Channel 4 Set To Relocate A Quarter Of Workforce Outside London, Boost Regional Spending

Channel 4 Set To Relocate A Quarter Of Workforce Outside London, Boost Regional Spending

Channel 4, the UK broadcaster behind series such as Catastrophe and Electric Dreams, is set to move around a quarter of its workforce outside of London and increase the amount it spends on programmes produced outside the capital. However, it will not be forced to sell off its London headquarters, according to reports.

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The broadcaster is expected to publish its proposals, which are set to include around 200 of its 820 staff relocating, on Friday after agreeing a deal with the British government, according to the Guardian newspaper. This comes as it has spent a large part of the last two years dealing with the threat of relocation and potential privatization.

Last month, the government handed Channel 4 a deadline of Monday 12 March to deliver its relocation plan to government. It is thought that Culture Secretary Matt Hancock may discuss the plans at the Oxford Media Convention, where he is set to give a keynote address.

C4 is expected to eventually spend around half of its annual £700M (US$971M) programming budgets on shows produced regionally. In 2016, it spent £169M (US$234M) regionally. Around a dozen cities and regions across the UK, including Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Sheffield and Liverpool have spent the last few months attempting to lure C4 to their areas.

The move comes after the former Culture Secretary Karen Bradley, at the RTS Conference in Cambridge in September, demanded a “major” relocation of the broadcaster by 2022 and the plans have been one of the main priorities for Chief Executive Alex Mahon, who joined at the end of last year.