The BBC has today revealed “ambitious plans” for its biggest transformation in decades – and it’s seeing “more power and decision-making” move to the north.
At present, half the BBC’s operations are based outside of London – with departments including BBC Sport, 5 Live and Children’s having relocated to MediaCityUK in Salford in 2011 – but over the next six years, the BBC will increase this activity across the north to further cement a commitment to “reflect, represent and serve” all parts of the country, and deliver “great value for all audiences”.
Not only that, but the BBC Across the UK plan will also give even more prominence to stories from communities across the region.
This has been called the “biggest creative and journalistic reshaping” of the BBC in its history.
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We have set out the BBC’s blueprint for the future, our biggest transformation in decades, and it will affect you.
Want to know how? Here are 7 reasons to get excited about the BBC in the North ⬇️
The BBC’s base in MediaCityUK is set to grow even more, with Salford becoming the hub for the broadcaster’s digital and technology teams. BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 6 Music will also become rooted in the north, with more than 50% of their broadcast hours coming from Salford.
Hit BBC One daytime show Morning Live will also be broadcast from Salford all year-round.
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And, a new long-running drama series produced in the north of England will also be launched and broadcast across the country.
Speaking on the unveiling of today’s plans, Tim Davie – Director-General of the BBC – said: “Our mission must be to deliver for the whole country and ensure every household gets value from us [and] these plans show how we want to be closer to audiences, create jobs and investment and develop and nurture talent.
“Over the last year, the BBC has helped inform, educate and entertain all four nations, as we have collectively faced some of our toughest moments in recent history.
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“Now, as we look to the future, we must play our part in supporting the UK’s social and economic recovery by rebuilding the creative sector and telling the stories that need to be heard from all corners of the country”.
What can Salford expect from the BBC then?
The BBC’s base in MediaCityUK to become the hub for the BBC’s Audio Business News service, with the Today programme business updates also coming from Salford.
BBC One daytime hit Morning Live will relocate to Salford and broadcast to the UK every weekday.
BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 6 Music will be rooted in the North, with more than 50% of their broadcast hours coming from Salford.
The recruiting of a new network of community digital reporters to help bring journalism closer to communities.
The Writersroom – the BBC’s home for new writing talent – will be expanded in Salford, with a new Head of New Writing based at BBC North, tasked with discovering and developing new writers in the north and across the whole UK.
A new assistant comedy commissioner will be based in Salford working with talent in the North on new and existing titles.
There will be a new commercial operation for BBC Children’s working out of Salford.
Newsnight will be presented from different bases throughout the year, including from Salford.
BBC / MediaCityUK
On top of that, according to the BBC, all the above changes mean that from 2022, the entire live output of BBC One, from 6am to 10am, will broadcast from Salford – which it says makes it the only channel in the UK to do so.
The broadcaster says that the general aim for the plan is to “move power, investment and resources right across the UK”.
It is also keen to increase “economic, cultural, and social impact” in every corner of the country.
You can read more about the BBC Across the UK plan here.
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Entertainment union Equity makes £1 bid for Manchester Pride to protect workers from ‘further exploitation’
Emily Sergeant
Performing arts and entertainment trade union Equity has made a £1 bid for Manchester Pride.
You may remember that, back in October last year, Manchester Pride – the charity / organisation that ran the Manchester Pride Festival – entered into voluntary liquidation, and news emerged last week that the assets were being sold off to the highest bidder by liquidators.
By offering a ‘symbolic’ £1 for the assets – which include the Manchester Pride brand name and associated domain names – Equity says its bid has been made to give workers the opportunity to ‘decide the future’ of the event.
The bid is also said to have been made to prevent a repeat of 2025 – which apparently left Equity union members more than £70,000 out-of-pocket in unpaid fees.
Equity’s variety organiser, Nick Keegan, warned that selling the Manchester Pride brand to a commercial buyer risks ‘undermining the values’ of the event and the community that built it.
He worried it could also leave performers and workers ‘vulnerable to further exploitation’.
“Manchester Pride is not just a city-wide party,” Mr Keegan explained. “Its roots in protest are as important today as then.”
He added: “Manchester Pride was built by the LGBTQ+ workers of Canal St and beyond who provide a space and a community for LGBTQ+ people all year round. The event should not be treated as a commodity to be bought and sold off to the highest bidder.
“The cultural workforce are at the heart of Pride, without them, there is no festival.
“After what happened in 2025, with members left tens of thousands of pounds out of pocket, we don’t want to see history repeat itself.”
Equity says that if its bid is successful, the workers will have control over who the ‘asset’ goes to.
“Our bid is about protecting Pride as a community asset, not a commercial one,” the union’s statement continued.
“Allowing the people whose labour was used to build this ‘asset’ to decide how the trademark of Manchester Pride is used in the future will help protect them from further exploitation, as well as preserve the values and the longevity of the event itself.”
Featured Image – Manchester Pride (Supplied)
News
New police hub to be set up in Piccadilly Gardens to help reduce anti-social behaviour
Emily Sergeant
A new police hub is set to be established in Piccadilly Gardens.
In case you missed it, it was announced last week that council tax in Greater Manchester could be increased to help fund improvements to policing, and that a consultation on it has been launched – with local residents urged to have their say.
The police precept helps Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to build on a range of improvements, including the speed of answering 999 and 101 calls, road and transport safety across Manchester city centre, and bringing more sex offenders to justice, among many other things.
Greater Manchester council tax is set to be increased again to help fund improvements to policing, and a consultation is now live. 🏘️🚔📝
But on top of this, Mayor Andy Burnham has also pledged to deliver a new police hub in Piccadilly Gardens as part of a wider drive to improve policing.
GMCA says its ‘top priority’ is to build strong communities where people feel safe, and it is Mayor Andy Burnham and his Deputy Mayors’ responsibility to enable GMP to be an ‘effective and efficient’ police force.
Local leaders say their ambition for 2026 is to maintain a ‘high-performing’ police service by tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, and protecting residents and businesses along the way – and part of this ambition is to increase police visibility in Piccadilly Gardens, which is a much-maligned part of the city centre, by launching a new ‘prominent’ police hub.
The increase in the police precept is also being touted to help increase ‘hot spot policing tactics’ in town centres and other key locations to help drive down theft and other violent retail crimes.
A new police hub is to be set up in Piccadilly Gardens to help reduce anti-social behaviour / Credit: Gerald England (via Geograph) | Rawpixel
“We need GMP to be properly funded if it is to continue to deliver an effective and responsive service for people in Greater Manchester,” commented Mayor Andy Burnham. “The cost of running a modern police force is going up and this is at a time when our city region has become the fastest-growing economy in the UK, with visitor numbers increasing year after year.
“So much is happening here and that includes a number of major and complex incidents over the past year, including a terrorist attack. These incidents added significant pressure to police resources.
“We recognise the ongoing impact of the rising cost of living and do not take the decision to increase the precept lightly. But right now, this increase is our only option to ensure GMP can continue delivering an effective police service that ensures that people feel safe in their own communities.”
The Manc -
18th March 2021 
