Moving to the North makes sense for so many reasons
BBC North is one of the most ambitious projects in our history and will create a new centre of excellence outside London for production, technology development, training and digital media. The move starts in May 2011 and the project is on time and on budget.
The BBC is paid for by the whole of the UK and needs to better reflect the breadth and depth of our culture and be representative of all those who fund it. BBC North will help meet the commitment to our audiences to get as close to them as possible.
Twenty-five per cent of licence fee payers live in the North - from Liverpool to Newcastle - yet currently only 8% of network programmes are made in the region. Our audiences in the North have told us that they feel less well served and represented and a new creative hub in the North will help redress this balance.
From our base at MediaCityUK and our regional offices in Leeds, Hull, Sheffield and Newcastle, BBC North will support locally produced, high quality content for every platform using the latest innovations in technology. We will also create new content that will be enjoyed by audiences across the UK in the same way that BBC Wales makes great drama like Doctor Who or BBC Bristol produces landmark natural history series from the South West.
The move facilitates the creation of new partnerships with organisations including independent producers, cutting edge digital companies and universities across the North of England.
There will be up to 2,300 BBC jobs in MediaCityUK including hundreds of new vacancies. BBC North will lead the way in training and developing talent, building on the rich mix of skills and experience already available in the North of England.
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