BBC | Spaces & Places

Television Centre - shaping the next chapter

Chris Kane — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 10:56:35 +0000

Now that the dust has settled and the ink is dry on the contract we can start to map out the next chapter in the life of BBC Television Centre (TVC). The sale of such an iconic building with its long association with the BBC marks a major milestone in the BBC Estate Transformation and the closure of a particular chapter of my own role within the BBC.

TVC will become the home of our commercial businesses, BBC Worldwide and BBC Studios and Post Production (S&PP), who will both lease refurbished office and entertainment space from 2014/15. BBC Worldwide will establish their new headquarters in the building, and following temporary relocation, S&PP will operate refurbished studios for television production, including the famous Studio 1.

Plans for the rest of the site will include a mix of leisure, office, and residential space. The new owners, lead by Stanhope Plc, have bought the site for a guaranteed consideration of £200m and the BBC will also take a share of future profits from the development.

It was felt that it was important for the BBC to retain a link to a building that has played such an important part in our history and has felt like a home from home for so many of us over the years. TVC was the world’s first purpose built television centre and we are delighted it will now remain a home of BBC creativity and production for many years to come.

To achieve this vision the BBC has agreed to work with Stanhope over the next few years and I have been asked to lead a new team in BBC Commercial Holdings to deliver the BBC pre-lets and ensure that we maximise the value of the sale to the BBC.

This will be the last posting to this Blog as I will be moving to a new site next week. I do plan to post BBC specific Blogs about TVC on the main Blog but will continue blogging about place making, the wider TVC story and the evolution of creative spaces.

For BBC focused blogs you can go to https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/blogs/

My Spaces and Places blog will move to http://blog.spacesandplaces.co

Let’s hope the next chapter is as exciting as the last one.

TVC - the next chapter

Chris Kane — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 08:57:22 +0000

Last Friday the BBC completed on the BBC Television Centre. Rather than the expected sell out the deal will see the legacy protected.

As Caroline Thomson said, this deal will bring about a new creative hub for West London where Stanhope Plc will work in partnership with the BBC on the future of Television Centre. In contrast with a traditional sale, the parties have agreed on a joint approach to build on the site's legacy and to build a new future for TVC that everyone can be proud of.

Part of this innovative approach or smart value solution gave rise to including in the new look TVC a new home for BBC Worldwide, and the opportunity for Studios and Post Production to return to operate studios including the iconic Studio 1.

Over the coming weeks I will be providing more information as we work with Stanhope to evolve the next chapter of TVC.

TVC Sold - Job Done

Chris Kane — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 10:23:08 +0000

Early last Saturday morning the BBC exchanged contracts for the sale of Television Centre, it marks a successful end to a lengthy journey.

Further news will follow later this week.

TVC sale progress report

Chris Kane — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:20:36 +0000

After many weeks of intensive discussion and negotiation I’m pleased to say that the finishing line is in sight. The last few months have been quite a rollercoaster as the BBC sales team engaged with a variety of parties all intent on securing the opportunity to build on the legacy of TVC.

There has been a huge amount of discussion about how to take the BBC’s iconic home and make something that we can all be proud of – a solution that respects the heritage aspects, builds greater connectivity with the local community and generates sufficient returns in order to make the whole effort worthwhile. When we set out on this journey to find a buyer we had three key objectives of maximising value, minimising risk during the handover from the BBC to the new owner whilst protecting the legacy of TVC. During this process we have found that these were very useful as guiding principles and helped us focus on bidders who could really met these ambitions.

So watch this space for an announcement in the near future!

TVC Sale progress report #2

Chris Kane — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 09:09:10 +0000

On Friday afternoon I took some time out to watch one of the year's big racing events - the Gold Cup at Cheltenham.

It was an exciting race which saw the contenders battle with one another to get into pole position and win the race. In the end Synchronised won a hard fought race.

This is a great way of describing where we have got to with the market testing of bidders for the sale of BBC Television Centre (TVC). We are down to a small pack of keen contestants all of whom are vying for the winning position!

We're now approaching the final furlongs and the winning post is in sight - it will be interesting to see which bidder makes it across the winning line.

Cost savings at Broadcasting House increase to £736m

Chris Kane — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 12:54:15 +0000

Monday’s FT reported on the progress the BBC is making in driving out greater cost savings from the property portfolio.

The new look Broadcasting House which is now receiving its first round of occupiers will be fully operational by March 2013.

By taking advantage of the re-designed phase 2, and by closing other BBC buildings, estimated costs savings over the coming 20 years will be £736m.

Now that’s not a bad result.

Television Centre Sale - progress report #1

Chris Kane — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:00:00 +0000

As we near the finishing line of the market testing process, here are some facts around the huge amount of interest the sale of this iconic building has provoked;-

We set up a special website to ensure that we spread the word about the sale of TVC far and wide and some 28,483 people visited it!

234 organisations registered an interest in the sale.

We received 34 formal expressions of interest of whom a considerable number chose to submit formal bids.

We’ve been working with a much smaller group over the past few weeks to clarify their offers and we expect to close out the process in the near future.

Watch this space!

What will tomorrow's FM look like?

Chris Kane — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:43:36 +0000

As we continue our journey of maximising value from TVC we're considering all aspects of the value chain.

Apart from the fundamental one of capital value one also has to consider the on-going operational costs of running a large facility such as TVC in a post BBC world.

This has lead the team to try to gain insights into what's happening in the world of Facilities Management and to find out what's new out there and what are the latest trends?

One way I'm planning of helping us get to grips with this is to take up Barry Varcoe's invitation to explore the future of FM and CRE. He's hosting a unique online event which aims to provide a neutral and open venue for all of us involved in CRE/FM to share ideas and debate the key issues - have a look the portal at https://zurich-financial.atizo.com/

It opens tomorrow and runs for one week

My agenda for 2012 - maximising value

Chris Kane — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:50:00 +0000

This is my first blog for the New Year and we're already almost at the end of January - where does time go?

Firstly, I took some time out to rest and recharge the batteries as I believe 2012 will be a real rollercoaster.

Although my role has changed somewhat (see my blog from December), it would be remiss of me not to mention W1. This amazing scheme is almost ready for occupation and indeed some of the team have already moved in.

So for the months ahead my primary focus will be on maximising value by securing a partner to take forward the BBC's legacy at Television Centre. We're now well into a market testing exercise where we're exploring all the options available to the BBC - not an easy job given the depth and breadth of the interest expressed so far.

This is no ordinary property sale and, as an iconic part of British broadcasting history, it is fascinating what the market has made of the potential opportunities that may exist for the next chapter in the life of Television Centre as the property moves from the ownership of the BBC into a new pair of hands.

Over the weeks ahead I plan to blog on the progress of the market testing process and describe how the BBC intends to retain its commitment to the local W12 neighbourhood as the BBC re-shapes itself for the future.

All change

Chris Kane — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:41:17 +0000

As we approach the end of another rollercoaster year it is time to reflect and celebrate a huge raft of achievements. Across BBC Workplace the list of successful outcomes is just too big to go through - MediaCityUK is now humming and the new home for creativity and journalism in W1 is in the final furlong.

For me, it has been a time for change, and over the past few weeks I have been engaged in a transition process having stepped aside from my role as Head of Workplace to free up time to focus exclusively on the sale of BBC Television Centre in West London.

I plan to continue to blog but with a slightly different focus as we market test the potential to make Television Centre a dynamic new hub for creative industries in London.

We raised £50k for Children in Need

Chris Kane — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:20:49 +0000

Last night we held a Gala Night at Television centre as a warm up to the main event the BBC Children in Need Telethon and we raised a staggering £50,000!

Thanks to Sue and the team who put it all together and to all the One Workplace and BBC Technology supply partners who generously supported us on the nigh

An exclusive dinner date at BBC Television Centre

Chris Kane — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:00:02 +0000

On Thursday 17 November Workplace is hosting ‘A Dinner Date at BBC Television Centre’ - a formal black tie evening in aid of BBC Children in Need. This will be one of the most exclusive and unique Property and Real Estate networking events of 2011.

This is the third high profile event we have organised in as many years, as we tie-in with the buzz created at Television Centre on the eve of BBC Children in Need appeal night itself. It’s the highlight of our fundraising year, generating the bulk of our annual total and we hope it will help take us a long way towards our £175,000 target for this year's appeal.

With Television Centre now on the market, this may be the last year we can host such an event at this iconic venue, so it’s a rare opportunity to be part of the end of an era and soak up the glittering atmosphere.

As well as offering guests the chance to network with the best companies in the industry, the event will feature live music, entertainment, and a high-profile charity auction which will offer some stunning lots to take our total to new heights.

Raising six-figure sums of money each year as we do would not be possible without the generosity and support of our extended network of partners, suppliers and contacts. So a huge thank you to you all those companies who have committed to the event. It shows what we can achieve when we pull together and effectively use the links we have built up across this industry.

For information on how the valuable funds raised are being spent, go to: https://bbcbreakingnews.pages.dev/pudsey/

Showing our spots and raising lots

Chris Kane — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 15:52:02 +0000

Followers of this blog will know that every year the BBC ONE Workplace team goes above and beyond to raise as much money as possible for BBC Children in Need. I can announce that since 2006, we have raised a staggering HALF A MILLION pounds!

Our 2011 campaign is in full swing and even in these tough times, support for our activities is getting stronger. We’ve already seen some wonderful fundraising – including our 210-mile cycling challenge Pedal for Pudsey (from which I have just about recovered).

Would you believe that since my last Pedal for Pudsey blog post, in which I reported we had raised nearly £18k, the total now stands at £26,743.52! This is an amazing start to this year’s appeal and with this initial boost I have high hopes that we can increase on last year’s total.

The big Children in Need night itself is just around the corner (Friday 18 November 2011) and Workplace staff are rising to the challenge, organising activities. Plans are well underway for this year’s One Workplace Gala Dinner which will take place at BBC Television Centre the night before on Thursday 17 November. The evening will offer a rare and, possibly, last chance to enjoy an evening of live entertainment, dining and dancing in this iconic venue, now on the market.

We’ve also launched the Pizza for Pudsey competition - staff can compete to get their perfect pizza made and sold in BBC catering outlets. Entrants have until this Friday to submit their recipe and be judged by an expert panel.

I am proud of all that we have achieved to date, and proud of the way the Workplace colleagues are working together to make a difference to others.

So as ONE Workplace teams across the country are gearing up to don their spots and Pudsey and Blush ears, I wish good luck to everyone in the coming weeks as you shake your buckets for Pudsey!

Roath Lock Opens For Business

Chris Kane — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:08:00 +0000

The BBC’s Roath Lock Studios in Cardiff have opened in record time. In just 13 months, 175,000 square foot of HD-ready studios have been constructed and fitted out to provide a permanent, purpose-built home to four flagship BBC dramas – Casualty, Pobol y Cwm, Doctor Who and Upstairs Downstairs – as well as new productions in the future.

This is the quickest BBC build of its size ever and marks an exciting new chapter for drama production in Wales. BBC1’s Casualty began its move from Bristol to its new set in Cardiff at the start of the month and by Christmas the facility will be full with 500 to 600 people working on site.

Congratulations to all those involved with the construction and fit-out.

Day 4 - We made it!

Chris Kane — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 15:34:39 +0000

The fourth day of my Pedal for Pudsey 2011 cycle challenge didn't start at all well. We were scheduled to depart from our overnight base in Newcastle-under-Lyme at 8am sharp. However after a bad night's sleep I only woke up at 7.35am having forgotten that my two alarms were set to go off on weekdays only!

Nevertheless, after a somewhat frantic scramble to get myself together I joined the rest of the gang and we departed on schedule, filled with hope that we might avoid the forecasted rain showers.

Only forty something miles today and after yersterday this should be a walk in the park. But the efforts of the three days and 180 miles have taken their toll and I wasn't at all optimistic about the last stage of the journey.

I kept saying to myself 'keep going until the next refreshment break'. The climb to Congleton was the most challenging and I'm glad we had to face up to it early in the day. The rest of the trip thankfully did not provide too many hills.

The welcome sight of MediaCityUK eventually came into view and we crossed the finish line around lunchtime.

Thank you to everyone who has donated to the challenge so far. We've reached 178% of our £10k total - close to £18k. There's still time to donate and give all those who took part a big pat on the back, as well as the really special fact that you would be helping BBC Children in Need change children's lives for the better.

You can also see more photos and read more about our adventure at http://pedalforpudsey2011.tumblr.com/

I can honestly say it has been an exhausting, challenging, gruelling, yet exciting and delightful four days, and I'm now off to put my feet up for what I would say is a well-earned rest!