facility from a 1982 copy of International Broadcast Engineer
BL
bluecortina
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?


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.


It was. Somewhere I've got an article about the facility from a 1982 copy of International Broadcast Engineer


I was given a tour round by Ellis Griffiths no less, before they went on air about 3 months later. At my board he asked me the sequence that a quad vtr goes through after you press the 'Play' button. After about 5 minutes I could see his eyes glazing over, he never said how much detail he wanted!

Luckily for me it was another job I didn't get!
IS
Inspector Sands
The building in Charlotte Street is about 6 floors of offices and has block of flats attached to the back. How was the building a converted cinema?

Certainly the brickwork always looked very 80s
MW
Mike W
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.



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.

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


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.

http://camdocs.camden.gov.uk/HPRMWebDrawer/Record/3638485/file/document?inline

No idea if that'll load but it's a 70s era plan showing 'entrance to cinema' and a cinema hall...
Warbler, Inspector Sands and Night Thoughts gave kudos
IS
Inspector Sands

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.

Makes sense, the road to one side is called Scala Road and the building is called 'Scala House',
It was the site of the old Scala Theatre which had a fire and was demolished in 1969
http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Scala.htm
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/29395

Looks like the cinema that occupied the ground floor before C4 took over showed some films that wouldn't have been out of place on early Channel 4: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jul/31/scala-cinema-london
Last edited by Inspector Sands on 4 June 2018 10:10am - 2 times in total
BL
bluecortina

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.

Makes sense, the road to one side is called Scala Road and the building is called 'Scala House',
It was the site of the old Scala Theatre which had a fire and was demolished in 1969
http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Scala.htm
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/29395

Looks like the cinema that occupied the ground floor before C4 took over showed some films that wouldn't have been out of place on early Channel 4: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jul/31/scala-cinema-london


I clearly remember the sloping audience seating area having to be levelled up during my tour, I’m not sure if they used concrete or some sort of wooden construction. If I recall correctly, they used Marconi MKIX studio cameras (and Marconi’s version of the Ampex VPR machines). Cox T series presentation mixer etc. It wasn’t a big site from a technical perspective, I recall the mainly open plan office areas on at least one of the floors above as that’s where my interview took place albeit in a closed office room.
RA
radiolistener
A company I used to work for moved into Charlotte Street not long after C4 left. An old colleague told me wherever he looked there were still Channel 4 logos. He was in nerd heaven.
IS
Inspector Sands
A company I used to work for moved into Charlotte Street not long after C4 left. An old colleague told me wherever he looked there were still Channel 4 logos. He was in nerd heaven.

That will be Channel One?
MA
Markymark

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.

Makes sense, the road to one side is called Scala Road and the building is called 'Scala House',
It was the site of the old Scala Theatre which had a fire and was demolished in 1969
http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Scala.htm
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/29395

Looks like the cinema that occupied the ground floor before C4 took over showed some films that wouldn't have been out of place on early Channel 4: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jul/31/scala-cinema-london


I clearly remember the sloping audience seating area having to be levelled up during my tour, I’m not sure if they used concrete or some sort of wooden construction. If I recall correctly, they used Marconi MKIX studio cameras (and Marconi’s version of the Ampex VPR machines). Cox T series presentation mixer etc. It wasn’t a big site from a technical perspective, I recall the mainly open plan office areas on at least one of the floors above as that’s where my interview took place albeit in a closed office room.


No it was all Sony C Format VTRs, BVH-1100 ( with bolt ons to enable automation control)
BL
bluecortina
Makes sense, the road to one side is called Scala Road and the building is called 'Scala House',
It was the site of the old Scala Theatre which had a fire and was demolished in 1969
http://www.arthurlloyd.co.uk/Scala.htm
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/29395

Looks like the cinema that occupied the ground floor before C4 took over showed some films that wouldn't have been out of place on early Channel 4: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2011/jul/31/scala-cinema-london


I clearly remember the sloping audience seating area having to be levelled up during my tour, I’m not sure if they used concrete or some sort of wooden construction. If I recall correctly, they used Marconi MKIX studio cameras (and Marconi’s version of the Ampex VPR machines). Cox T series presentation mixer etc. It wasn’t a big site from a technical perspective, I recall the mainly open plan office areas on at least one of the floors above as that’s where my interview took place albeit in a closed office room.


No it was all Sony C Format VTRs, BVH-1100 ( with bolt ons to enable automation control)


Thanks for the correction there (Apropos nothing, I always thought those machines were very ugly to look at!)

It must have been TV-am that had the Marconi machines which were to some extent automatically controlled too as they were used as part of some automatic break compilation software evening/overnight system. It wasn't altogether very successful at least in the early days, and the overtime bill was very high I understand for the engineers in VT. I recall the cameras were Marconi MkIX's and CDL vision mixers.

Thank goodness another job I didn't get! - although it looked a darn sight more interesting than C4.

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