Television Centre, London

Television Centre (TVC) is a building complex in White City, West London, that was the headquarters of BBC Television between 1960 and 2013. After a refurbishment, the complex reopened in 2017 with three studios in use for TV production, operated by BBC Studioworks. The first BBC staff moved into the Scenery Block in 1953, and the centre was officially opened on 29 June 1960. It is one of the most readily recognisable facilities of its type, having appeared as the backdrop for many BBC programmes. Parts of the building are Grade II listed, including the central ring and Studio 1.

Television Centre
Location within Greater London
Former namesBBC Television Centre
General information
TypeTelevision production (1960–2013, 2017–present), mixed commercial and residential usage (2012–present)
Architectural styleMinimalist
LocationWest side of Wood Lane (A219) in White City, opposite Wood Lane tube station
AddressWhite City, W12 7RJ
CountryUnited Kingdom
Coordinates51.5099°N 0.2263°W / 51.5099; -0.2263
Elevation6 m (20 ft)
Current tenantsBBC Studioworks
BBC Studios
ITV
Completed29 June 1960
Inaugurated29 June 1960
Renovated2013–18
Cost£10 million
adjusted by inflation: £122 million
OwnerBBC (1949–2013)
AIMCo (2013–present)
Technical details
Floor count8 (above ground)
Floor area14 acres (56,656 m2)
Design and construction
ArchitectGraham Dawbarn
Architecture firmNorman & Dawbarn
Structural engineerMr Marmaduke T Tudsbery
Main contractorHiggs and Hill (superstructure), George Wimpey (foundations)
Website
televisioncentre.com

Most of the BBC's national television and radio news output came from Television Centre, and in later years most recorded television was output from the nearby Broadcast Centre at 201 Wood Lane, care of Red Bee Media. Live television events from studios and routing of national and international sporting events took place within Television Centre before being passed to the Broadcast Centre for transmission.

The building is 4 miles (6 kilometres) west of central London, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. The nearest Underground stations are White City and Wood Lane.

The BBC announced in 2010 that it would cease broadcasting from Television Centre in 2013. In July 2012 it was announced that the complex had been sold to property developers Stanhope plc, who said that the new Television Centre development would "pay homage to the original use of the building", and that the new Television Centre would be opened up to the public, offering entertainment and leisure facilities and approximately 1,000 new homes.

History

On Friday 1 April 1949 Norman Collins, the Controller of the BBC Television Service, announced at the Television Society's annual dinner at The Waldorf Hilton, London that a new TV centre would be built in Shepherd's Bush. London broadcasts at the time came from Alexandra Palace and Lime Grove Studios (from 1949). It was to be the largest television centre in the world.[1] Riverside Studios in Hammersmith were used from 1954.[1]

It was planned to be 6 acres (2.4 hectares), but turned out to be twice the size. On 24 August 1956 the main contract was awarded to Higgs and Hill, which also built The London Studios for ITV which opened in 1972. Television Centre was planned to cost £9m.[1]

When it opened in June 1960, the Director of BBC television was Gerald Beadle, and the first programme broadcast was First Night with David Nixon in Studio Three.[2]

In 1997, the BBC News Centre was opened, in a new complex at the front of the building.[3] The decision to move radio news to this building was attributed to Director General John Birt, a move that was resisted by the managing director of BBC Radio, Liz Forgan, who resigned after failing to dissuade the governors. Birt's decision caused problems; for example some politicians accustomed to travelling to interviews at Broadcasting House in Central London were reluctant to make the journey to White City, despite being only 4 1⁄2 mi (7.2 km) west.

Redevelopment
The exterior of Television Centre pictured during the live broadcast of the 2008 edition of the Children in Need telethon on 14 November 2008

It was announced on 18 October 2007 that in order to meet a £2 billion shortfall in funding, the BBC intended to "reduce the size of the property portfolio in west London by selling BBC Television Centre by the end of the financial year 2012/13",[4] with the then Director General, Mark Thompson, saying the plan would deliver "a smaller, but fitter, BBC" in the digital age.[5] A BBC spokeswoman has added that "this is a full scale disposal of BBC Television Centre and we won't be leasing it back".[6] The corporation officially put Television Centre on the property market in June 2011.[7][8]

BBC Sport and BBC Children's moved to dock10, MediaCityUK in Salford Quays in 2012,[9] with Children's Learning, Radio 5 Live[10] and part of BBC Future Media & Technology.[11] The move saw up to 1,500 posts at TV Centre and 700 posts at New Broadcasting House relocate to Salford Quays. BBC Breakfast, part of BBC News, moved to Salford in April 2012.[12][13]

On 16 July 2012, the BBC agreed to sell the site to Stanhope plc for £200 million.[14] The figure was low partly due to the high levels of asbestos in the building.[15] The building closed on 31 March 2013 and was redeveloped to include flats, office space, a cinema and hotels.[16] Studios 1, 2 and 3 along with part of the basement and offices have been refurbished and leased back to the BBC on a 15-year lease.[17] The original schedule would have seen Studios 1, 2, & 3 back in production by Autumn of 2014 however on 17 July 2014 the BBC announced that due to the extensive building work, programme production will not recommence at Television Centre until 2017 when much of the demolition and groundwork has been completed.[18] The BBC's commercial businesses, BBC Worldwide and BBC Studios and Post Production will lease back Stage 6 as office space which is the part formerly occupied by BBC News.[19]

Television Centre during redevelopment in May 2015. The BBC blocks on the wall of TC1 were removed in September 2014.

All BBC News, national radio and BBC World Service broadcasts were relocated to Broadcasting House between July 2012 and March 2013, which is said to include one of the largest live newsrooms in the world.[20] The final news broadcasts from Television Centre took place on 18 March 2013, when the BBC News channel and remaining news output completed the move to Broadcasting House. This was one of the final live broadcasts from the building.[21]

A 90-minute documentary titled Tales of Television Centre[22] was broadcast on BBC Four in 2012 ahead of the move out. On 22 March 2013, BBC Four devoted its evening schedule to programmes commemorating Television Centre. At the heart of the evening was Goodbye Television Centre a two-hour history presented by former BBC One controller and BBC chairman Michael Grade. The last live programme broadcast was Madness Live: Goodbye Television Centre, shown that day on BBC Four.

In March 2013, the BBC and Stanhope formed a joint venture, Television Centre Developments, to manage the redevelopment of the 14-acre site.[23] Only three of the eight production studios were earmarked for continued use by the BBC, with the rest being demolished for flats, and it was argued that this would leave insufficient facilities in the capital for independent television production, and a Save Television Centre Studios website and petition was set up.[24]

In December 2013 Stanhope was granted planning permission from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.[25]

In October 2014, UK magazine Private Eye reported that having spent £60 million to remove broadcasting equipment from the building, the BBC planned to spend £12 million a year to lease back parts of the building.[26] This decision was in direct contradiction of the BBC's promise in 2007 that the sale of TVC was a "full-scale disposal" and that it would not be leasing back any part of the building.[27]

Demolition work began in February 2015.[28]

As of April 2016 only Studios TC1, TC2 and TC3 remained - the other studios TC4, TC5, TC6, TC7 and TC8 had all been demolished. The statue of Helios, the Greek God of Sun, had been removed for renovation before it returned later in 2016; developer Stanhope and construction manager Mace had carefully removed the gilded bronze figure with heritage experts PAYE Conservation for repair and renovation. The Helios has stood in the rotunda at Television Centre since the former BBC headquarters opened in 1960.[29]

Reopening
Plaza outside TVC in April 2018

BBC Studioworks, the commercial subsidiary of the BBC who will operate and maintain the newly refurbished Studios 1, 2 and 3 and production facilities at Television Centre, confirmed on their website that the newly refurbished Television Centre studios, productions facilities and post production facilities would have its official opening in September 2017.[30] As of April 2017, bookings for the newly refurbished and renovated Studios 1, 2 and 3 were being taken.[31]

BBC Studioworks at Television Centre officially opened on 1 September 2017. The first programme to transmit live from the newly refurbished studios was Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two on BBC Two on Monday 25 September 2017. It was hosted by Zoë Ball.

In April 2018, ITV's daytime programmes Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, This Morning, Loose Women and political discussion programme Peston moved to Television Centre, due to the closure and redevelopment of The London Studios.[32][33][34] However, in October 2018, it was announced that ITV would not be returning to the South Bank,[35] and it is thought that ITV Daytime programmes will continue to be broadcast from Television Centre.

On 29 June 2020, Television Centre turned 60 years old and the Royal Television Society released a commemorative programme to celebrate.[36]

The building
Panoramic view of the centre of the building, showing the statue of Helios, the Greek god of the sun

Circular shape

The building featured a central circular block (officially known as the Main Block, but often referred to by staff as the "doughnut") around which were studios, offices, engineering areas and the News Centre. In the centre of the main block was a statue designed by T.B. Huxley-Jones of Helios, the Greek god of the sun, to symbolise the radiation of television around the world. At the foot of the statue were two reclining figures, symbolising sound and vision, the components of television. It was originally a fountain, but owing to the building's unique shape it was too noisy for the staff in the overlooking offices, and there were problems with water leakage into the videotape area which for a long time was directly beneath. Even though there was a foundation stone marked 'BBC 1956' in the basement of the main building, construction began in 1951.[37] Various extensions have been added.

Increasingly the BBC had to seek accommodation elsewhere, such as the nearby BBC White City complex comprising White City One, a 25,000 square metre office building, and the adjacent Broadcast and Media Centres. With the migration of staff and functions to complexes in Salford and London W1, White City One was mothballed in March 2013.

Design

The overall design from the air appeared to resemble a question mark in shape. The architect, Graham Dawbarn, CBE (Norman & Dawbarn), drew a question mark on an envelope (now held by the BBC Written Archives Centre) while thinking about the design of the building, and realised that it would be an ideal shape for the site.[38] An article in The BBC Quarterly, July 1946, proposed a circular design, several years before Dawbarn drew up his plans.

The building was commissioned in 1949 with work starting in 1950. However government restrictions on building, through its loan sanction and licensing of materials, ensured that building work was halted until 1953. Intended as stopgaps, the BBC remodelled the former Gaumont Studios at Lime Grove and the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. In 1953, the Shepherd's Bush Empire began to be used for television broadcasts. Work resumed in 1953 on the TVC scenery block (Stage 1) and work began in 1954 on the canteen block (Stage 2), which doubled as a rehearsal space.

Work on Stage 3, the central circular office block and studios, began in March 1955 on TC4, 5 and 2. The shells of TC1, TC6 and TC7 were constructed around the same time but they were not fitted out until a few years later. BBC Television Centre officially opened with TC3 operational on 29 June 1960.[39]

Arthur Hayes worked on the building from 1956 to 1970 and was responsible for the creation of the original 'BBC Television Centre' lettering on the façade of Studio 1. The lettering was later used all over the building, even in tile work outside lift entrances. Demands from Broadcasting House meant that Hayes had less time than he had thought to design a decor for the façade, leading to him puncturing a scale foam model of the wall with drawing pins, and thus the birth of the iconic 'Atomic Dots': there are 26 across the façade of Studio 1, each one backlit and clearly visible at night.

Listed status

The development of the Westfield shopping centre nearby led to a sharp rise in property prices and placed the Television Centre under threat. In February 2008, with an amendment in November, English Heritage requested listed status for the scenery workshop, the canteen block adjoining the Blue Peter Garden, and the central building.[40][41][42] Previously, under a longstanding deal between the BBC and English Heritage the building was not listed to allow the BBC to make changes necessary in a broadcasting centre. In return, the BBC agreed that if it left, the fabric of the building would be restored to its mid-1960s state, and English Heritage would list notable features.[43]

On 17 June 2009 the Central Ring of the building and Studio 1, noting in particular the John Piper mosaic, central drum with its mosaic tiles, the Huxley-Jones gilded statue of Helios, full-height glazing of the stair and original clock in the Central Ring, received Grade II listed status from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.[44] The 'atomic dots' and name of Studio 1, and the cantilevered porch on its exterior were noted as important architectural features of that building.[45] The Department did not consider the other buildings, including all other studios, scenery block and canteen of sufficient special interest to warrant listing.[45][46] Making the protection announcement, the architecture minister Barbara Follett noted that it was where Doctor Who, Fawlty Towers and Blue Peter were made: "It has been a torture chamber for politicians, and an endless source of first-class entertainment for the nation—sometimes both at the same time."[46]

Current studios

In later years, the centre's studios were run by BBC Studios and Post Production (now renamed BBC Studioworks), a wholly owned commercial subsidiary. The studios vary in size. All studios were usually abbreviated to initials, such as TC1 (Television Centre 1) for Studio 1.

Before closure for redevelopment, the studios hosted a wide variety of TV programmes for a range of broadcasters, including Strictly Come Dancing, Harry Hill's TV Burp, Match of the Day, Later... with Jools Holland, Miranda, The Alan Titchmarsh Show, The Armstrong and Miller Show and 8 Out of 10 Cats, and big complex live productions such as Children in Need and Comic Relief. Over the years they were home to some of Britain's best known television programmes including Fawlty Towers, Monty Python's Flying Circus, Blue Peter, Absolutely Fabulous, the original Doctor Who series and most of the best known BBC drama series. From the 1980s the use of the complex for such productions declined with the last major drama series to be shot there being The House of Eliott,[47] which ended in 1994, and the last single drama recorded was Henry IV, Part 1, in 1995.[48][49] The reason for the decline was because drama productions (except for soap operas) shifted almost entirely onto film or single-camera video, and Television Centre was a video-based, multi-camera production environment.[50]

Studio 1
Studio TC1 at BBC Television Centre as seen in 2007

995 square metres (10,250 ft2)

Opened on 15 April 1964 and was the fourth largest television studio in Britain (following Fountain Studios' Studio A&B, dock10's Studio 1 and The Maidstone Studios' Studio 1), and was equipped for HDTV production (as were Studio 4, Studio 6 and Studio 8).[51] Studio 1 is the home of shows including Sounds Like Friday Night, The Graham Norton Show, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway,[52] The Jonathan Ross Show, The Russell Howard Hour, Blind Date, BBC Radio 1's Teen Awards and The Last Leg. Studio 1 also hosted the 2000th program of the Spanish talk show El Hormiguero with Will Smith.[53]

In May 2020, Loose Women temporarily moved from TC2 into TC1 to allow for social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.[54] In mid-July, Loose Women returned to TC2.

Studio 2

223 square metres (2,400 ft2)

Opened in late 1960, it housed comedy programmes such as That Was The Week That Was. It was not initially converted to colour and closed in 1969, with the space being used as storage, but reopened in 1981. It was used by BBC News until they moved in 1997, and has played host to the Sport and Children's department. It was the main studio used for Blue Peter for the 2007 and 2008 series. It was vacated following the move of both departments to dock10. Studio 2 is currently the home of the ITV programmes Loose Women, Peston and Lorraine, in addition to Channel 4's Sunday Brunch.

Studio 3

594 square metres (6,390 ft2)

Opened on 29 June 1960, it was designed as a drama studio and had customised panels and fittings. The walls were slightly thicker to insulate it from noise from the Hammersmith & City line (then still part of the Metropolitan line) of the London Underground. It was the first studio to be completed and was upgraded to colour in 1969. Studio 3 currently broadcasts ITV programmes Good Morning Britain and This Morning. It was one of two studios that hosted the 1963 Eurovision Song Contest the other being Studio 4.

Former studios

Studio 0

117 square metres (1,260 ft2)

Opened in 1989 as a music studio, with what would later become Studio 12 as its control room; Productions included for UK Play and during its later life was equipped for producing virtual reality programmes. It was home to Liquid News between 2000 and 2002 and CBeebies in vision continuity between 2002 and 2007. After that it was used by BBC Research.

Studio 4

585 square metres (6,300 ft2)

Opened in January 1961, TC4 was similar in design and layout to its neighbour, TC3. It was designed as a light entertainment studio and contained a rather unusual sound system called ambiophony. It was upgraded to colour in 1970 and to HD and surround sound in 2008. It was home to many BBC sitcoms and the talk show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.

Programmes recorded or transmitted included:

Studio 5

223 square metres (2,400 ft2)

Opened in August 1961, it was used for the first half of its life by broadcasts from BBC Schools. There was an adjacent area used for schools programming that linked in with the studio. It was converted to colour around 1973, about the same time as schools broadcasts as a whole. It was closed briefly during the mid-1980s, and reopened in 1987 following a two-year refurbishment. It was the home of BBC Sport's programmes until November 2011 when the Sports department moved to MediaCityUK.

TC5 hosted an experimental session in 1963 to create video ‘howlaround’ footage for ‘Doctor Who’, although only a small amount was used in the original title sequence as transmitted.[55][56]

Programmes recorded or transmitted included:

Studio 6

598 square metres (6,440 ft2)

Opened in July 1967 to coincide with BBC Two's switch to colour. It was the first to be equipped with colour cameras. It was a strange design: it was originally designed to be split in two by a large removable wall, but this idea was abandoned. The gallery was moved in 1993 and the old gallery became home to the BBC Red Button control room. Upgraded to HD in July 2010, the first 3D capable studio in the UK. Home to children's programmes Live & Kicking and Dick and Dom in da Bungalow, and Pointless.

Programmes recorded or transmitted included:

Studio 7

223 square metres (2,400 ft2)

Opened in 1962 and was used for a variety of programmes. Home to children's programming such as Going Live!, before being home to BBC News in 1997. It was the home of the BBC Breakfast programme until 2012 and the BBC News at Six bulletin until 2013, with other bulletins based at N6 in the News Centre. It was vacated on 15 March 2013, following the refit of the extension to Broadcasting House, to where the BBC News department and newsroom moved.

Programmes recorded or transmitted included:

Studio 8

602 square metres (6,480 ft2)

Opened in 1967, considered the best studio for television producers to use. It was the size that most programmes wanted and, building on the experience when building the other studios, was the best. The galleries and studios were laid out perfectly and in a layout producers liked. It became the studio for comedy and sitcoms, because of its audience seating arrangements and size. It was converted to HD in January 2007.

Programmes recorded or transmitted included:

Studio 9

84 square metres (900 ft2)

Built in 1955 as a foyer area of the restaurant block, becoming a store area, converted to a studio in 1996 for Children's BBC. The location was highly convenient: it allowed the invision continuity to be relocated from the "Broom Cupboard" (continuity announcer's booth) to a roomier studio. It opened onto the Blue Peter Garden allowing presentation to take place there. It was an odd shape, and was used for invision continuity for CBBC until 2004, when they broadcast links for the CBBC Channel only. All invision continuity was dropped in 2006, and it was used for programmes such as Sam & Mark's TMi Friday and SMart.

Studio 10

111 square metres (1,200 ft2)

Opened as N1 in September 1969, it was used for the BBC1 daytime news bulletins, and the home of BBC World (previously BBC World Service News) from 1993. Closed in spring 1999 when news bulletins moved to the News Centre section of Television Centre, and renamed as TC10. Used for some programmes by channel UK Play until the station's closure. Between 2004 and 2006 it was used for in-vision continuity for CBBC on BBC One and BBC Two, before being used by some programming for CBBC such as Level Up. From 2010 to 2011 it was the home of CBeebies.

Studio 11

186 square metres (2,000 ft2)

Opened as N2 in September 1969, and the same size as N1, it was used for the BBC2 daytime news bulletins. Extended in 1985 to include props store and adjacent lobby, it became home to the Six O'Clock and Nine O'Clock News. In spring 1999, following the completion of the News Centre spur of Television Centre, the news moved out and it was renamed TC11. In 2002 it became home to Liquid News and later to the other BBC Three news programmes 60 Seconds and The 7 O'Clock News. It briefly played host to the domestic BBC News bulletins while their studios were refurbished in 2006, before becoming general purpose. It was home to Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two until December 2011.

Studio 12

56 square metres (600 ft2)

Originally built as a control room for the music studio originally located in Studio 0. Studio 12 was converted into a ad-hoc studio in 2004 for CBBC programmes, most notably for the interactive "live cartoon" series Nelly Nut Live! which aired from 2003 to 2005. It was also used for Sportsround for some years, but was eventually converted into a presentation studio in 2006. It was used for in-vision continuity for CBBC and changed into an in-vision continuity studio in summer 2007. The set was transferred to a mini studio in the East Tower. It was used by BBC Research.[57]

Pres A

65 square metres (704 ft2)

Opened in 1960, designed for in-vision continuity for BBC 1, but was used as such for only three years. Became weather studio prior to the move to the BBC Weather Centre in 1990 (also in Television Centre), following which it was used by Children's BBC to supplement presentation from the 'Broom Cupboard', and was used for slots such as birthdays and public holidays. Became full-time home of Children's BBC in 1994 following the vacation of the 'Broom Cupboard'. It closed following CBBC's move to TC9 and was converted back into office space.

Pres B

65 square metres (704 ft2)

Opened in 1964, designed for in-vision continuity for BBC 2, but that did not use in-vision continuity for more than a few months after launch. Became a general purpose studio housing small productions such as Points of View, the Film series with Barry Norman and The Old Grey Whistle Test. It closed in 1996 and was converted back into office space.

News studios

In addition to these studios, BBC News used a number of studios for the frequent news bulletins. These studios have a different naming system owing to their permanent usage and were not included on most studio lists, as they were unavailable for hire.

  • N1 – Previously BBC One daytime bulletins. Became TC10
  • N2 – Previously BBC Two daytime bulletins. Became TC11
  • N3 – Small studio off main newsroom, before being made part of newsroom, separated by glass panels.
  • N4 – Studio, became part of the BBC Club bar
  • N5 – Originally studio for BBC Arabic Television service, which closed in 1996. It was a storeroom until 2001 when it was used for the BBCi service, then from 2007 as a home for Click prior to its move to Broadcasting House in 2012.
  • N6 – Formerly home to BBC News at One, BBC News at Ten and the BBC News channel.
  • N8 – Home to BBC World News prior to its move to Broadcasting House in 2013, and by the BBC News channel from 1999 to 2008. BBC News channel still used the studio to allow the BBC News at Ten to rehearse in N6 until 2013
  • N9 – Home to BBC World News until 2008, used as a contingency when N6/N8 unavailable due to technical work and for election coverage
  • N10 – Formerly used by BBC Three to produce 60 Seconds

These studios were located in Stage 5 & Stage 6, commonly known as the BBC News Centre. BBC News moved out of Stage 6 in 2013 to the new BBC News Centre at New Broadcasting House in Central London. After redevelopment, Stage 6 became the new home to the commercial arm of the BBC, BBC Worldwide.

There was no N7, to avoid confusion with TC7, which housed 'big' news programmes such as BBC Breakfast, Working Lunch, and Newsnight.

Infrastructure

In February 1996, the electricity and heating were transferred to a European Gas Turbines (EGT) 4.9MWe Typhoon gas turbine combined heating, power and cooling unit.[58] It included a 6MW Thermax air conditioning (cooling) vapour absorption machine (VAM). The £6m HVAC system reduced energy costs by 35%, and paid for itself within three years. A second turbine was added, without a second chimney. However, in 2008[59] the BBC admitted that the energy system was being used for emergency purposes only as it had become cost-ineffective to use full-time. Excess electricity produced at night has not been returned to the National Grid, as originally planned. In November 2003, the turbine's chimneys caught fire,[60] bringing TV output to a halt. After the fire the turbines were no longer used regularly.

Recent productions

BBC productions

ITV productions

Other productions

Major events
Television Centre on Election Night, 5 May 2005

Terrorist target
See also: 2001 BBC bombing

On 4 March 2001, a bomb placed outside the news centre exploded, with no fatalities.[65] It was attributed to the Real IRA and the culprits were eventually caught. The front of the building suffered moderate damage, but was soon repaired.

Power failures

Television Centre has suffered from power cuts that affected normal broadcasting, but these were not seen as a systemic problem. One such power cut caused the launch night of BBC2, on 20 April 1964, to be cancelled; programmes began the next day.[66]

A major power failure occurred on 20 June 2000 at approximately 5 p.m., affecting the entire Television Centre resulting in services such as BBC Two and BBC Radio 4 coming off air, and BBC News 24 went off air before being relocated to the BBC's Westminster studios. The Six O'Clock News suffered severe lighting problems and had to be cancelled halfway through, and the BBC's backup generator caught fire. Troubles were experienced in the South East region, as Newsroom South East started later than planned. The fire alarms went off at Television Centre later that day, leaving only a skeleton crew. Eventually many programmes returned, from different locations: Newsnight was presented from the main news studio with intermittent technical problems. The failure was due to a substation in Shepherd's Bush and normal services resumed the following day.[67]

Just before 8 a.m. on 28 November 2003 an electrical fault caused some equipment to overheat, which set off fire alarms.[60] Although there was no fire, the fault caused widespread power cuts and prevented backup generators from providing alternative power. All output was affected with services transferred across London to alternative studios. The One O'Clock News and BBC News 24 broadcast for much of the day from the BBC's Millbank Studios,[60] and the Today programme and Five Live's Breakfast morning radio shows fell off air for 15 minutes.[60] The Millbank Studios are a fall-back for news operations in the event of TVC failure, and are continually recording the last hour of the BBC News Channel output (sans in-vision clock) for this purpose. This power cut came on the week prior to the relaunch of News 24, which was postponed for another week to ensure that all problems had been remedied.[68]

Protests
Protesters objecting to the appearance of Nick Griffin on Question Time outside Television Centre in 2009

Programmes have been interrupted by protesters gaining access to Television Centre. In 1988, a group of lesbian protestors campaigning against Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 gained access to the studio of the Six O'Clock News during a live broadcast.[69] Newsreader Sue Lawley continued with the broadcast, while co-presenter Nicholas Witchell tackled the intruders off-camera.[70]

On 20 May 2006 during the live broadcast of National Lottery: Jet Set the studio was invaded by members of the Fathers 4 Justice campaign group, causing the show to go briefly off air while the protesters were removed.[71] This was also a problem as that night's lottery broadcast ran straight into the Eurovision Song Contest 2006.

For Question Time on 22 October 2009, the BBC invited the leader of the British National Party, Nick Griffin, onto the programme for the first time causing heated public debate and strong protests outside the studios.[72] Television Centre had its security breached with around 30 anti-fascist protesters storming the reception area and several hundred protesters gathering outside. Police and security staff were forced to close gates leading into the Centre and form barriers to prevent any further breaches of security.[73]

gollark: Having a dedicated hardware device for enforcing rules like that also means you end up with stuff like TI's apparent dominance in America.
gollark: That would be so disastrous and terrible.
gollark: Oh no. Imagine if you did not have to rote-memorize things as much.
gollark: I mean, dedicated hardware devices for mathy stuff any general purpose computer can do literally thousands of times faster?
gollark: Well, calculators are triangular anyway.

References
  1. "Theproductionlist.com". www.theproductionlist.com.
  2. "BBC Television Centre up for sale". BBC News. 13 June 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
  3. "About BBC News – 1990s". BBC News. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
  4. "Radical reform to deliver a more focused BBC". BBC Press Office. 18 October 2007. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
  5. "BBC cuts back programmes and jobs". BBC News. 18 October 2007. Archived from the original on 20 October 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
  6. "BBC shuns headquarter sale-and-leaseback". Reuters. 18 October 2007. Retrieved 23 October 2007.
  7. "BBC Television Centre up for sale". BBC News. 13 June 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  8. "For the love of Television Centre". BBC News. 14 June 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2011.
  9. Queen opens BBC's new base in Salford BBC News, 23 March 2012
  10. The BBC's outlook for Salford is sunny The Telegraph, 29 October 2011
  11. "BBC move to Salford gets green light". BBC Press Office. 31 May 2007. Retrieved 23 October 2007.
  12. BBC Breakfast moves to Salford BBC Press Office, 14 July 2010
  13. BBC Breakfast makes Salford move BBC News, 10 April 2012
  14. Plunkett, John (16 July 2012). "BBC sells Television Centre for £200m". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  15. Dex, Robert (16 July 2012). "BBC Television Centre sold for £200m". The Independent. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  16. Kane, Chris. "BBC – Spaces & Places: Television Centre – shaping the next chapter". Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  17. "history of television studios in London". Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  18. "BBC News – Television Centre return delayed by two years". BBC News. 17 July 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  19. "BBC TV Centre to broadcast last network news bulletins". BBC News. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
    "BBC TV Centre: viewers offered chance to buy slice of landmark building". The Guardian. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
    The Masterplan, televisioncentre.com (Redevelopers' official website)
  20. The story of Broadcasting House BBC
  21. "BBC News' television output moves to new studios at Broadcasting House". BBC. 18 March 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
  22. Tales of Television Centre on IMDb
  23. "Welcome to the Television Centre website". Television Centre Developments. 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
  24. "Save BBC Television Centre Studios". Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  25. "BBC TV Centre plans approved". lbhf.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  26. "Media News". Private Eye. London. 17 October 2014. p. 12.
  27. Kemble-Diaz, William (18 October 2007). "BBC shuns headquarter sale-and-leaseback". Reuters (UK). Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  28. Harris, Simon (23 February 2015). "Phillip Schofield slams 'criminal' selling of iconic BBC TV Centre". ITV News. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  29. "Television Centre – White City, London". 1 July 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  30. "BBC Studioworks – inside a refurbished Television Centre". 30 January 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  31. "BBC Studioworks - Television Centre". 28 April 2016.
  32. Rodger, James (16 April 2018). "Piers Morgan returns to GMB - but there's something different". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  33. Jackson, Jasper; Sweney, Mark (21 February 2017). "ITV to shut London studio with 40-year history of top programming". the Guardian. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  34. "ITV daytime moves to White City". TVBEurope. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  35. "ITV ditches plan to return to base on London's South Bank". Financial Times. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  36. "RTS LONDON - TVC 60". Royal Television Society. 21 June 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  37. Kempton, Martin. "An Unofficial History of BBC Television Centre". History of Television Studios in London. Archived from the original on 7 September 2007. Retrieved 7 September 2007.
  38. "Television Gets A Complex". Transdiffusion – EMC Studio One. 1 January 2005. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2007.
  39. Kempton, Martin. "An Unofficial History of BBC Television Centre". History of Television Studios in London. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  40. ""Auntie" honoured in recommendation to list parts of BBC Television Centre". Archived from the original on 1 July 2008. Retrieved 2 July 2008. English Heritage has advised the Minister for Culture Media and Sport to recognise the extraordinary cultural and architectural significance of BBC Television Centre at White City, Wood Lane, London, and list parts of it at grade II
  41. "Listed status bid for BBC centre". BBC News. 29 June 2008. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  42. Conlan, Tara (27 June 2008). "Row brewing over listing of BBC Television Centre". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  43. BECTU newsletter BBC Informer, July 2008
  44. Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1393371)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  45. English Heritage (Listing) Adviser's Report BD Online, 22 June 2009
  46. "Grade II listing for BBC Television Centre". BD Online. Building Design. 10 July 2009. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  47. The House of Eliott (Rec:1993-11-04 Tx:1994-02-20) BBC Programme Catalogue
  48. Performance: Henry IV Part 1 (Rec:1995-09-22 Tx:1995-10-28) BBC Programme Catalogue
  49. Henry IV (1995) British Film Institute Screenonline
  50. Wells, Matt (11 January 2007). "Here's one we made much, much earlier – and now it's time to move". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 January 2007.
  51. "Television Centre". BBC Studioworks. 28 April 2016.
  52. Madeley, Richard; Finnigan, Judy (21 February 2020). Ant and Dec Reveal Who The First 'Get Me Out Of Your Ear' Victim Is (video). This Morning. Retrieved 22 February 2020 – via YouTube.
  53. "Spain's El Hormiguero to shoot at Television Centre". TVBEurope. 10 May 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  54. "Here's how Loose Women's new shows will work". itv.com. 3 May 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  55. Newnham, Bernard. "Norman Taylor's story of Dr Who". The Tech-ops History Site. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  56. "Norman Taylor: Creator of the 'howl-around' visual in the original 'Dr". The Independent. 10 March 2011. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  57. "Video report on the move". R&D South Lab move. BBC Research and Development. Retrieved 31 October 2011.
  58. "EGT Typhoon" (PDF). Energy Solutions Center. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  59. Conlan, Tara (18 July 2008). "BBC 'wasted £6m on gas turbines'". guardian.co.uk. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  60. "BBC 'chaos' as TV Centre hit by power cut". The Guardian. 28 November 2003.
  61. "YUNGBLUD, AJ Tracey and Jax Jones announced for BBC Radio 1's Teen Awards". BBC Media Centre. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  62. "Later…with Jools Holland returns to BBC Studioworks' Television Centre studio facility". BBC Studioworks. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  63. "Award-winning productions return to Studioworks this spring". BBC Studioworks. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  64. "BBC Studioworks confirms award-winning Spanish production for TC1 recording". BBC Studioworks. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  65. "Bomb blast outside BBC". BBC News. 4 March 2001. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  66. Briggs, Caroline (20 April 2004). "BBC Two Launch Night". BBC News. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
  67. "Power cut hits BBC TV and radio". BBC News. 20 June 2000. Retrieved 14 March 2012.
  68. "Power cut halts channel relaunch". Scotsman.com. 29 November 2003.
  69. "When gay became a four-letter word". BBC News. 20 January 2000. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  70. Freeman, Simon (31 March 2005). "Witchell, the BBC man who 'sat on a lesbian'". The Times. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  71. "Lottery show delayed by protest". BBC News. 20 May 2006. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  72. Gabbatt, Adam (22 October 2009). "BNP on Question Time". guardian.co.uk. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
  73. "Angry scenes face Griffin at BBC". BBC News. 22 October 2009. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
Preceded by
Villa Louvigny
Luxembourg City		 Eurovision Song Contest
Venue
1963		 Succeeded by
Tivoli Concert Hall
Copenhagen
Preceded by
first venue		 Eurovision Dance Contest
Venue
2007		 Succeeded by
SECC
Glasgow
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.