The Channel 4 relocation debate

By Rob Groves, Regional Director, Argent

The national debate over the relocation of Channel 4 has been given fresh impetus this week with West Midlands Mayor Andy Street stepping up his efforts to attract the broadcaster to Birmingham.

While several sites – including the City Centre, another close to the HS2 Interchange station near the NEC, and at Coventry – have been suggested, it is the regional move overall that’s important.

The government seems set on forcing Channel 4 out of its current home in Westminster in order to save costs and spread economic benefit. It’s been suggested moving the broadcaster to Birmingham would boost the local economy by £235 million per year.

But that in itself isn’t the whole argument. The positive messages from Birmingham and the West Midlands are about how the diversity and youth of the region matches the audience Channel 4 aims to reach.

Coupled with our existing creative talent and sector strengths, the availability of prime city centre sites including around our creative hub of Digbeth, and our hunger for a greater slice of broadcasting and media jobs, means Birmingham is the stand-out candidate to land the channel.

There’s plenty of competition from other cities and regions, from York and Hull to Plymouth and Bristol. But only Birmingham can offer a truly beneficial economic and talent argument around what would be in the best interests of Channel 4 itself.

If broadcasters need to be closer to their audiences, then it’s a no-brainer.

As the Peaky Blinder’s creator and Oscar-nominated writer-director Steven Knight says:

Best of all, when you come to Birmingham, you feel that this young-again, dry-humoured, unassuming city is getting confident in its own style. You get the feeling the best is yet to come.