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| BBC Television Centre to be redeveloped as a 'digital experience' | BBC Television Centre to be redeveloped as a 'digital experience' |
| (6 months later) | |
| BBC Television Centre closed its doors on Sunday but the corporation has ambitious plans to return to it after redevelopment with a virtual attraction, allowing visitors to experience the creation of their favourite shows, including Top Gear, EastEnders and Radio 4's Today. | BBC Television Centre closed its doors on Sunday but the corporation has ambitious plans to return to it after redevelopment with a virtual attraction, allowing visitors to experience the creation of their favourite shows, including Top Gear, EastEnders and Radio 4's Today. |
| After a series of farewell events stretching out over several weeks, the last of more than 5,000 BBC staff left the Wood Lane site at the weekend, ending nearly 53 years of occupancy. | After a series of farewell events stretching out over several weeks, the last of more than 5,000 BBC staff left the Wood Lane site at the weekend, ending nearly 53 years of occupancy. |
| The move has been a decade in the planning, as part of a strategic rationalisation of the BBC's property portfolio, including the £1bn redevelopment of Broadcasting House in central London and the World Service leaving nearby Bush House. | The move has been a decade in the planning, as part of a strategic rationalisation of the BBC's property portfolio, including the £1bn redevelopment of Broadcasting House in central London and the World Service leaving nearby Bush House. |
| By coincidence, the timing of the move allows the corporation to put some distance between TV Centre and the associations it has with the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal. | By coincidence, the timing of the move allows the corporation to put some distance between TV Centre and the associations it has with the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal. |
| However, the BBC show will go on, after a two-year intermission, at the Graham Dawbarn-designed building with programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing – which is temporarily relocating to Elstree – due to return to TV Centre in 2015 after it has been redeveloped. | However, the BBC show will go on, after a two-year intermission, at the Graham Dawbarn-designed building with programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing – which is temporarily relocating to Elstree – due to return to TV Centre in 2015 after it has been redeveloped. |
| Before that, the property developer Stanhope, which bought the site for £200m on a 999-year lease, will begin work bulldozing the crumbling 1970s parts of the site and building offices, shops, apartments and a hotel. | Before that, the property developer Stanhope, which bought the site for £200m on a 999-year lease, will begin work bulldozing the crumbling 1970s parts of the site and building offices, shops, apartments and a hotel. |
| The BBC has set up a joint venture with Stanhope, TVC Developments, to oversee the next chapter in TV Centre's history. While it will no longer be a seat of power, with channel controllers and other senior executives moving to New Broadcasting House, along with BBC News, the corporation is to reoccupy 20% of TV Centre after it is redeveloped. | The BBC has set up a joint venture with Stanhope, TVC Developments, to oversee the next chapter in TV Centre's history. While it will no longer be a seat of power, with channel controllers and other senior executives moving to New Broadcasting House, along with BBC News, the corporation is to reoccupy 20% of TV Centre after it is redeveloped. |
| Part of the site will be turned into a "BBC digital experience" – giving audiences attending shows better facilities and extra, interactive attractions. These include an area exploring the corporation's programming heritage. One proposal is for visitors to wear tags programmed with their birthdate so virtual reality images of shows from their childhood appear as they tour the attraction. | Part of the site will be turned into a "BBC digital experience" – giving audiences attending shows better facilities and extra, interactive attractions. These include an area exploring the corporation's programming heritage. One proposal is for visitors to wear tags programmed with their birthdate so virtual reality images of shows from their childhood appear as they tour the attraction. |
| Alan Yentob, the BBC creative director, who began working at TV Centre more than 40 years ago, said there was a debate about the exact form the attraction should take, but he was determined it should be ambitious in scope. Yentob envisages an attraction that gives "a sense of the breadth of the BBC and the scope of what it does, and the roots of early television, going from there to now". | Alan Yentob, the BBC creative director, who began working at TV Centre more than 40 years ago, said there was a debate about the exact form the attraction should take, but he was determined it should be ambitious in scope. Yentob envisages an attraction that gives "a sense of the breadth of the BBC and the scope of what it does, and the roots of early television, going from there to now". |
| As well as exploring the BBC's history, Yentob said he wanted the attraction to allow visitors to experience how modern-day shows such as Strictly, Top Gear, Doctor Who and Sherlock are made. | As well as exploring the BBC's history, Yentob said he wanted the attraction to allow visitors to experience how modern-day shows such as Strictly, Top Gear, Doctor Who and Sherlock are made. |
| "You could imagine a virtual BBC at any moment of the day – walking into a room and seeing John Humphrys doing the Today programme and then going to see what's happening in India on BBC World," he said. "Then see EastEnders being recorded earlier that morning. It would be a virtual BBC experience." | "You could imagine a virtual BBC at any moment of the day – walking into a room and seeing John Humphrys doing the Today programme and then going to see what's happening in India on BBC World," he said. "Then see EastEnders being recorded earlier that morning. It would be a virtual BBC experience." |
| BBC Studios and Post Production will lease back three studios and new state-of-the-art dressing rooms from 2015, so TV Centre can host programmes such as Later … with Jools Holland and Children In Need. The old TV Centre newsroom, where Today, Newsnight and the BBC1 news bulletins were broadcast, as well as the main reception, will be redeveloped to provide offices for the 1,200 staff of the corporation's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, from 2014. | BBC Studios and Post Production will lease back three studios and new state-of-the-art dressing rooms from 2015, so TV Centre can host programmes such as Later … with Jools Holland and Children In Need. The old TV Centre newsroom, where Today, Newsnight and the BBC1 news bulletins were broadcast, as well as the main reception, will be redeveloped to provide offices for the 1,200 staff of the corporation's commercial arm, BBC Worldwide, from 2014. |
| In a move designed to open up the BBC to the public, the traditional queuing outside TV Centre for a ticket to a show will be abandoned. Instead, the public will be allowed into the building's central "doughnut" courtyard to have a drink or meal before a show. | In a move designed to open up the BBC to the public, the traditional queuing outside TV Centre for a ticket to a show will be abandoned. Instead, the public will be allowed into the building's central "doughnut" courtyard to have a drink or meal before a show. |
| There are also plans to turn the giant forecourt in front of TV Centre – an area the size of Trafalgar Square – into a public space that could be used to host programmes, events and a farmers' market. | There are also plans to turn the giant forecourt in front of TV Centre – an area the size of Trafalgar Square – into a public space that could be used to host programmes, events and a farmers' market. |
| Andrew Fullerton, the BBC head of commercial design development and planning projects, said the aim was to open up the redeveloped site to licence fee payers, whether or not they are coming to see shows or do business with the corporation's staff. "The idea in future is to say welcome, come early, linger, have a coffee, then go into the studio." | Andrew Fullerton, the BBC head of commercial design development and planning projects, said the aim was to open up the redeveloped site to licence fee payers, whether or not they are coming to see shows or do business with the corporation's staff. "The idea in future is to say welcome, come early, linger, have a coffee, then go into the studio." |
| Andy Griffee, the BBC project director for the move of several thousand staff from TV Centre to New Broadcasting House, said that over 10 years, the rationalisation of the corporation's property portfolio has produced savings of £736m – not including the £200m from the sale of the west London site to Stanhope. | Andy Griffee, the BBC project director for the move of several thousand staff from TV Centre to New Broadcasting House, said that over 10 years, the rationalisation of the corporation's property portfolio has produced savings of £736m – not including the £200m from the sale of the west London site to Stanhope. |
| In numbers | In numbers |
| BBC New Broadcasting House refurbishment: £1.046bn | BBC New Broadcasting House refurbishment: £1.046bn |
| Construction costs: £800m | Construction costs: £800m |
| Technology costs: £154m | Technology costs: £154m |
| Number of staff moved from Television Centre to New Broadcasting House and other central London BBC buildings: 5,500 | Number of staff moved from Television Centre to New Broadcasting House and other central London BBC buildings: 5,500 |
| Number of desks in New Broadcasting House: 4,500 | Number of desks in New Broadcasting House: 4,500 |
| The final BBC curtain calls at TV Centre | The final BBC curtain calls at TV Centre |
| Last live studio show: Comic Relief – 15 March | Last live studio show: Comic Relief – 15 March |
| Last live event: Madness Live: Goodbye Television Centre – 22 March | Last live event: Madness Live: Goodbye Television Centre – 22 March |
| Last recorded studio show: variety show for BBC Entertainment – 25th March | Last recorded studio show: variety show for BBC Entertainment – 25th March |
| Final event to go through the studio galleries: the Pope's Urbi et Orbi address – 31 March | Final event to go through the studio galleries: the Pope's Urbi et Orbi address – 31 March |
| BBC TV Centre staff and shows: where are they now? | BBC TV Centre staff and shows: where are they now? |
| New Broadcasting House, central London | New Broadcasting House, central London |
| Television controllers, commissioners and scheduling | Television controllers, commissioners and scheduling |
| BBC News: UK and international TV, radio and online | BBC News: UK and international TV, radio and online |
| BBC World Service (from Bush House, not TV Centre) | BBC World Service (from Bush House, not TV Centre) |
| TV factual, arts, current affairs, science The One Show (from Christmas 2013) | TV factual, arts, current affairs, science The One Show (from Christmas 2013) |
| Grafton Buildings, central London | Grafton Buildings, central London |
| TV drama and comedy, radio comedy | TV drama and comedy, radio comedy |
| Weston House, central London | Weston House, central London |
| Radio 2 | Radio 2 |
| Brock House, central London | Brock House, central London |
| Back office staff including finance, marketing and human resources | Back office staff including finance, marketing and human resources |
| Elstree and Charlotte Street, central London | Elstree and Charlotte Street, central London |
| BBC Studios, Post Production and shows such as Strictly Come Dancing (until 2015) | BBC Studios, Post Production and shows such as Strictly Come Dancing (until 2015) |
| Media City, Salford | Media City, Salford |
| Children's, sport, parts of Radio 5 Live, learning and future media | Children's, sport, parts of Radio 5 Live, learning and future media |
| BBC Media Centre, west London (next door to TV Centre) | BBC Media Centre, west London (next door to TV Centre) |
| BBC Worldwide (until 2014 when it moves to TV Centre) | BBC Worldwide (until 2014 when it moves to TV Centre) |
| BBC Broadcast Centre, west London (next door to TV Centre) | BBC Broadcast Centre, west London (next door to TV Centre) |
| Online and other support staff Centre House, west London (across the road from TV Centre) | Online and other support staff Centre House, west London (across the road from TV Centre) |
| Research and development | Research and development |
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