Channel 4 chooses Leeds as new national headquarters
The Yorkshire city will become the new home of Channel 4, with Bristol and Glasgow housing new 'Creative Hubs' – but many jobs will still remain in London
Leeds will be the location of Channel 4’s new National Headquarters, the broadcaster has confirmed.
The city was chosen from a longlist of 30 cities which had bid to become the channel’s new regional operating base.
The new HQ will be home to around 200 of Channel 4’s current staff of around 820 when the broadcaster's regional expansion becomes fully operational in five years’ time.
The new Yorkshire offices will regularly host executive and board meetings and will be home to a "digital creative unit" tasked with making material for online platforms and social media.
Bristol and Glasgow will also serve as the location for new 'creative hubs', housing around 50 commissioning staff each.
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The broadcaster had been forced into establishing a large regional base by the Conservative government, which made the move a part of its 2017 General Election manifesto. The broadcaster opposed the plans at first, with Channel 4 chairman Charles Gurassa warning that a full or substantial relocation would cause "significant difficulties and problems".
However, a compromise was eventually reached which now means around 40 per cent of Channel 4 staff will eventually move out of London. Many key commissioning posts however will remain in the capital along with the largest proportion of the channel’s staff.
More than 30 pitches from cities and regions across the UK were received, with Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester emerging as the final three. Leeds was chosen in a final decision by the Channel 4 board on Wednesday.
“In this highly competitive field it was their view that Leeds was best able to deliver against Channel 4’s vision and objectives for a new National HQ,” the broadcaster said in a statement.
"The Leeds City Region put forward a comprehensive, compelling and ambitious strategy to partner with Channel 4 and the wider sector to support growth in the production and creative industries, and to nurture new talent from diverse backgrounds – in the region and across the UK.
“Locating the National HQ in Leeds will enable Channel 4 to capitalise on a strong and fast-growing independent production sector across the North of England – and further unlock the potential for growth in the underserved East and North-East of England. It is extremely well-positioned to be a base for collaboration with producers and creative talent across other cities including Bradford, Hull, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield.”
