If Channel 4 had any sense, they would get in there and buy it. They are suffering decreasing ratings and only have enough money to last until 2012 where they will begin to struggle. By purchasing the studios, they will gain a lot more money through companies like ITV and even the BBC themselves wanting to hire the studios.
And what would C4 pay for it with?
I think C4 are happy enough with their own purpose built headquarters - and if they were going to move into studio letting etc., they'd be better options than buying BBC TV Centre.
If Channel 4 had any sense, they would get in there and buy it. They are suffering decreasing ratings and only have enough money to last until 2012 where they will begin to struggle. By purchasing the studios, they will gain a lot more money through companies like ITV and even the BBC themselves wanting to hire the studios.
Why would Channel 4 which has always been a streamlined publisher broadcaster want to get into the facilities business, especially with a building as large as TV Centre?
They do have a facility company called 124 but this is very small
If the BBC wants to save money, then all they have to do is scrap this ridiculous move to Salford and cut managerial and marketing jobs. But no, guess what, it's programming that's going to suffer and the most crucial PSB areas to boot.
Television Centre is the public face of BBC Television and without it the BBC will surely be up the creek without a paddle. It's still a focal point of programming activity and quite anyone should think it isn't needed any more is baffling. Unless of course the plan is to outsource more thus not needing the studio space...And where would Pres go should it be brought back in-house?
Hope you're proud of yourself Mr Hutton. You and your pimp Mr Blair set out to do the BBC serious damage and now you have succeeded.
News, factual and children's will bear the brunt of the job losses.
Happy now Mr Blair?
The BBC have no one but themselves to blame for this. They took the licence fee - and therefore the licence fee payer - for granted and just assumed the public would always be willing to pay an over-inflated rate each year, which would see their own guaranteed revenue stream increasing while their rivals were having to tighten their budgets.
And it shouldn't be forgot that actually we will still be paying an over-inflated rate every year.
Although not ideal, today's moves have actually probably secured the future of the BBC - stream-lining it into an organisation more fit for purpose.
If not and it turns out to be a complete disaster, well it'll probably ensure the Beeb gets a more generous settlement next time around and in the future.
My bigger worry at the moment is OFCOM's nonsensical stance on HD and Freeview, putting pure financial greed ahead of securing the future of British televisoin - and against the wishes of the broadcasters, the viewers and the wider industry.
The most stupid thing in this is the moving of certain shows to new locations just so the BBC can say things are being made across the country.
Weakest Link moves from Pinewood to Glasgow, Casualty from Briston to Birmingham, Doctors from Birmingham to Manchester and EastEnders will probably be moving from Elstree too.
Now, switching the Weakest Link is easy enough but the moving permanent shows with fairly substantial sets raises the question of whether any long term savings make it worth it - especially when savings aren't the reason behind the move.
Anyhow, on the plus side the EastEnders set might end up destroyed during the move and the BBC will have no choice but to axe it!
Television Centre is the public face of BBC Television and without it the BBC will surely be up the creek without a paddle. It's still a focal point of programming activity and quite anyone should think it isn't needed any more is baffling. Unless of course the plan is to outsource more thus not needing the studio space...
TVC isn't the centre of programming it once was, with news going into Central London (which is arguably a better place for it) its studios and production space will be largely empty. It's office space isn't that great and it needs a big costly refurb to modernise it.
I hope that a company such as Pinewood will buy it and keep some of the studios going, there's quite a bit of resale value from the bits of land/building hanging off the outside of the main block.
Quote:
And where would Pres go should it be brought back in-house?
In the 10 or so years time after which it could happen they'd could just stay in the building where it is now.... not that there'd likely to be such a thng as 'pres' or 'a television channel' by that time anyway!
The BBC have no one but themselves to blame for this. They took the licence fee - and therefore the licence fee payer - for granted and just assumed the public would always be willing to pay an over-inflated rate each year, which would see their own guaranteed revenue stream increasing while their rivals were having to tighten their budgets.
And it shouldn't be forgot that actually we will still be paying an over-inflated rate every year.
But why does it always have to be programmes that suffer - and in particular the types of programmes for which the people rely on the BBC for, namely news and factual? There are many jobs which could have gone without having to affect what is seen on screen.
ITV News (yes!) might have actually had a point this evening when they highlighted the case of four different BBC crews covering the same news story - a regular occurrance, so it would seem. If they are working for the same organisation, surely one cameraman and one reporter are all that is needed.
HOW IS SPENDING £400 MILLION ON A NEW GLORIFIED OFFICE IN SALFORD RATHER THAN RE FITTING TVC FOR 80 MILLION SAVING MONEY?
How many professional jobs this time?
Blair & Campbell destroyed british farming, the countryside economy, Iraq, the post office is well on its way and now the BBC thanks to the toady Hutton report. The Hague is too good for them!
Television Centre is the public face of BBC Television and without it the BBC will surely be up the creek without a paddle. It's still a focal point of programming activity and quite anyone should think it isn't needed any more is baffling. Unless of course the plan is to outsource more thus not needing the studio space...
TVC isn't the centre of programming it once was, with news going into Central London (which is arguably a better place for it) its studios and production space will be largely empty. It's office space isn't that great and it needs a big costly refurb to modernise it.
I hope that a company such as Pinewood will buy it and keep some of the studios going, there's quite a bit of resale value from the bits of land/building hanging off the outside of the main block.
Quote:
And where would Pres go should it be brought back in-house?
In the 10 or so years time after which it could happen they'd could just stay in the building where it is now.... not that there'd likely to be such a thng as 'pres' or 'a television channel' by that time anyway!
It's a shame as Television Centre is such an iconic building and a broadcaster like the BBC should have a major studio facility. We will end up seeing flagship BBC programmes like Children in Need or Election Night coming from The London Studios, and probably costing more in studio hire as a result
I would have thought it would be better to close all other BBC buildings in and around London, keeping just Broadcasting House and Television Centre. The likes of BBC London News and Radio 1 and 2 could move into either building
HOW IS SPENDING £400 MILLION ON A NEW GLORIFIED OFFICE IN SALFORD RATHER THAN RE FITTING TVC FOR 80 MILLION SAVING MONEY?
To let you know the BBC won't own the building, they'll just be renting it out from someone else, hence why the site is known as MediaCity rather than the BBC Studios or BBC Salford. Overall I would have thought the move to Salford will save money as it will have up to date facilities and equipment from scratch, rather than having to go through and replace all TVC facilities.
And people never seem to think that costs of everything, ie cost of living and cost of wages outside of London will be cheaper.
The BBC is a large respected organisation however it has to move with the times, it cannot be the same forever. It seems to be a Catch 22 situation with the Beeb, as people will moan when their Licence Fee's go up, yet people moan again when they're protesting at cuts, which need to be made if they aren't getting the Licence Fee increases.
How can these cuts ruin the BBC? The BBC needs to keep labour and overheads to the minimum, and when they can get it done with better technology and fewer resources, then why not?
Say for instance, if a Murder happened somewhere in London, then you would have
A reporter for BBC1 News
A reporter for News 24
A reporter for BBC London News
A reporter for BBC Radio News (National)
A reporter for BBC London Radio News
...I'm not saying this is the case all of the time, but doesn't it make sense to have one or two people covering it for all services, the technology is available.
ITV has scaled back it's Labour force within the last 3/4 years or so now, as they had overlaps from the merged Granada and Carlton, it had to think like one company, which it did. It also introduced new technology to make Newsgathering easier and cheaper and disposed of old facilities that were not needed. They have three main Production centres in their name (LWT, Granada and Yorkshire studios) and pratically any Independent studio available.
Granted there will be less comissioning at the BBC, but it doesn't affect their Public service, they aren't doing an ITV and asking to cut back on Public service broadcasting, what we know and love will still be there.
I think after Digital switchover is complete I think people will appreciate the BBC more than what they do now, simply as the amount of PSB on other channels I think will slowly disappear as it won't be commercially viable after 2012.
A reporter for BBC1 News
A reporter for News 24
A reporter for BBC London News
A reporter for BBC Radio News (National)
A reporter for BBC London Radio News
Plus Radio 1 Newsbeat and TX News. And if it's outside of London, it's further to go and therefore higher costs, ie travel.
