Channel 4 picks Leeds as new national HQ

New hubs will also be set up in Bristol and Glasgow

Channel 4 announced its intention to move staff out of London to three new bases after the government said the broadcaster would remain publicly owned, but faced being relocated (CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)

Leeds has been chosen over Manchester and Birmingham to be the location of Channel 4‘s new national headquarters.

The city was praised for its “thriving digital industry and a strong digital talent pool” by Channel 4. The broadcaster’s two new creative hubs will be located in Glasgow and Bristol.

The move will be part of the biggest change to the structure of the channel in its 35-year history, even though it will keep its base on Horseferry Road in London.

Channel 4 announced its intention to move staff out of London to three new bases in the nations and regions after the Government said the broadcaster will remain publicly owned, but faced being relocated.

The channel warned at the time that forcing it to move outside of London “would be highly damaging”.

After the decision was announced, Tom Riordan, CEO of Leeds City Council, said on Twitter: “We’ve done it! The best news today that Channel4’s national HQ will be in #Leeds. THANK YOU so much to all involved in this brilliant pitch, from Bradford, York and LeedsCityRegion to screenyorkshire truenorth and allinleeds! #allinleeds #4sparks.”

Jeremy Wright, the culture secretary, said: “The Government made clear that Channel 4 needed to do more to increase its presence in the regions to help better reflect and provide for UK audiences outside of London.

“Congratulations to Leeds, Bristol and Glasgow, and I look forward to Channel 4 taking further steps to increase its impact around the UK in the years ahead.”

Some 300 Channel 4 jobs, including key creative decision-makers with significant spending power, will be based in the hubs outside of the capital.

It has also been decided that a major new Channel 4 News hub will be established in Leeds as the new building will include a studio with the capability to regularly co-anchor the programme.

The new national HQ has been described as “a broad-based centre”, which will include commissioning, production and digital content.

The creative hubs will begin with a focus on programme commissioning, but will welcome a broader talent base later on.

Alex Mahon, Channel 4’s chief executive, said: ”Diversity and inclusion have always been at the heart of Channel 4’s mission and the launch of our 4 All the UK plan is the biggest and most exciting change in the organisation’s 35-year history – as we open up Channel 4 to people from across the UK and supercharge the impact we have in all parts of the country.

“We will be spending up to £250m more on programming produced in the Nations and Regions and to catalyse that spend I’m delighted to confirm that we will be establishing a new National HQ in Leeds and new Creative Hubs in Bristol and Glasgow.

“We undertook a rigorous process over the last seven months and the high calibre of all the pitches meant those were incredibly difficult decisions to make.

“However, I know that Leeds, Bristol and Glasgow will best deliver our objectives to grow the production sector across the UK, build the pipeline of creative talent outside London and support our increased investment in programming produced across the Nations and Regions.

“Leeds put forward a compelling and ambitious strategy for how they could work alongside Channel 4 to further build the strong independent production sector in the city and develop new diverse talent from across the region.

“Locating our National HQ in Leeds enables us to capitalise on a strong and fast-growing independent production sector in cities across the North of England – and also has the potential to unlock growth in the North East and East of the country, an area without a major presence from other national broadcasters.”