Member Article

Former BBC chair praises move to MediaCity

Former BBC chairman Lord Michael Grade spoke on Thurday about his pride in the move of hundreds of BBC jobs from London to MediaCity in Salford.

Speaking before a WRG event in Manchester on Thursday, Lord Grade said it was absolutely the right decision for the BBC to become less London-centric.

He said: “I’m really proud I was involved. We had our critics. We still do. But, you know something? They were wrong!

“People all over the country pay for the BBC. As BBC chairman it was always self-evident to me that it was just plain wrong that the creative and economic benefits those licence fees create should flow so disproportionately to London and the south east.”

Lord Grade spearheaded efforts to make sure the benefits created by licence fees were spread out fairly across the UK, and said is proud the BBC’s move to MediaCity has encouraged other businesses, large and small, to follow.

Rival broadcaster ITV will also move it’s Granada site to MediaCity to film popular soap, Coronation Street.

Lord Grade commented that it is important to “trust your instincts” and ignore the critics, especially after Coronation Street became so popular despite receiving skeptical reviews when it was first launched 53 years ago.

He said the fact that the soap is still doing business is a testimony to the power of backing your gut feeling, and added: “That’s how you create unforgettable.”

The Memorable Moments event on Thursday night hosted by WRG, for whom Lord Grade is a non-executive director, looked back over the key events of 2012.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .