Second City Stories

Edgbaston MP Gisela Stewart will be calling on acting BBC DG Tim Davie today, and looking for more immediate strategic action for Birmingham than a high speed rail connection; she wants a commitment to network production in the second city, left by Mark Thompson, fulfilled.  

Remaining staff in the BBC's HQ in the Mailbox shopping centre are rattling round the 10,000m2 site, trying out various chairs for better views. Network radio production has largely decamped to Bristol; the bulk of the Asian Network has drifted closer to paymaster Bob Shennan in London; the high spec drama studio is unused a total of nine months of the year; some daytime tv production remains, but there's nothing that makes evening schedules.

Meanwhile, the young funsters of BBC Vision are desperately piling into Broadcasting House in London, as Television Centre moves into pre-sale lock down. Already, there's been a certain amount of ill-advised flouncing about the quality of space they're getting in W1 - but they'd be well advised to keep their heads down. The new DG's in-tray has both Birmingham space and a commitment to move a further 1,000 staff to Salford Quays close to the top of the pile marked "decision required".