Bristol shortlisted for Channel 4’s new HQ

Bristol shortlisted for Channel 4’s new HQ

Bristol is one of seven cities shortlisted by Channel 4 to house their new HQ.

The company wants to move 300 of its 800 staff out of London to a national headquarters and two “creative hubs”. The seven shortlisted locations could house either the national HQ or a creative hub. They are Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Greater Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool and the West Midlands. Six more areas are also in the running, but to be a creative hub only. They are Belfast, Brighton, Newcastle-Gateshead, Nottingham, Sheffield and Stoke-on-Trent.

More than 30 bids were submitted to the broadcaster from around the UK, currently, Channel 4 has 30 staff based outside London, the majority of whom are sales people located in Manchester, the other staff are located in Glasgow.

Channel 4’s chief commercial officer, Jonathan Allan, who’s leading the pitch process, said they had been “incredibly impressed” by the number of submissions and the “high quality” of the applicants. He said those shortlisted “are best able to meet our vision for our new hubs in the nations and regions”.

The final locations will be revealed in October, with the new headquarters and hubs due to open next year. There are plans for a new studio, which has “the potential to be a base for daily programmes”. The current offices on Horseferry Road in London will remain as the channel’s capital HQ.

Although 300 jobs will move initially, the channel says it wants that number to grow over time. The partial relocation is part of Channel 4’s plan, 4 All the UK, which is described as the biggest structural change to the channel since it launched 35 years ago.

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