The Stage

Move north rejected by majority of BBC middle managers

Published Friday 3 July 2009 at 15:56 by Matthew Hemley

More than 50% of staff in the five BBC departments relocating to Salford’s MediaCityUK, the new base for BBC North, have refused to make the move.

In total, 42% of BBC staff in middle management roles from the five departments moving to the north over the next few years - including Children’s and Learning - have agreed to relocate.

The BBC said this was “a higher than expected figure” and added that it “represents a big boost for the BBC North project”, led by Peter Salmon, director of BBC North.

He said: “I am excited that so many people have decided to join us to help create the new BBC North and this news is a big boost for our future prospects. What is pleasing is not just the numbers but the quality of the people who are now getting engaged with our new enterprise from some crucial parts of the BBC. This group will play a key role in developing our plans and I want to start working with them this year to shape the new future at BBC North.”

He added: “While the overall percentage is high for a relocation of this size, I do understand that some people are not able to join us, and I completely sympathise with those colleagues for whom it has not been possible, for a variety of personal and family reasons.”

A total of 261 staff, who fall into BBC grades 8-11 from across Children’s, Learning, Sport, 5 Live and parts of Future, Media and Technology and who work in areas such as journalism and content production, were asked to make the decision.

This follows on from decisions made in April by senior managers in the five departments, which saw 15 of the 32 affected senior managers agreeing to relocate.

In Children’s, Ewan Vinnicombe, producer of Blue Peter, has agreed to make the move.

“I want Children’s to be at the heart of BBC North and you never normally get a chance like this,” he said.