<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xml:lang="en">
  <title type="text">About the BBC Feed</title>
  <subtitle type="text">This blog explains what the BBC does and how it works. We link to some other blogs and online spaces inside and outside the corporation. The blog is edited by Alastair Smith and Matt Seel.</subtitle>
  <updated>2018-08-31T08:00:00+00:00</updated>
  <generator uri="http://framework.zend.com" version="2">Zend_Feed_Writer</generator>
  <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc"/>
  <link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/atom"/>
  <id>https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc</id>
  <entry xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
    <title type="html"><![CDATA[Avengers, ITV, Channel 4 and of course the BBC: the new Television Centre's first 12 months]]></title>
    <summary type="html"><![CDATA[Tomorrow, 1 September, marks a momentous occasion in the history of BBC Studioworks as it’s a year to the day we reopened the doors to arguably the UK’s most iconic broadcasting building – Television Centre (TVC) in London’s White City.]]></summary>
    <published>2018-08-31T08:00:00+00:00</published>
    <updated>2018-08-31T08:00:00+00:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/f7efb741-25ba-4b50-baf8-b0b2e88062fb"/>
    <id>https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/f7efb741-25ba-4b50-baf8-b0b2e88062fb</id>
    <author>
      <name>David  Conway</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p06jtwr6.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p06jtwr6.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p06jtwr6.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p06jtwr6.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p06jtwr6.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p06jtwr6.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p06jtwr6.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p06jtwr6.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p06jtwr6.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Television Centre hosted a red carpet event for Avengers: Infinity War&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Tomorrow, 1 September, marks a momentous occasion in the history of &lt;a href="https://www.bbcstudioworks.com/television-centre/"&gt;BBC Studioworks&lt;/a&gt; as it’s a year to the day we reopened the doors to arguably the UK’s most iconic broadcasting building – Television Centre (TVC) in London’s White City.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The move marked a doubling of the company’s studio footprint and means that TVC is once again home to some of the nation’s best loved and most watched TV shows.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The redevelopment of TVC has been four years in the making, hence there were many last-minute nerves, coupled with great anticipation, excitement and then the taste of success when we hosted our first production, ITV1’s The Jonathan Ross Show, in our biggest studio, TC1.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The fact that our first production was not a BBC show reflects our position as a commercial subsidiary of the BBC, which provides TV studio and post production services to all the major broadcasters and independent production companies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The autumn of 2017 proved to be an incredibly busy period at TVC as we facilitated over 160 episodes of television in our first three months of opening. Shows included Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two for our sister company BBC Studios, BBC One’s Pointless, new music show Sounds Like Friday Night, and a debut production for Sky One – The Russell Howard Hour.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As we came up for air, the first half of 2018 marked another exciting era for us as we welcomed another new commission in the form of Channel 4’s The Big Narstie Show. We also facilitated BBC One’s The Graham Norton Show, BBC Two’s Mock the Week, Channel 4’s The Last Leg, as well as a host of specials. And, as from last week, The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice began recording its fifth series with us.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In April, we welcomed ITV into the fold as Television Centre became the temporary home for ITV Studios’ Daytime shows, Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women, while ITV’s London HQ is being redeveloped. This means 20 episodes of live television every week across these titles alone.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Over the past year we have facilitated 25 different shows at TVC, totalling over 620 episodes of television, over 480 of which have been broadcast live.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to creating memorable television, our studios offer truly unique venues for corporate functions. We have hosted several high profile events including the red carpet fan event for Disney’s Avengers: Infinity War, the Founders Forum opening gala dinner and an internal launch for BBC Studios to mark its merger with BBC Worldwide.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I would be the first to admit that bringing TVC back to life at the same time as maintaining our other operations at Elstree wasn’t easy. But, as the above proves, TVC is back and is as ground-breaking as ever.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;TVC has been well received by the production community and we’re incredibly proud to be celebrating our first year in operation from such an iconic site. It has become a powerhouse for creativity once again, and we are all excited about the future!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;

    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
    <title type="html"><![CDATA[Relaunching a British Icon: BBC Studioworks Re-Opens Television Centre Studios]]></title>
    <summary type="html"><![CDATA[David Conway, Managing Director BBC Studioworks re-opens the doors to TVC Studios.]]></summary>
    <published>2017-09-01T11:30:00+00:00</published>
    <updated>2017-09-01T11:30:00+00:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/87f62210-d95e-46bb-aa87-da9739da92fd"/>
    <id>https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/87f62210-d95e-46bb-aa87-da9739da92fd</id>
    <author>
      <name>David  Conway</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p05dvshy.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p05dvshy.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p05dvshy.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p05dvshy.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p05dvshy.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p05dvshy.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p05dvshy.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p05dvshy.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p05dvshy.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;In summer 2012, I remember standing in a queue of signatories as the then BBC Director General, Mark Thompson, released the ‘old’ Television Centre for redevelopment works, and then moments later I signed a lease signifying that BBC Studioworks Ltd (a commercial subsidiary of the BBC) would take over the studio facilities on the new, revamped site.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It’s been a long journey since then but it all seems to have happened in a flash. In 2013, we restructured as a business and consolidated the mainstay of our operations into Elstree, a location we were already familiar with. Our footprint grew at Elstree to spread across each of the BBC and Elstree Studio sites, offering a mix of studios and post production services from each facility.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The original intention had been that Studioworks would only have this enlarged presence in Elstree until Television Centre (TVC) re-opened, but things have played out differently. I’ve got to admit that the early days at Elstree weren’t easy but we persevered and since then our offering has proved enormously popular with the production community, and Elstree has once again emerged as a powerhouse of British TV - with dozens of additional shows now being made there each year. This success means that we’ll be retaining our presence at Elstree and the re-opening of TVC represents an expansion in the business rather than a change in location.   &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;TVC could be argued to be the world’s most iconic television studio location and the ‘home of British TV’. It’s familiar to pretty much all of those who work in TV, as well as those who have grown up watching TV made within its walls. Whilst there will be some who are nostalgic about the studio doors being thrown open once again, TVC is now about an exciting new era of production centred on what it’s famous for – creating ground-breaking television for all to enjoy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Architecturally, the project has seen the careful regeneration of an iconic structure, retaining Television Centre’s Grade II listed façades, and preserving many original features, including the famous circular building with Helios at the centre, the atomic dot wall on Studio One and the original murals by John Piper.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p05dwbbj.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p05dwbbj.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p05dwbbj.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p05dwbbj.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p05dwbbj.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p05dwbbj.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p05dwbbj.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p05dwbbj.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p05dwbbj.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;TVC and Studioworks are now part of a new, intriguing and vibrant destination in London’s White City, focused on the media community. Today’s TVC is a mixed-use development and our studios and post production facilities sit alongside a number of independent outlets which will prove very popular with our production customers, studio audiences and on-screen talent – with attractions including a ‘Soho House’ club and hotel, a gym and spa, an array of restaurants and bars, as well as a boutique cinema.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As a commercial operator, Studioworks has customers across the production industry and we work with all the major broadcasters and production companies including ITV, Channel 4, Sky, the BBC and Endemol Shine. We’ve listened to our customers’ requirements and, as a result of that feedback, we believe we have created the most flexible TV studio space in the UK.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p05dwbhx.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p05dwbhx.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p05dwbhx.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p05dwbhx.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p05dwbhx.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p05dwbhx.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p05dwbhx.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p05dwbhx.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p05dwbhx.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;The TVC facilities have been designed to retain the features that customers have loved for years, but the new and improved TVC has been further tailored to put productions at the heart of the operation and boasts a range of new technologies, with major investments made in equipment ranging from 4K studio cameras, resilient live broadcast lines through to the latest in gallery control desks.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Our TC1, TC2 and TC3 studios range in size, and can accommodate all genres and styles of programming, from sitcoms and panel shows, to major entertainment and event shows – both live and pre-recorded – providing over 22,000 sq. ft. of shooting space. We’ve also invested in new post production and support facilities, including a tapeless recording capability and a portfolio of scalable edit suites.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;These adaptable spaces are all served by an array of other technical and support areas, including dressing rooms, green rooms and production offices, that have been redesigned to provide a more ergonomic layout.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;ITV1’s &lt;em&gt;The Jonathan Ross Show&lt;/em&gt; was our first show at the ‘new’ TVC on 31st August and has a 12-episode run up to November 2017.  BBC One quiz show, &lt;em&gt;Pointless&lt;/em&gt;, and the &lt;em&gt;Strictly Come Dancing &lt;/em&gt;companion show, &lt;em&gt;It Takes Two&lt;/em&gt;, are also booked for what plans to be a busy autumn season at TVC. These two shows will account for over 120 episodes of television produced between late September and mid-December. Other confirmed shows include a brand new production for Sky – &lt;em&gt;The&lt;/em&gt; &lt;em&gt;Russell Howard Hour.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p05dwbnl.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p05dwbnl.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p05dwbnl.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p05dwbnl.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p05dwbnl.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p05dwbnl.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p05dwbnl.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p05dwbnl.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p05dwbnl.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;From 2018, our TVC facility will also become the temporary new home for the ITV Studios’ Daytime shows, &lt;em&gt;Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, This Morning&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Loos&lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;e Women&lt;/em&gt;. These shows are relocating from ITV's London HQ during the redevelopment of the site and will be hosted in studios TC2 and TC3, live on weekday mornings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Elstree really has provided the springboard for Studioworks to grow back into TVC and we expect the demand to continue for these dynamic studio spaces. Having multiple London locations provides choice for the production community with varying studio configurations and technologies available. There really is a bright future for TV at both Elstree and Television Centre.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;David Conway is Managing Director BBC Studioworks&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Read also &lt;a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/c705b146-221b-41e2-9580-7ac7c895e021"&gt;Why we’re changing BBC Studios and Post Production to BBC Studioworks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Discover more about BBC Studioworks at &lt;a href="http://www.bbcstudioworks.com/"&gt;www.bbcstudioworks.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;

    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
    <title type="html"><![CDATA[BBC heritage trail to start at Television Centre]]></title>
    <summary type="html"><![CDATA[Tony Hall unveils BBC heritage blue plaque as BBC Worldwide move in to Television Centre.]]></summary>
    <published>2015-04-24T16:59:33+00:00</published>
    <updated>2015-04-24T16:59:33+00:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/cf45d011-8a94-46bb-918d-ff501b17f850"/>
    <id>https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/cf45d011-8a94-46bb-918d-ff501b17f850</id>
    <author>
      <name>Jen Macro</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p02pwgqs.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p02pwgqs.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p02pwgqs.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p02pwgqs.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p02pwgqs.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p02pwgqs.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p02pwgqs.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p02pwgqs.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p02pwgqs.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tony Hall is joined by Tess Daly, Bruce Forsyth, Claudia Winkleman and Tim Davie&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;'One of the first purpose-built television complexes in the world'. The wording on the blue plaque, unveiled on Thursday 23 April, celebrates Television Centre in West London. It is the first in a series of six sites across London, all of which represent a key moment in the UK's broadcasting history, that will be adorned with a commemorative plaque as part of the BBC heritage trail.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Accompanied by Sir Bruce Forsyth and current Strictly Come Dancing presenters Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman, Director-General Tony Hall revealed the plans for the heritage trail at an event held at TVC to welcome BBC Worldwide to their new home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Hall said "Television Centre is an iconic building. Countless legendary programmes were created here – and it’s great to see our BBC Worldwide team in such an inspiring new space. We want to celebrate its re-opening with everyone, so we’re launching a brand new historical plaque trail – starting here, and working its way across the capital."&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The other sites on the trail will be revealed in the coming months. I was wondering if maybe Nelson Mandela House in Peckham (&lt;em&gt;Only Fools and Horses&lt;/em&gt;) might make the list?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Jen Macro is Digital Content Producer, About the BBC website and Blog.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a style="font-size: 12px;" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/tags/television-centre"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Read more blogs about Television Centre.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;

    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
    <title type="html"><![CDATA[Restored Blue Peter mural to form part of park entrance to Television Centre]]></title>
    <summary type="html"><![CDATA[Former Blue Peter competition Emma Bayes returns to Television Centre to be presented with the plaque on which she's credited.]]></summary>
    <published>2015-04-20T14:37:29+00:00</published>
    <updated>2015-04-20T14:37:29+00:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/bd86864f-8168-4664-a163-b4afe19493e8"/>
    <id>https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/bd86864f-8168-4664-a163-b4afe19493e8</id>
    <author>
      <name>Jon Jacob</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p02plhbf.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p02plhbf.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p02plhbf.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p02plhbf.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p02plhbf.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p02plhbf.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p02plhbf.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p02plhbf.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p02plhbf.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Emma Bayes pictured in front of the mural she designed as a 9 year old with former Blue Peter presenter Zoe Salmon&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;The site of a Blue Peter competition winner’s outdoor mural is to become the entry point for members of the public visiting the Television Centre site. The mural, designed by viewer Emma Bayes in 2005, was painted onto a wall outside the Blue Peter Garden. Recently it was announced by site developers Stanhope that the mural would be restored and the former Blue Peter Garden made the public Hammersmith Park entrance to the redeveloped Television Centre site.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The 2005 mural design depicted thirty-one of the programmes Blue Peter presenters past and present, including former presenter Zoe Salmon who last Thursday presented the now 19 year old Emma with the plaque originally positioned on the wall next to the design. Emma is now studying fine art and art history at Plymouth University.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p02plh41.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p02plh41.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p02plh41.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p02plh41.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p02plh41.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p02plh41.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p02plh41.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p02plh41.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p02plh41.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Emma (centre) pictured in 2005 with other prizewinners and presenters Gethin Thomas, Matt Baker, Konnie Huq and Liz Barker.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;The mural is tangible evidence of the participatory spirit the Blue Peter has long promoted. Many viewers have entered competitions inspired by challenges laid down in the programme. Those who worked at Television Centre will recall how access to the site and in particular the Blue Peter garden was restricted to staff only. It seems fitting that when the site becomes publically accessible, so the mural can be enjoyed by more people.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When complete, the Television Centre development will feature 950 new homes, restaurants, a new 47 bedroom hotel and members club with roof terrace and swimming pool operated by Soho House. New cafes and restaurants, shops, leisure and entertainment uses and open access through the site’s famous forecourt and through to Hammersmith Park.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When Blue Peter moved to MediaCityUK, Salford in September 2011, the sunken garden, its ornamental fishpond and bronze statue of Petra, the show’s first pet, were also relocated to an area accessible to members of the public at the front of the MediaCityUK complex.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Jon Jacob is Editor, About the BBC Blog&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/a92cbfb6-4e7f-4a6f-bf23-295563127024"&gt;Read&lt;/a&gt; current Blue Peter editor Ewan Vinnicombe's blog about the programme's most recent competition - Project Petra - giving viewers the chance to see inside MI5&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c4VsUGtrbk"&gt;Watch&lt;/a&gt; the latest fly-through video featuring artist impressions of how the redeveloped Television Centre site will look&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;

    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
    <title type="html"><![CDATA[Update on Television Centre - April 2015]]></title>
    <summary type="html"><![CDATA[Director of Commercial Projects, Chris Kane updates us on work refurbishing Television Centre.]]></summary>
    <published>2015-04-01T14:10:38+00:00</published>
    <updated>2015-04-01T14:10:38+00:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/9c658618-1a31-4401-8d50-de85de046436"/>
    <id>https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/9c658618-1a31-4401-8d50-de85de046436</id>
    <author>
      <name>Chris  Kane</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;On 31 March, the BBC formally handed over vacant possession of Television Centre to its developers Stanhope plc, as planned.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It has been quite a journey since the deal was signed back in July 2012 to sell Television Centre to Stanhope for £200 million, and a complex one at that which has not been without a considerable amount of hard work delivered with mixed emotions - afterall, Television Centre was the BBC’s home for more than 50 years. But, I am proud of all we have achieved.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;BBC Worldwide are now housed in their newly refurbished headquarters in Stage 6 of Television Centre. Work is on track for BBC Studios and Post Production to return in 2017 operating from refurbished Studios 1, 2 and 3. Through our collaboration with Stanhope, I am confident that Television Centre will become a truly public space which protects the BBC’s legacy, maintains its place in the local community, preserves and enhances the heritage of the building and provides homes and jobs in the White City area.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you walk along Wood Lane today, you will see cranes hovering above the building and scaffolding surrounding the site as construction work starts to open up and revitalise the site. These enabling works have already begun because in October 2014 the BBC agreed to give Stanhope control of the site six months early, saving the BBC an additional £5 million. This is on top of the £30m per year the BBC is saving in bills and maintenance it would otherwise have been paying for Television Centre.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;BBC Technology have also done a tremendous job &lt;a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/30d6e475-5d38-3010-b616-335a9fd92915"&gt;de-commissioning and removing some 14,000 pieces of IT and broadcast equipment&lt;/a&gt; much of which had been the mainstay of hundreds of hours of BBC programme-making over the past 50 years.  More than 4,000 pieces of kit from Television Centre worth approximately £3.5 million have been transferred for reuse elsewhere in the BBC; and &lt;a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/1d8e23fe-cf0c-333d-a135-9d43877914cb"&gt;we have raised hundreds of thousands of pounds from auctioning off a huge array of TV memorabilia and historic broadcast equipment&lt;/a&gt; whilst also giving the public the chance to own a small piece of TV history.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Overall, the sale of Television Centre has generated considerable savings for licence fee payers and the BBC remains on track to save £67m a year by 2017 by reducing its property footprint by 30% and using the remaining buildings more efficiently.  That means more money for the great content and services you love.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The over-arching vision for the site prepared by the partnership is one of continuing the long history of creativity and programme-making at Television Centre whilst introducing complementary uses. I therefore do not see this as the end, but the start of a new beginning. We are leaving Television Centre in really good shape to write the next chapter in the history of this much-loved, iconic building.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Chris Kane is Director, Commercial Projects&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/tags/television-centre"&gt;Read&lt;/a&gt; more about Television Centre after its sale on the About the BBC Blog&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;

    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
    <title type="html"><![CDATA[Decommissioning TVC: Technological archaeology]]></title>
    <summary type="html"><![CDATA[As the keys to TVC are officially handed over, Lynden Potter mulls over the massive closure project and 54 years of the building being at the heart of technology at the BBC.]]></summary>
    <published>2014-09-29T14:01:46+00:00</published>
    <updated>2014-09-29T14:01:46+00:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/30d6e475-5d38-3010-b616-335a9fd92915"/>
    <id>https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/30d6e475-5d38-3010-b616-335a9fd92915</id>
    <author>
      <name>Lynden Potter</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p027lx1v.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p027lx1v.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p027lx1v.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p027lx1v.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p027lx1v.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p027lx1v.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p027lx1v.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p027lx1v.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p027lx1v.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Jonathan Clinkscales de-powering the TVC Central Communications Area © Jonathan Haine&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;Last week, the last BBC links passing through Television Centre  were taken out, marking an end to not only 18 months of migration of technology services away from the building, but also 54 years of TVC being at the heart of the BBC.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The last BBC productions in TVC were early in 2013, and since then, the job of untangling the BBC's technology from TVC has been carefully carried out.  The original 1960 handbook for TVC said that a: "Central Apparatus Room on the third floor is the technical nerve-centre of the network, dealing with the origination, assembly and distribution of television programmes", and until this year, that was still very much the case.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p027lwhr.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p027lwhr.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p027lwhr.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p027lwhr.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p027lwhr.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p027lwhr.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p027lwhr.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p027lwhr.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p027lwhr.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;BBC Central Apparatus Room 1964&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;The TVC Closure project, run by a joint BBC and Atos team, has moved or closed down about 7,500 circuit connections, over 20 satellite dishes, 300 IT servers and also the main third floor Central Apparatus Area control room operation, that has been there since TVC opened.  All the work has had to be meticulously planned, as so much of what the BBC produces passes through the site, and it has been carefully carried out while keeping the BBC on air - with only a couple of exceptions, for example, there have been a couple of essential planned outages, including a few minutes when the main satellite uplink for the BBC's television service over satellite was moved. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We're confident that there are no links remaining now, but as decommissioning TVC is really technological archaeology, there's still a remote chance of something ancient and undiscovered lurking in the depths…  TVC was designed to be the BBC's hub, and it is a testament to that design that it has served the BBC so well since 1960. Thank you TVC!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lynden Potter is Head of delivery, Major projects infrastructure&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Read also &lt;a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/posts/TVC-past-present-and-future"&gt;TVC past, present and future&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;And &lt;a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/posts/One-last-look-around-TVC-18-months-on"&gt;One last look around: Television Centre 18 months on&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;

    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
    <title type="html"><![CDATA[One last look around: Television Centre 18 months on]]></title>
    <summary type="html"><![CDATA[Before the BBC blocks are removed from the wall of Studio One, Jon Jacob takes a trip around a vacated Television Centre for the last time.]]></summary>
    <published>2014-09-26T09:20:10+00:00</published>
    <updated>2014-09-26T09:20:10+00:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/d470b31a-86d2-355c-9262-fbb293b4a8d3"/>
    <id>https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/d470b31a-86d2-355c-9262-fbb293b4a8d3</id>
    <author>
      <name>Jon Jacob</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p027bglt.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p027bglt.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p027bglt.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p027bglt.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p027bglt.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p027bglt.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p027bglt.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p027bglt.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p027bglt.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Refurbishment progress on Stage 6 at Television Centre (Credit: Marcus Haydock)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    For 27 years
my mother was a newsagent in the town where we lived. Every day after the end
of school, I’d wait in the back office watching the comings and goings until
Mum shut the shop and we could go home. I listened in on the moans and groans
of the town as the last customers of the day paid for their magazines and
newspapers. It was busy, noisy and I loved being a part of it.&lt;p&gt;

When my parents
announced they were not only keen but going to sell the business, I felt an
impending sense of loss. I was to be denied access to what I saw as my second
home. They hadn’t consulted me about what I wanted. I was left to pick up the
pieces. In my own (almost certainly self-indulgent) way, I mourned the sale of
it. I denied the necessary post-sale handover of keys and convinced myself that
the shop’s new owners were brusque and unfeeling as they moved into the space
which hitherto had been mine.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I was
thinking about my Mum’s newsagents in the final weeks BBC staff were &lt;a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/posts/Television-Centre-in-the-BBCs-own-words"&gt;moving out
of Television Centre last year&lt;/a&gt;. I was prepared for it for this time. I was
thorough: I set about ‘saying goodbye’ to the building, using any spare hour I
had available to stroll around the site. I shot some video along the way too. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The repeat
visits around the newsroom, ‘Doughnut’, Drama building and East Tower reminded me
of just how big the &lt;a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/collections/buildings/television_centre.shtml"&gt;Television Centre site&lt;/a&gt; really was. I must have lost half a
stone in the weeks I’d wandered around there getting footage and saying goodbye.
Painful though that goodbye seemed, the site’s sheer scale made it also appear anachronistic
and unsustainable in comparison to my day to day working experience. That
insight alone suddenly made the goodbyes
seem a whole lot easier. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;

“It was basically a
small town,” says facilities manager Mike Eaton as me and a colleague toured the
building late last week. “You could spend days on the BBC site and not even
venture out. Everything was provided here.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p027dmfh.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p027dmfh.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p027dmfh.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p027dmfh.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p027dmfh.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p027dmfh.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p027dmfh.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p027dmfh.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p027dmfh.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;IT equipment soon to be auctioned stored in one of TVC's television studios&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;Mike
explains this in one of the studios currently used for storage of the &lt;a href="http://www.ppauctions.com/auction.php?id=119"&gt;last
remaining TVC items to be auctioned&lt;/a&gt;. Row upon row of servers, PCs and other IT
equipment - itself an unhappy reminder of my own IT support career past - illustrates
Mike’s point: I’ve never seen quite so much IT equipment all in one room
before. Television Centre was a considerable site with an equally large
footprint both geographically and technologically. It was its own ecosystem. As
technology gets smaller, so the need for space decreases and the cost of
maintaining it increases. With total savings achieved by BBC’s
sale of TVC estimated at more than £600m (the sale alone raised £200m and
occupancy costs of at least £30m per annum are being saved from 2015 onwards),
the sale of the site has an entirely different context.  &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p027bgr7.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p027bgr7.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p027bgr7.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p027bgr7.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p027bgr7.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p027bgr7.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p027bgr7.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p027bgr7.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p027bgr7.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Refurbishment progress on Stage 6 at Television Centre (Credit: Marcus Haydock)&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    I’ve charged Mike with giving us a tour of the building
one last time ahead of &lt;a href="http://www.openhouselondon.org.uk/"&gt;Open House&lt;/a&gt; last weekend - four hundred tickets were sold
“just like that,” says Mike as he snaps his fingers. We spend time in the
Doughnut where he points to the Studios 1, 2 and 3 the
former and future home of &lt;a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/posts/BBC-Studios-and-Post-Production-at-Elstree-one-year-on"&gt;BBC Studios and Post Production&lt;/a&gt;, the BBC’s commercial studios, post production and digital
media services company. Here demolition and infrastructure works have started -
early building work is due to begin next year, ahead of the company’s return in
2017. &lt;p&gt;It seems like such a long way off, until I realise that with all
the other building work going on on site to meet the vision for the new
Television Centre, TV programme makers would definitely
prefer to wait until the builders have completed their work.&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;We swing round and look behind us to
what was Television Centre reception and BBC News. “Stage 6 remains – BBC
Worldwide will move back in there in 2015. Stage 5 behind it will be rebuilt
more in the style of the main Television Centre.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p027bgmm.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p027bgmm.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p027bgmm.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p027bgmm.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p027bgmm.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p027bgmm.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p027bgmm.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p027bgmm.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p027bgmm.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Refurbishment progress on Stage 6 at Television Centre&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    There’s a sense of
excitement in Mike’s voice. This is almost certainly his style of delivery
combined with his well-practised patter. But that excitement is infectious.
Being back on-site after eighteen months with familiar sights still
functioning- like the automatic swing doors at reception and the familiar
whirring sound whenever they’re activated –stir happy memories and a longing
for the past in the way I thought it might. However, a protective spirit stirs,
as though we’re looking at a distant relative recovering from rather aggressive treatment. TVC seems
vulnerable to me. I’m eager to see its full ‘recovery’.  Not only that,  I’m also reminded once again of its immense
scale in comparison with the significantly smaller space I’ve now become
accustomed to working at Broadcasting House in central London. Stripped of its
industry, equipment and people, Television Centre's size is even more striking.
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p027bgpj.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p027bgpj.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p027bgpj.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p027bgpj.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p027bgpj.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p027bgpj.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p027bgpj.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p027bgpj.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p027bgpj.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Refurbishment progress on Stage 6 at Television Centre&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    That excitement for the
refurbishment to be completed as quickly as possible is fuelled no doubt by
&lt;a href="http://vimeo.com/83301903"&gt;Stanhope’s fly-through video&lt;/a&gt; and master-plans detailing how the site should
look after work is completed. So too, the progress photography on the
refurbished offices for BBC Worldwide’s HQ – a milestone in the development of
the building and a suitable home with an iconic backdrop for a business selling
the BBC’s brand to the world. I’m surprised (and perhaps a little relieved) at
myself about how eager I am for other people to benefit from the site – those
who’ll stay in the 40 room hotel, move into the 950 new residences created or
just walk through the eventual public spaces. It appears I have found a way of
moving away from home.&lt;p&gt;Elsewhere on
our visit, Mike takes us to the Drama Building. Eighteen months ago I saw an
old &lt;em&gt;Blue Peter&lt;/em&gt; set, a Dalek and Andrew Marr’s set. Eighteen months later,
there’s just equipment – monitors, server cabinets – destined for the final
auction of equipment next month. “Follow me,” says Mike excitedly, “I’ve got
something to show you I’m sure you haven’t seen.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p027dmtz.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p027dmtz.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p027dmtz.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p027dmtz.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p027dmtz.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p027dmtz.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p027dmtz.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p027dmtz.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p027dmtz.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Painting a picture in Television Centre's Drama Building&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;He’s right.
During my wandering around TVC in March 2013, there were some doors in the
Drama Building which were disappointingly locked, mysterious spaces behind
doors I couldn’t open. Up a narrow set of stairs and through an equally narrow (now
unlocked) door and we’re inside a high roofed room, standing on a suspended
floor with a flight of stairs disappearing away from us. It feels like a stage.
It could easily be the TARDIS set I wanted my Dad to build me as a kid (but he
didn’t because the local wood store ‘apparently’ didn’t have enough material
available). Here was my own special TV set where I could for a moment or two,
in my head at least, play out my own imaginary TV drama.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;

Mike explains that this
is the scenery dock. The paint on the wall is from a time when scenery painters
created backdrops for various TV programmes. “When they’d finished painting one
part of the backdrop and needed to get a bit higher up, they’d use this lever
here.”  Powered up, there’s a sudden
whirr and the frames hanging at either  side 
start moving up and down. If the TARDIS really was real, this would be
it. And I was in it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The sense of
sadness didn’t kick in here either. Instead I stand there trying to work out when
we last made painted backdrops for sets? Wasn’t that years ago? And why did we
stop making them? Something to do with TV dramas largely being made on
location, technology making it possible for realistic locations to be used in
TV production. Suddenly the impact of technological advances on ‘traditional’
crafts – the greater sensitivity of cameras, freeing directors from the
constraints of a controlled studio environment and the need for sets, for
example – is plain to see. The scenery dock is no longer a destination for
nostalgia lovers, but a place where the impact of technological advances on
traditional crafts is apparent . And how such advances suddenly make such
locations anachronistic. More than any 
other location on the Television Centre site, this feels like a real
goodbye. Timely. Necessary. Healthy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p027dn2w.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p027dn2w.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p027dn2w.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p027dn2w.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p027dn2w.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p027dn2w.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p027dn2w.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p027dn2w.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p027dn2w.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The fourth floor in Television Centre.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    &lt;p&gt;Eager to
test out my transformed thinking, I ask Mike if we can squeeze in one extra
destination. On the way to theold BBC club– now missing all of the familiar
furniture, covered in builders dust and the balcony sporting weeds that have
grown in between the patio slabs – we stop off at Room 4099, the one office I
worked in whilst I was based at Television Centre. Bottles labelled “Fake Tan”
have been left on the shelf from the time &lt;em&gt;Strictly Come Dancing&lt;/em&gt; had offices
here in Entertainment Production. My time goes back to &lt;em&gt;Any Dream Will Do&lt;/em&gt;, and
the night of Eurovision pre-selection when Andy Abraham was selected to
represent the country. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Standing in
the office now remembering those memories, I’m reminded how distant this office
was from proceedings we were covering online during the live broadcast four
floors below. How the distance seems unfathomable now in comparison to
proximity of studios and programme making in nearly every other BBC building
I’ve been in since. Scale has reduced dramatically. Things can be done in less
space in closer proximity to production space. It takes returning to a former
home to realise just how much things have changed and how much they needed to
change too.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;

Our visit has gone on
longer than I realise. My colleague looks at his phone saying he is already ten
minutes late for his 11 o’clock. We walk at speed along the 4th floor corridor in search of a working lift (there are only one or two in the
building ‘switched on’ now) and head for the audience foyer – now a canteen and
office for the builders working onsite. The buzz remains in this part of the
building just as it was shortly before it was finally vacated. It’s the sound
of the buzz that casts me back. Memories stir. A dangerous moment. I grab my
bag and coat from the office and make for the barriers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/authors/Jon_Jacob"&gt;Jon Jacob&lt;/a&gt; is Editor, About the BBC website and blog&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/posts/TVC-past-present-and-future"&gt;Read&lt;/a&gt; Facilities Manager Mike Eaton's blog detailing progress on the Television Centre refurbishment published earlier this week. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;em&gt;Discover more about the iconic Television Centre on the &lt;a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc"&gt;History of the BBC website&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;

    </content>
  </entry>
  <entry xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
    <title type="html"><![CDATA[TVC past, present and future]]></title>
    <summary type="html"><![CDATA[In his role as Vacant Possesion Projects Manager for Television Centre, Mike Eaton looks back at the buildings beginnings and plans for the future of the iconic site.]]></summary>
    <published>2014-09-22T13:05:19+00:00</published>
    <updated>2014-09-22T13:05:19+00:00</updated>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/1d8e23fe-cf0c-333d-a135-9d43877914cb"/>
    <id>https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/aboutthebbc/entries/1d8e23fe-cf0c-333d-a135-9d43877914cb</id>
    <author>
      <name>Mike Eaton</name>
    </author>
    <content type="html">&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p0274qbm.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p0274qbm.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p0274qbm.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p0274qbm.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0274qbm.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p0274qbm.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p0274qbm.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p0274qbm.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p0274qbm.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    A significant milestone will be reached at the end of this
month when the BBC formally hands over the iconic Television Centre site to its
new owners, Stanhope plc, six months ahead of schedule.

&lt;p&gt;Since July 2012, when the BBC sold the site for £200
million, we have been working in partnership with Stanhope to ensure that
Television Centre emerges as a great public space for people to live, work and
visit, which pays homage to its past, whilst securing its future as a key
destination in West London.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Once described as the Taj Mahal of television, Television
Centre stands on what was part of the 1908 Great Exhibition. The BBC acquired the site in 1949, and it
became home to the BBC when it opened in 1960. Designed by Graham Dawbarn, it
was the world’s first purpose-built centre for television production. In its heyday, half of all BBC television
transmitted was made at Television Centre.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;I have spent the past 37 years at the BBC working predominantly
as part of the Duty Facilities Management team at Television Centre and as
such, have been privy to many of the stories that make up its great past. I remember the time, for instance, when the
rapper 50 Cent arrived for his appearance on &lt;em&gt;Top of the Pops &lt;/em&gt;with an
entourage of 13 people carriers. And
then there were the unusual demands made by the stars. One time we had to
install a fridge just to house Lady Gaga’s wigs. On another occasion, when
Madonna requested a life-size picture of the Pope for her dressing-room, the
BBC Studios team managed to obtain his waxwork model from Madame Tussauds. These requests often posed their own set of
problems. When Janet Jackson asked for
50 lit candles in her dressing-room, we had to position a fire officer outside
her door!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component"&gt;
    &lt;img class="image" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p0274q9z.jpg" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/80xn/p0274q9z.jpg 80w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/160xn/p0274q9z.jpg 160w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/320xn/p0274q9z.jpg 320w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/480xn/p0274q9z.jpg 480w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p0274q9z.jpg 640w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/768xn/p0274q9z.jpg 768w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/896xn/p0274q9z.jpg 896w, https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/1008xn/p0274q9z.jpg 1008w" sizes="(min-width: 63em) 613px, (min-width: 48.125em) 66.666666666667vw, 100vw" alt=""&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;The set of Top of the Pops in 1987&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;div class="component prose"&gt;
    This weekend, Television Centre was on show to the public for the
last time under the BBC’s possession, as part of this year’s &lt;a href="http://www.londonopenhouse.org/"&gt;Open House London 2014&lt;/a&gt;.
Some 400 people booked onto one of the 13 tours
with Allford
Hall Monaghan Morris, the lead architects for the &lt;a href="http://www.ahmm.co.uk/projectDetails/108/BBC-Television-Centre-Masterplan"&gt;Television Centre Masterplan&lt;/a&gt; for one last chance to look around the White City site
before it is transformed into a mixed-use development that combines office and
studio and post production space for the BBC’s commercial operations, with a
range of other uses including entertainment and leisure facilities, a public
open space, a new hub for creative industries and new businesses, 950 new
homes, and a new boutique hotel. When
complete, the iconic listed buildings, including the famous forecourt and
façade, Studio 1 and the central Helios Plaza will be preserved and opened up
to the public for the first time.

&lt;p&gt;If you missed out on getting tickets for the Open House
tour, there is still a chance to own a bit of BBC TV history as the &lt;a href="http://www.ppauctions.com/"&gt;final
online auction of Television Centre memorabilia&lt;/a&gt; gets underway next month. Some 4,000 items are being auctioned,
including memorabilia from BBC TV shows, a range of IT and broadcast technology
equipment, posters and signage.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;So what does the future hold for this much-loved
building?  The masterplan prepared by the
BBC/Stanhope partnership ensures that the long history of creativity and
programme-making at Television Centre continues long into the future.  &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;So remember, when
the latest iteration of the BBC logo that has adorned the flank wall of Studio
1 for the last 50 years finally comes down later this month, it is simply an
intermission; the BBC will be returning and be very much a part of this vibrant
and unique new media site. With the return of &lt;a href="http://www.bbcstudiosandpostproduction.com/"&gt;BBC Studios and Post Production&lt;/a&gt; in 2017, and BBC Worldwide’s move to its new
headquarters at the site early next year, we can look forward to having a
presence at Television Centre for many years to come.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Mike Eaton is a
Project Manager at Television Centre, BBC Commercial Projects&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;

    </content>
  </entry>
</feed>
