MediaCityUK Blog Archive | MediaCityUK, Salford Quays

By December 11th 2008, the people of Manchester will either approve or reject a Congestion Charge - similar to the one that was introduced in London in 2003.

The Congestion Charge would apply at peak times (7.30am - 9am travelling towards Manchester, 4pm - 6.30pm travelling out), Monday to Friday.

The Charge would then be used to pay for improvements to public transport and roads throughout Greater Manchester (although the charge would only be introduced when at least 80% of these improvements are in operation - according to GMPTE).

So what does all this mean for MediaCityUK? If the Congestion Charge gets approved, we can expect the following changes affecting travel to and from MediaCityUK -

So far so good for MediaCityUK. But it's not all good news...

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A week after Greasley leaves MediaCityUK, NWDA Chairman becomes head of Peel Media

Bryan Gray, the current chairman of the North West Development Agency (responsible for the sustainable economic development and regeneration of England's Northwest) has been appointed as the new chairman of Peel Media, the developers of MediaCityUK.

The NWDA has already contributed £30m to MediaCityUK, and the appointment has raised suspicions of a possible conflict of interests.

John Whittaker, UKIP MEP for the north west, said; "One has to be a little suspicious...Bryan Gray has a place on the NWDA board so he's certainly got influence there. Peel's done terribly well out of this."

Gray will continue in his role as chairman of the NWDA, and along with trying to find a replacement for Brian Greasley as MD, will be attempting to “delivering Peel Media’s vision of making MediaCityUK the largest purpose-built media community in the UK and Europe.”

You can see more details on the MEN, or read How-Do's take.

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Radio 5Live at MediaCityUK - with or without Mayo?

Simon Mayo apparently doesn't want to relocate to Salford when BBC Radio 5Live makes the move to MediaCityUK.

But it's worse (better?) than that - Iain Dale has a list as long as a footlong baguette of 5Live presenters who are also 'unlikely' to reposition themselves - "So what we are looking at is a completely new presenter line-up on the news and current affairs programmes." (!)

It's just the latest in a growing trend of stories about BBC staff who are not entirely happy at the MediaCityUK move. Hopefully this mini-exodus from 5Live will pave the way for some fresh Northern talent...

(In case you were wondering - Simon Mayo will be ok, he is apparently going to replace Ken Bruce on Radio 2, but not until 2011. Goodness knows what will happen to Ken Bruce.)

(via How-Do)

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MediaCityUK Managing Director quits after less than a year; Update: MEN on why Greasley left…

Shocking news! Brian Greasley, MediaCityUK's MD has left his position after less than a year in charge.

He was originally brought in to 'create the vision' for MediaCityUK and take the project forward towards the BBC's arrival in 2011. The reason for his departure is not yet clear, and the statement from Head of Communications Paul Newman is pretty vague - "Over the last 12 months, Brian has done a first class job in setting out the vision for MediaCityUK, and establishing a high quality operational team" and "[Brian is] now looking forward to seeking new challenges..."

The news has not come as a complete shock to everybody - a few commenters on How-Do say it was a long time coming, and in the past Greasley has been criticised for his speaking and presentation style at various events.

Greasley’s responsibilities will be taken over by group managing director of Peel Holdings Andrew Simpson, until a replacement is found. More info at How-Do and the MEN.

Update: The MEN reports that Greasley left because of "...a `mutual realisation' that he was perhaps not the best person to drive the project further forward." An inside source at MediaCityUK told the MEN "He had vision, but there was a feeling that his relationship with big public-sector organisations, including the Salford Regeneration Company, was not close enough, and that he needed to network more with people, an aspect of the job that he appeared not to like."

He goes on to imply that the lack of 'key player' private sector tenants and the failure to attract interest from 'big media hitters' in the United States may also have contributed to Greasley's departure. (full article)

Update #2: Crain's are also covering this story, focusing on the difficulty MediaCityUK faces in attracting tenants given the current economic climate, and now being without a Managing Director. (via SkyScraperCity)

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Major media company relocating to MediaCityUK… but who?

Update: the latest on this story can be found in this article - 'MTV wants its MediaCityUK…or does it?'

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The MediaCityUK rumour mill is in full flow after rumours that a major worldwide media company is about to announce it's move to MediaCityUK.

Currently topping the list are MTV, Sky, CNN, Al Jazeera, ESPN and TV5.

Actual details are slim, but the company is apparently a well known global brand, and we can expect more details within the month. MTV certainly seems to be the current front-runner, so watch this space.

Whoever it is will be joining the BBC, ITV/Granada, Salford Uni and.... QVC. We wrote about MediaCityUK's need to attract big hitters a little earlier in the year.

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MediaCityUK footbridge planned across the Quays

It's been rumoured for a while now, but this week we finally saw some images of what the proposed MediaCityUK footbridge will look like.

Planning permission has been submitted for the bridge which will link MediaCityUK on the North Quay with developments on the South Quay in Trafford - in particular the space expected to be the new home of ITV/Granada. The bridge will apparently spin to allow ships to carry on down the canal.

You can read a little more detail about the bridge on property week. Personally I think it looks like an American Indian Headdress.

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MediaCityUK September round-up

It's been a busy month for those following the developments at MediaCityUK.

We reported earlier about the expected relocations of ITV and Salford Uni's Media Department, and since then we've seen the first renders of what Salford Uni's building will look like. (pic on the left, many more details and pics on the skyscrapercity MediaCityUK thread).

And the BBC has announced they are looking to appoint a new director of BBC North, who will be responsible for the move to MediaCityUK, Salford Quays. If you're interested in applying, you can see a summary of the position here. (Good Luck!)

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Salford Uni move to MediaCity almost confirmed… who’s next?

Salford Uni is apparently closing a deal with MediaCityUK to relocate their media studios department to the Quays. Like the ITV reports just days ago there is no official announcement as of yet, but the MEN imply the deal is as good as done.

Crain's reports that an application has been made to Salford City Council for the University building, a part two, part five and part 18-storey building containing 22,000 sq ft of food and drink space, 42,000 sq ft of office and a classroom building of around 95,000 sq ft this week.

So that's ITV and Salford University for this week... any predictions for who'll be making relocation announcements next week?

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ITV preparing to announce MediaCityUK move

The MEN reports that ITV chiefs have reached an 'agreement in principal' with MediaCityUK developers Peel Holdings for the long-expected relocation from Quay Street to Salford Quays.

An official announcement is expected in the next few weeks (with the contract still yet to be signed) but this is big news for MediaCityUK chiefs, who will be delighted to have another big name confirmed.

You can read the full article here.

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MediaCityUK move causing a BBC revolt, but there will be no surrender

More rumors today about the reluctance and/or opposition of BBC staff to the MediaCityUK move. This time it's the telegraph reporting that high profile Radio 5 Live presenters Nicky Campbell, Peter Allen and Simon Mayo are all considering their positions.

The article also says that the timing of the relocation - which is due to be completed shortly before the start of the London 2012 Olympics - is proving a further source of frustration, because many 5 Live and Sports staff will be sent back down to the capital for Olympics coverage.

Despite the grumblings, a senior BBC official refused to back down: "There will be no retreat. By 2012 the move will be complete to Salford. And Radio 5 Live is going to Salford. Period."

You can read the full article here

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MediaCityUK needs global hits… who and where will they come from?

Alex Connock of Ten Alps has written an interesting piece on how-do's weekly wrap about MediaCityUK's need to attract media companies who will deliver world-class output.

He lists a number of North West companies whom he believes MediaCityUK should be desperate to attract, and describes a number of methods that should be employed to convince these big-hitters to relocate to the Quays - whilst encouraging ambitious projects that would put MediaCityUK on the map.

Peel certainly could do with a few big names to help get the ball rolling, (there are already hints of how they plan to attract smaller start-ups to MediaCity UK), but is the North West really able to deliver these, or should they be looking further afield?

You can read the full article here.

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Paul Newman to head up communications for MediaCity

The Drum reports that Paul Newman is to leave his job as Liverpool Culture Company's head of PR and public affairs, to become head of communications at MediaCityUK. As you've probably gathered by now, it's not the Paul Newman you would (no doubt) like it to be.

But it's not all bad news, as Newman is the former director of communications at the Football Association, and has previously managed projects such as the re-development of Wembley Stadium and the England team press office for the 2002 World Cup. Apparently he will begin working for MediaCity (Peel) in October, managing a marketing budget that is apparently estimated to be well in excess of £1m annually.

You can read the full article here, where they have a photo of the real Paul Newman (not the one who has his own range of salad dressings).

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new official MediaCityUK site launches, new timelapse videos and little else

MediaCityUK launched a new website today, as the old one went AWOL.

Put together by Wash Design, the new site has little new information, but does have some new timelapse videos of the construction site, (see the 'site' section), along with contact details for all those interested in office and residential space.

The new site is definitely a visual improvement on the old one, but with no sign of a news or press section, it leaves something to be desired for those desperate for details. Surprisingly, the video that was shown at the recent MediaCityUK Studios bash, and the b.tween 08 conference is nowhere to be seen.

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MediaCityUK party verdict: it was crap

The party at the freshly painted MediaCityUK Studios this past Friday will not be going down as the shindig of the year.

Comments on How-Do's party review are less than enthused about the event, with some people slagging off everything from the food and drink to the entertainment and even Mr Greasley's speech. Here are just a few choice quotes - in case they get removed (which apparently has already happened to a few - see comment #8);

"This event was utter crap. Short on substance - just like the food."

"Comedian was ok, beer was cold - but apart from that this was pretentious rubbish at it's best. "

Not a great start for MediaCityUK, but maybe they'll get it right next time.

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this week in MediaCityUK - parties, videos and logos

Last week was pretty busy for MediaCityUK. On Thursday 19th June, Brian Greasley (Managing Director) was giving a quick talk at the b.TWEEN 08 conference at the Museum of Science and Industry. The 9 minute talk is available online, and while it doesn't really contain any new information, it does include a new MediaCityUK promo video (skip to 06:00) which has some new fly-through scenes of the development, and shows off the new logo.

This new promo was shown again on Friday the 20th at a huge party held at the Pie Factory. Over 400 guests were invited to the new MediaCityUK Studios to see what MediaCityUK could offer to those working in the media industries. The MEN has a brief write up here, and you can see pictures here (via SalfordQuays.org).

In preparation for the bash, the Pie Factory underwent a serious makeover last week, and now sports the latest MediaCityUK identity and logo, alongside industry related images. (Pics to follow). Finally, it looks like a new official website is imminent... watch this space!

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BBC staff reluctant to move to Salford?

Both How-Do and The Guardian ran stories last week about the reluctance of BBC staff to sign up to a Salford relocation scheme.

Apparently only two members of staff have so far applied for the scheme which offers help in buying homes amongst other services, and could be worth up to £8,000 each.

The BBC’s chief operating officer Caroline Thomson was at Manchester Business School last week, and admitted that "Staff in London fall into two groups - some are still anxious about the move, while others are embracing it."

How-Do reports that assumptions about reluctant movers has prompted BBC executives into looking for replacement staff from North-West talent, but the BBC has said that Journalists haven't yet been asked to decide on moving.

So is it fair to label BBC staff as unenthusiastic, or is it simply too early to tell?

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Greasley expects £30 per sq ft for MediaCity space

Crain's Manchester Business reports that tenants at Media City should be expecting to pay up around £30 per sq ft for renting space in the new development.

That amount is hardly competitive for the region, but Managing Director Brian Greasley points out it is a third of what you could expect to pay for similar space in London.

It is the first hint at prices so far for MediaCity, and the BBC are still the only confirmed tenants. It remains to be seen if such a price will have a negative impact on attracting young start-up businesses - and perhaps damaging MediaCity's chances of attracting the big dogs, who could be paying much less just down the road.

you can read the full article here, and a editorial view here.

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new MediaCity:UK logo & idents

While browsing the website for the upcoming Media Festival (see previous article), I spotted what seems to be the new MediaCity logo. You can see it in context on The Media Festival website.

*UPDATE* - I stumbled across a colour version on the Big Chip awards site - and have replaced the image accordingly.

Unfortunately, if this is a new logo, the change hasn't yet made it's way to the official MediaCity site, which still has the previous 'beige circle' logo.

*UPDATE 2* - As artdictator has kindly pointed out in the comments, there are a few ident videos on youtube showing the new logo in action. You can see both videos below.

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Major new Media Festival planned for Manchester

A new annual media festival will be held in Manchester for the first time this November, the Manchester Evening News reports. The Festival is being organised by Emap Communications, publishers of the television and radio industry news magazine Broadcast.

Peter Bazalgette, head of Big Brother maker Endemol, the media festival's chairman, said: "The Media Festival brings together, for the first time; TV, film, music, gaming and social networking - in fact, everyone who is reconfiguring their business model for the digital age. It's now widely accepted we can all learn from each other - the event promises to be hugely instructive."

The festival advisory board includes some of the biggest names in media, including Danny Cohen, controller of BBC Three; Alex Connock, chief executive of Ten Alps; and Brian Greasley, managing director of Mediacity UK.

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Radio 5 Live controller says MediaCity move is all or nothing

The Guardian has an in-depth interview with the new controller of BBC Radio 5 Live, Adrian van Klaveren. Radio 5 Live is one of five BBC departments making the move to Salford Quays, and Van Klaveren says he is looking forward to the challenge of the move, but he admits not all of his staff will share his excitement.

"Not everybody's going to want to come," says the new controller. "We have got to be realistic, that won't be the case. But I think enough will want to come for us to be able to make a success of it." Van Klaveren describes Five Live's move to the mediacity:uk development as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to create an "even better radio station".

You can read the entire article here.

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Greasley planning venture fund to attract the next Facebook or YouTube

PropertyWeek.com has a great article about Brian Greasley's plans to launch a venture fund that will invest in Media City’s future tenants. There are not many details as yet, but the focus seems to be on attracting and supporting companies that will really put mediacity:uk on the map;

"The fund is still in the early stages of planning, and its size and length have yet to be finalised. Its purpose, however, will be to back Media City’s companies and help them create the next Facebook or YouTube."

Greasley also repeats his claims that 'Media City is our Silicon Valley', and discusses the scale of the task he now faces in trying to attract the brighest and best media companies to Salford Quays within the next few years. You can see the full article here.

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Metrolink for MediaCity moves closer

People in Salford will be able to find out more about plans for a new Metrolink service to mediacity:uk next week.

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Executive (GMPTE) is holding a special two day event at The Lowry in Salford Quays on Tuesday 18 and Wednesday 19 March. 3,000 questionnaires have also been posted to local residents and businesses as part of a six week consultation.

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Hollywood director to speak on Salford’s media future

Hollywood film director Michael Apted, responsible for Gorillas in the Mist and The World is Not Enough, and currently working on the next installment of the Narnia films, will be speaking about the North West's media ambitions on Thursday 13 March at the Lowry.

The inaugural lecture is in memory of Granada leader David Plowright, and sponsored by the University's business club, CAMPUS, of which David was a board member for almost 10 years.

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MediaCity:UK studios, offices, homes and hotel get planning permission

Last Week (7 February) Salford City Council approved plans for a 'showpiece' 24,000m2 studio block, 3,200m2 of offices, a 11,000m2 hotel, 168 homes, and as a 2,116-space multi-storey car park, reports the Architects Journal.

The announcement represents only the 'first phase' of the development, which is also set to include a dedicated educational building in partnership with Salford University, and cafes and restaurants based around 15,000 square metres of public piazza.

Work has already started on the site, with 10 cranes already up, and 4 stories of the BBC's waterside building already constructed. You can see ongoing photos of the building site at this flickr group.

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CBBC sails to Salford, but where will the Blue Peter garden go?

The Sunday Mirror is reporting that The Blue Peter garden is to be dug up and moved to a new site in Manchester. It will be relocated when BBC children's TV moves from London to Salford next year.

Blue Peter's garden, which has been situated at Television Centre in West London for the past 33 years, contains the show's latest time capsule and a bronze bust of the show's pet dog Petra. All of the items will apparently be moved to the new site.

A Blue Peter spokesman said: "Children's TV is moving up to Manchester in 2009 and we are planning for a Blue Peter garden up there. We are looking at a few possibilities at the new site."

Anybody have any ideas?

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Doctor Who producer heading to Manchester, MediaCity eventually

Phil Collinson, former Dr Who producer, is joining the BBC to become Head of Drama, Manchester, returning to the city where he started his television career.

Collinson will be charged with developing links with both on and off-screen talent in the region and contributing shows to the overall slate of BBC Drama Production when he begins in the spring.

Peter Salmon, Chief Creative Officer, BBC Vision Productions, says: "Phil Collinson is a terrific addition to a brilliant top team working on in-house drama throughout the UK. His signing reflects renewed ambition and confidence here at the end of a stunning spell of output. BBC Drama Production is at the top of its game and Phil brings yet more experience and flair to in-house programme making. His arrival also marks the BBC's renewed commitment to Northern drama talent, at a time when its base in the North West of England is to be strengthened considerably throughout. BBC Drama Production will play a major role at the new BBC centre at mediacity:uk through Phil and his team."

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MediaCity:UK could be new Silicon Valley

Brian Greasley, managing director of mediacity:uk has said that Salford could become the new Silicon Valley. Greasley also said the point of mediacity:uk was not to build a city, but to "change the way the media industry works".

Greasley was speaking at the Television for the Nations and Regions conference at The Lowry, during a session dedicated to discussing mediacity:uk. Also on the panel were Mike Ryan of Idaho Technology, Matt Locke, Commissioning Editor for Education and New Media at Channel 4 and Hugh Mason of Pembridge Partners.

Brain Greasley spoke about his desire to see mediacity:uk as a 'relaxed' and 'bohemian' environment that would attract tourists and visitors, aswell as serious talent across all the major media industries. He went on to say that mediacity:uk would have the funding and infrastructure needed to attract the next generation of Googles and YouTubes.

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BBC announces more jobs for MediaCity:UK

The BBC today announced a 10% increase in jobs moving from London to mediacity:uk, making a new total of over 1,620.

Speaking at the launch of the BBC Connect And Create Partnership at Huddersfield University, the BBC's Chief Operating Officer Caroline Thomson said:

"As part of the BBC's drive to become less London-centric and more deeply rooted in the whole of the UK, we will be moving a significant number of additional staff to the new media centre in Salford Quays. All of this will strengthen Salford's place as a true network centre. And with a stronger BBC presence, there will be even greater potential for Manchester, Salford and the whole of the North of England to become a world class centre of media innovation and technology for the 21st Century."

The additional jobs are in the BBC Future Media & Technology (FM&T) division, and in BBC News – including journalists working in BBC Radio 5 Live as well as some network news correspondents.

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