BBC Television Centre Night

Wasn't the Salford move announced during his tenure too?

I'm sure Salford occurred post Dyke/ Hutton etc, I seem to remember at one point they were considering their options, one I believe was to redevelop and expand New Broadcasting House on Oxford Road, but then they picked Salford about 2 or 3 years after.

Dyke: what I would have moved north
16 September, 2004

Greg Dyke was planning to move Radio 5 Live, BBC3, CBBC and CBeebies and half of the BBC's new media operation to Manchester before he was forced out of the director general's job in the aftermath of Hutton.
Greg Dyke was planning to move Radio 5 Live, BBC3, CBBC and CBeebies and half of the BBC's new media operation to Manchester before he was forced out of the director general's job in the aftermath of Hutton.

His autobiography, Inside Story , which goes on sale next week reveals the scale of his ambition to relocate operations to Manchester as part of Charter renewal.

His decision to identify the services he wanted to move could prove embarrassing for new DG Mark Thompson if his own proposals fall a long way short of Dyke's.

The book reveals that his Manchester plans met with a hostile reception from BBC executives: 'When I told my executive colleagues what I was proposing, most, though not all, were against the idea. Jenny Abramsky threatened to resign if Radio 5 Live were moved, although she never actually said so to me.

'Jana Bennett felt that BBC3 had to stay in London, while the children's department were adamant that they weren't going anywhere'.

Dyke says his plan differed from earlier, unsuccessful attempts to move 'youth' and 'religion' to Manchester.

'My point was that this plan moved the money to Manchester, not just the production department. The real reason most people objected was that it would disrupt their lives. My answer to that was 'Bad luck'.

His book says he planned to have all the services relocated in the second half of the decade. He says other services were also under review including the BBC's outside broadcast HQ which 'needed to be on a motorway somewhere, not in Acton in west London'.

He also planned for at least two members of the BBC's executive committee to be based in Manchester.

But, after Dyke's departure - and before Thompson's arrival - Broadcast reported that some BBC executives were already trying to water down his Manchester plan.

Recently, children's BBC, BBC sport and the corporation's online operation have all been reported as under consideration for the Manchester move. A decision on which services will move is expected in December.

Dyke writes that the opposition he faced to his plans was 'exactly the same as the opposition [former chairman] Gavyn Davies met when he made his speech suggesting that too much of the BBC's money was being spent on 'the southern middle classes'. Dyke said Davies was savaged for speaking the truth - 'but that of course is how a south of England elite has managed to keep such a strong grip on the BBC and on this country for so long'.

Dyke's Manchester vision under threat.
19 February, 2004

The BBC could scrap a controversial Charter review plan to move a huge chunk of the corporation to Manchester.The proposal, described by one insider as former BBC director general Greg Dyke's "big idea", has been revisited by the corporation's executive committee of senior managers at least twice since Dyke's departure last month.
It is understood the plan, first revealed by Broadcast (24.11.03), involves the possibility of moving a national television channel, one national radio station or a production department with significant output to Manchester.Suggestions include BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio 3 or BBC Radio 1, as well as entertainment production or a BBC3 production entity, although the channels' management would stay in the capital."Anything and everything was discussed," said one source.Acting director general Mark Byford is said to be tempted by the plan, but several executive committee members are not convinced. They are understood to be worried about the costs - described as "phenomenal" by one source - and the possibility that it wouldn't work in practice.One insider said this week: "Greg was really pushing for this, but I don't think there is the same level of enthusiasm now he has gone. Greg saw it as a big idea but lots of other people weren't so sure. The likelihood of it happening has gone down a couple of notches."
The Manchester plan is part of what senior insiders have described as a key plank of a wider devolution strategy to enhance BBC centres in Glasgow and Birmingham.The devolution idea is believed to form part of the Charter review document that is currently on hold while a new chairman and director general are appointed.
Dyke championed the idea of moving more of the BBC out of London, seeing it as a key way of "connecting" better with audiences. But critics said that, although good headline-grabbers, previous moves of departments out of London, such as religion and youth to Manchester, did not work as well as expected.One source said there was "no doubt" chunks of output would move out of London as part of Charter review, but the issue being discussed was whether "we move whole networks or channels".
A BBC spokesman said: "We are giving detailed consideration to a wide range of ideas for our submission on Charter renewal."- The government has rejected suggestions it is planning to break up the BBC into national organisations. A Department for Culture, Media & Sport source told Broadcast the plan, reported in The Sunday Times, was "ridiculous".

End of an era in the BBC's history then. The BBC4 tribute was great, entertaining and moving!

a fond goodbye to the former Wood Lane site, and a grand hello to Salford ~ LOTS of new memories to be had at Media City UK for many many years to come.

Although to be fair, Blue Peter was a programme that was around for the duration of TVC's existance so it was appropriate.

Acccording to Richard Marson the programmes producer a planned airing on BBC TWO over Christmas was shelved due to some of the "Tales" being of a sexual nature, thus now deemed inappropriate due to the Jimmy Saville business.