Brum is well placed if C4 relocates from London, says minister
CULTURE secretary Karen Bradley has praised Birmingham’s bid to bring Channel 4 to the city.
The Staffordshire Moorlands MP, on a visit to Birmingham City University’s Eastside campus, said the city had shown “inventiveness and dynamism” in pushing to become the new home of the broadcaster.
Ms Bradley also toured the building site of the new Birmingham Conservatoire music school with its head Julian Lloyd Webber and Conservative candidate for West Midlands Mayor Andy Street.
As minister, she is considering the future of the public sector TV channel, including whether it should relocate away from central London. Several cities, including Birmingham, are lining up to be its future base.
With Channel 4 aimed at a young, diverse audience and, with Birmingham being the youngest city in Europe, experts in the broadcasting sector think it has a strong offer.
While remaining open-minded about the future of Channel 4, the cabinet minister said Birmingham had put itself in a strong position should it decide to move.
She said: “There is a process but I have been impressed with how quickly Birmingham has been off the blocks on this, Andy (Street) was on the phone to me almost immediately with suggestions of what Birmingham could do.
“That dynamism, that inventiveness, that speed of action is an indication of what Andy and Birmingham is all about.”
She said that the regenerated Eastside showed how far Birmingham was developing.
“Culture is a fantastic opportunity for creativity, innovation, change and economic development,” she added. “You only have to look at Birmingham Conservatoire which I just visited.
“I remember this area a few years ago was a derelict wasteland, you would never have come anywhere near here. Now it is becoming a new centre of Birmingham.
“This is because of forwardthinking visionary people determined to do something different.
“That’s what we’re looking for when it comes to locating major national assets.”
Speaking about the decision to consult over the future of Channel 4, she said that, with fewer than 30 of its 820 staff based outside central London, the broadcaster needed to make a contribution to the wider UK.
“They can do that by making programmes outside London and commissioning production companies,” she added.
“But the reality is that spending in London is more than double what it is in the rest of the country and I think they need to consider that.
“What I’d like to hear from people – the viewing public, broadcasters, independent production companies and local authorities – is what they could do to help to get Channel 4, including possibly its head office, out of London. What they would be able to contribute.”
Mr Street said that, if elected West Midlands Mayor on May 4, he would “turn every stone” to ensure Birmingham’s bids for Channel 4 and the Commonwealth Games, as well as Coventry’s City of Culture bid, were a success.
There is a process but I have been impressed with how quickly Birmingham has been off the blocks on this Karen Bradley