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Channel 4 may leave London in favour of Birmingham

Channel 4 may move to Birmingham, ten years on from the demolition of the BBC’s Pebble Mill Studios.

The Government is allegedly considering moving the state-owned broadcaster Channel 4 to the Midlands city, according to The Independant.

Should the move go forward, Channel 4 would sell its £85m headquarters in Westminster and follow HSBC in moving staff to Birmingham.

The broadcaster, which employs around 800 people, does not own its own studios and commissions its programmes from third-party companies.

Channel 4, which already has offices in Manchester and Glasgow, more than half of its programmes are already commissioned outside London

John McVay, chief executive of Pact, the trade body for TV production firms, said: “A move would cost money that you could be spending on making programmes,”

Channel 4 said: “Channel 4 plays a significant role in supporting the creative economy in the UK nations and regions.”

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said there were no plans to privatise or relocate the broadcaster.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .