A decision has now been made to move BBC Breakfast to the BBC’s new production hub in MediaCityUK, Salford Quays, Greater Manchester.
The move is part of the measures aimed at building a new relationship with audiences across the UK from the base in the north of England which opens next year. Teams from BBC Sport, Children’s, Learning, 5 Live, FM&T and all staff in BBC Manchester are already due to relocate.
The BBC will use the move of Breakfast to build on the show's current success and enhance its strong reputation for providing news and features from across the UK.
The show will also benefit from an iconic new waterside location which offers views of The Lowry Theatre, the Imperial War Museum North, the Peak District and the Manchester Ship Canal.
More than three hours per day of live BBC1 output will now come from Salford, demonstrating the BBC’s commitment to audiences across the UK.
Helen Boaden, Director, BBC News said: “BBC Breakfast is the most watched breakfast programme in the UK and loved by millions. It has a fantastic connection with audiences across the UK and we want to build on that. Clearly this involves personal and professional decisions for the talented team who make Breakfast but we will be supporting them to reach an informed judgement about the move.”
The move will allow BBC Breakfast, Radio 5 Live, current affairs and regional news services to work even more closely together, maximise their impact, and bring a fresh approach to production. A stronger presence will boost opportunities for career development and increase the attractiveness of Salford as a career option – not just for BBC staff but those in all fields of journalism.
Peter Salmon, Director, BBC North said: "The move of Breakfast is especially symbolic as it is the first time a BBC Network News programme will come from outside London – a real vote of confidence in our new enterprise. Today’s announcement shows just how serious we are about creating a world class media hub in the north of England by better reflecting and serving all our viewers and listeners – wherever they live.”
Sinead Greenaway, CEO at Peel Media said: “We at Peel Media are delighted that BBC Breakfast will be joining us here at MediaCityUK. They bring informative news and features to millions of viewers across the UK each weekday morning and we are pleased that this established network show will broadcast live from Salford Quays. This news has today been heightened by the announcement that 118 roles from Marketing, Communications & Audiences (MC&A) and Future Media & Technology (FM&T) will be moving here and that an additional two comedy shows will be commissioned from MediaCityUK by 2012/13.This news is testimony to the BBC's commitment to make their new home here at MediaCityUK a success”.