The following text is a news release from the BBC, reformatted for publication on tv:uk:

The BBC is to close two of its television studios at BBC Birmingham after a wide ranging review of capacity in the English regions.

BBC Resources Chief Executive Margaret Salmon told staff today (Tuesday 22 August) that over capacity and changing production patterns in the broadcasting industry as a whole meant that demand for studio facilities had changed dramatically.

Ninety staff will be affected, but the BBC in Birmingham will still be employing more than 600 people on a wide variety of network, local and regional television, radio and online output.

The closure of the two studios will not affect local and regional programmes or news and radio production, including The Archers.

"While programme production from Pebble Mill is healthy, the majority of the output does not require expensive, studio facilities. Most of Pebble Mill's network production is location based; as a result utilisation of these studios has halved in three years to around one third of capacity," said Margaret Salmon.

"The changing environment and spare capacity across the industry was one of the main reasons the BBC and Granada recently joined forces in Manchester. Unfortunately we don't have the same option in Birmingham, as Carlton moved almost all of its network production out of the city several years ago," she added.

"BBC Resources Ltd has a committed and skilled workforce in Birmingham. We have not reached this decision lightly, but there is little or no prospect of getting studio utilisation back to a viable level. We very much regret having to make people redundant and will do all we can to explore resettlement and redeployment opportunities."

BBC Director General Greg Dyke said: "We have an absolutely solid commitment to continue commissioning network television production from Birmingham. But production techniques change and we have to recognise that.

"Closing studios does not mean cutting production. Since the BBC closed its studio in Bristol seven years ago, network production has nearly doubled, as well as increasing production for our digital channels.

"The BBC is not pulling out of England's second city. Now that we have a much clearer picture of production requirements in Birmingham, we are in a position to give output guarantees, which will give everyone more stability. It also means we can move towards a final decision on whether to refurbish Pebble Mill or relocate to a city centre location."

Kate Marsh, Head of Lifestyle and Features at BBC Birmingham, added: "Network production here is booming. We've launched just under 20 new television titles over the last 12 months and are forecasting an extra 75 hours by the end of the financial year, bringing the total up to 450 hours. The production for BBC radio networks is also buoyant, up 10% on last year."

BBC Birmingham is the home, too, of the Daytime drama Doctors, launched successfully in the spring. Doctors is now in production for an extended run which begins transmission in the autumn. In all, 72 more hours of television drama will be made at Birmingham during the current financial year than during 1999/00.

The 90 redundancies relate directly to the studio business and support functions. All existing bookings for the studios will be honoured and the closure will take effect from the end of this financial year in April 2001.