The BBC was handed the keys to the first of its three new buildings at MediaCityUK today.
Led by BBC North Director Peter Salmon, the move is a major component of the BBC’s ‘Out-of-London’ strategy to better serve and represent audiences and do even more to spread the BBC’s investment directly into the UK creative economy, currently running at over one billion pounds each year. The BBC will relocate 2,500 jobs to MediaCityUK from 2011.
‘Building C’ – the biggest and first of three BBC office buildings - will be home to Radio Five Live, BBC Sport and local and regional news and is being handed over ahead of schedule. Work will now start on fitting-out building ‘C’ to create the network radio station and broadcasting facilities for the digital age, bringing together everything the BBC does on-air and online to support the best possible coverage of live news and live sport.
Peter Salmon said: “This is the first, exciting step in rewiring the BBC in the North of England, helping us better spread the British public’s investment in the licence fee right across the UK, with the aim of making even better programmes and content that reflects their lives.
“Just as important, when our media industries are facing such tough times, this project can act as a catalyst for the renaissance of the creative economies across the North and create valuable new jobs in these tough times.
“Though there is still much work to do before we can broadcast and launch operations here in 2011, today we see that ambition taking physical shape, and the planning to deliver great new programmes that MediaCityUK will inspire.”
Bryan Gray, Chairman of Peel Media, developer and owner of MediaCityUK, said: "Together with our partners, we are building a new city at Salford Quays, bringing a renaissance to Manchester’s historic waterfront. Today’s building handover to the BBC is the first of many important milestones for MediaCityUK. We all look forward to delivering our shared ambitions of creative excellence, innovation and tangible benefits for the north of England and the wider UK media sectors."
Visiting Salford BBC Trust Chairman Sir Michael Lyons said: "One of the Trust’s key aims for the BBC is that it serves all audiences regardless of location and background. And that ambition extends beyond what’s on our screens and radios. It means the BBC contributing to the cultural life and economic prosperity of communities across the length and breadth of the UK.
"The Salford project is an excellent example of the BBC doing just that. Today is a significant landmark in a project that will help regenerate an entire area and I hope in time act as a springboard for wider creative innovation in the north of England."
As part of the official handover a short fanfare was performed by four members of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra’s brass players joined by members of their Salford Family Orchestra plus young musicians from Salford’s Music Service. The fanfare was specially composed by Peter Willmott, a Double Bass player for the Philharmonic Orchestra, who helped create the successful family orchestra, set up in partnership with the BBC Proms, which enabled over 70 amateur music lovers from Salford travel to London to perform on stage at the Royal Albert Hall earlier this year.