Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Castles

I was amused to read in house mag Ariel that BBC Wales is conducting a nine-month review of options on a new "fit-for-purpose" headquarters. The timing is fabulously inappropriate, yet it demonstrates the Celtic me-too-ism that's distorting Auntie's UK strategies.

The Welsh media Taffia have wanted a new building ever since BBC Scotland opened Pacific Quay on the banks of the Clyde in 2007.  They were slightly assuaged by the "Drama Village" at Roath Lock. But now new boss Rhodri Talfan Davies (home: Bristol) has had to demonstrate that he's as remorseless as predecessor Menna Richards in en-masse train journeys to London to berate the DG at Finance Committees.

The Llandaff headquarters was built in 1966 - and, if sold, would probably only attract the interest of a major supermarket.  Not enough dosh to build new. So any new project would require a sort-of-developer PFI variant. And would probably require S4C (broke) to share the facility.  Welsh "balchder" requires new, not mend and make-do - yet the audiences just want better programmes.

Meanwhile, in Scotland, where the management pulled a blinder in building PQ much bigger than could ever be needed (without DG Thommo noticing until it was too late), there are plans to keep ahead of the Welsh. BBC Alba, which has previously boasted of its frugality in operating out of existing spare accommodation (there's tons of it) with a "virtual headquarters", has decided it is time to build. This when its output costs 21.8p per viewer hour.  The creation of a shiny new building, presumably by Gaelic architects, would coincide with drives to make Gaelic the official first language of the Islands, moves to create more Gaelic schools - and above all, making sure the whole of the UK pays for it.  

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