TV
BBC to create new television region
Published Tuesday, Jun 29 2004, 21:55 BST | By James Welsh
The BBC confirmed today that plans are underway to create a new television region encompassing Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire.
A new regional news programme will be created, broadcasting from a new broadcast centre in Milton Keynes. BBC Three Counties Radio will move from Luton to that new centre.
No timescales have yet been confirmed, and the BBC is still examining sites for the new Milton Keynes location.
"The BBC is still far too London-based and this is simply not acceptable for a modern public service broadcaster that draws its income from all parts of the UK," said BBC Director-General Mark Thompson. "The BBC should reflect the whole UK. One of the best ways of ensuring that it does is to base it across the whole UK, close to audiences and talent in all the nations and regions.
"Over the period of the next Charter, there will be a significant shift of money, commissioning power, production and people out of London and into the rest of the UK.
"Licence payers everywhere will benefit from a BBC that is far more active in the area where they live and creates more programmes and services that are directly relevant to their lives and interests."
A new regional news programme will be created, broadcasting from a new broadcast centre in Milton Keynes. BBC Three Counties Radio will move from Luton to that new centre.
No timescales have yet been confirmed, and the BBC is still examining sites for the new Milton Keynes location.
"The BBC is still far too London-based and this is simply not acceptable for a modern public service broadcaster that draws its income from all parts of the UK," said BBC Director-General Mark Thompson. "The BBC should reflect the whole UK. One of the best ways of ensuring that it does is to base it across the whole UK, close to audiences and talent in all the nations and regions.
"Over the period of the next Charter, there will be a significant shift of money, commissioning power, production and people out of London and into the rest of the UK.
"Licence payers everywhere will benefit from a BBC that is far more active in the area where they live and creates more programmes and services that are directly relevant to their lives and interests."
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