Greetings from a new boy from Cumbria.
I had a look at BH last year from the outside and must say I am very impressed, even if the project is running two years late. I can remember seeing BH in 1987 and it looked run down and dirty and surrounded by eyesores like Egton House and the 1961 extension. Now the original building looks like it would have done when first built and the Egton Wing and newsroom blend in very nicely and I particularly like the use of blue tinted glass.
However, one question will the BBC be quitting Western House and Yalding House?
How odd that the flag glass design was put up in 1998 and within a year it was out of date - but has stayed there ever since.
Yes because it was worth spending money asking people to remove it when they knew TVC's days were numbered!
TVC had the same Pebble Mill rumour mill flying around about closure and they wanted to avoid spending money on it - right from about 1999 really, as they closed Studio A Oxford Road and Pebble Mill, you'll notice a fair amount of the IT systems in place at Stage VI are a bit dated, and haven't been updated since about 2005/6 (apart from the broken computers that get replaced with new HP boxes...)
How long will they be at BH before somebody decides a wholesale relaunch of BBC News is needed, rendering the newsroom scene dated?!
TVC will probably be kept on a basic care and maintenance basis now as it's pointless upgrading systems if the building is to be largely empty by this time next year. It is a shame to see it go, but as most of the departments have either moved, or are moving, to W1 or Salford Quays, there's no real use for it as very little drama and comedy is made in studios now and even the smaller scale shows like The One Show that would have used a smaller studio can be more cheaply accomodated in White City.
even the smaller scale shows like The One Show that would have used a smaller studio can be more cheaply accomodated in White City.
Although the rumour has it that The One Show is moving to W1.
And Watchdog too.
Quote:
Since he took over the W1 project in 2006, Andy Griffee has been thrown his share of curveballs.
The latest was accomodating an extra 760 people from Vision factual, comedy and drama in New Broadcasting House following DQF proposals - already 'pushing desk-to-people ratios harder than ever before' as he freely admits.
The 4000 desks for 4800 people reflects realistic shift patterns and location working, says Griffee. 'We need to justify the investment by being as full as possible. The more we can achieve, the more buildings we can sell off - which is better than losing jobs and cutting programmes.'
He is also now in talks about Watchdog and The One Show moving to the Portland Place location.
Somehow, Griffee and his team have managed to clear the seventh floor for the BBC Vision influx, and found Vision HQ a berth on the floor beneath, reassigning professional support services like finance and accommodation in nearby Brock House, which itself will now need a small makeover.
Coming after the originally unplanned arrival of BBC Arabic, BBC Persian, BBC London, Radio 1 and 1Xtra - as well as the refurbishment of Western House for Radio 2 - how much of a bombshell was the Vision announcement?
'We're now really pleased because it feels like the final piece of the jigsaw, bringing the four main output divisions together,' says the seasoned editorial director. 'This was always designed to be the home of frontline programming, so it's the icing on the cake.
However, one question will the BBC be quitting Western House and Yalding House?
Yalding House is to go - space has been found for Radio 1 up near the top of BH. I *think* Western House is to stay, but I could be wrong there.
(welcome to the forum!)
So Radio 1 makes a return to BH after 27 years. I still think the revamp of Western House to accommodate Radio 2 and 6 Music 7 years ago means they could be staying as these are modern studios and practically adjoin BH.