Licence Fee: BBC disappointed..but Salford still going ahead

Tessa Jowell announced that the BBC licence fee would go up…but only to £150 by 2010…less than the BBC wanted.

It was threatened that the BBC’s planned move ‘up north’ would be compromised, but D-G Mark Thompson’s just sent out an email to staff:

“…not only has the proposed settlement moved in the right direction, but the Salford proposition has itself improved financially. The project itself is now much better value-for-money and the analysis we’ve done has demonstrated that the ‘do nothing’ option of keeping the relevant divisions in West London – with the massive renovation and modernisation that would be required – is more expensive than realised a few years ago.”

So basically it’s expensive, but still cheaper than rennovating TV Centre.  With Broadcasting House nearing completion, will there even be a need for dear TVC in 10 years?

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Regent’s Street christmas lights

 

In an abortive attempt to get properly festive this year I popped along to the turning on of the Regent’s Street christmas lights in central London, the smaller sibling of the big Christmas light display on Oxford Street.

The verdict? Garish, crass, not at all christmassy, and a sickenly commercial plug for the latest sugar filled kiddies movie.

All the lights are adorned with characters from “flushed away” (some film about toilets apparently).

While I was there though, I had a quick look at the BBC’s much feted W1 Project: a rennovation of Broadcasting House including the largest newsroom in the world.