Comments on: Petition

By: Joel Bernardes

Joel Bernardes — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 21:03:34 +0000

This decision should not be taken by the BBC but by the viewers who pay for the service. it is just unacceptable.

By: Adrian Bray

Adrian Bray — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 23:09:17 +0000

The future for west London looks increasing bland and bleak. It is probably too late to save the massive Earls Court exhibition center which is only a mile down the road. That huge and iconic site with its great transport links and well established infrastructure, and which has been showcasing British industry for 80 years is set to be razed to the ground and turned into, guess what? You’ve got it, flats, shops and hotels. Now much the same fate awaits large slices of TVC? I have said elsewhere that London without Earls Court will be like New York without Madison Square Gardens. So I like the analogy above that now we are losing the equivalent of NBC in the Rockefeller Center too! Who is planning all this? Who is allowing all the industry that has made this area world famous, is demonstrably ‘sustainable’ and fit for the twenty-first century to be torn apart in favour of coffee shops and over-priced flats. Why is this madness being allowed to happen? Don’t blame the developers – they are doing what developers do – cashing in on the massive housing price bubble. Blame the government. They are the ones we allegedly vote into power to look after our best interests and see the bigger picture but who now seem to believe that our best interests lie not in sustainable, established, creative industries in which Britain is a recognised world leader, but in flats and coffee shops. And everyone knows that other countries do flats and coffee shops much better than we do. As a local resident of 20 years, I don’t recall voting for any of this. One cannot help but suspect that the government no longer has the best interests of the average voter close to its heart? I welcome plans to make TVC the centre of a media village for the twenty-first century. Who wouldn’t want that? Bring it on. But the developers will always look to maximise their short term profits, and those short term profits come from the sale of flats and houses. So for them the destruction of state of the art TV studios is a perfectly reasonable plan. It is up to a higher authority than the directors of Stanhope PLC. The planning authorities must recognise this and ensure that the iconic (listed) building that is the hub of this development is maintained fit for purpose, not so weakened and hamstrung by the developers, that the long term viability of the project is jeapordised for the short term gain to the developers. Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. Keep the studios.

By: Patrick Duffy

Patrick Duffy — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 21:25:46 +0000

Because it is considered trendy to believe that television broadcasters don’t need studios any more!

By: Patrick Duffy

Patrick Duffy — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 21:20:46 +0000

Wait and see, as sure as night follows day, in about five years or so we will get a great pronouncement from some future BBC DG that closing TVC was the BBC’s worst decision ever.
This of course will be made with the safe knowledge that it was not “my decision” and something should have been done at the time to stop it…………….. I mean how often have we heard similar admissions from various organisations in the past?

By: Mike Leaback

Mike Leaback — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 07:48:43 +0000

As a nation we have been investing in the BBC all these years . For it to be sold off bit by bit is a disgrace . The BBC and TV centre are national assets , we may as well sell off the crown jewels as well .

By: Andrew Stacey

Andrew Stacey — Fri, 31 May 2013 23:07:19 +0000

It seems madness to destroy one of the most efficient programme making facilities in the country, even though, with the loss of it’s props, scenes and wardrobe departments, it’s excellence has already been sadly diminished. It is also one of the most Iconic and recognisable buildings in the country.
In the wake of the latest, £100 million (digital) loss fiasco it would appear to be time to ask,though I hate to use the corrupted phrase. if those running the BBC are fit for purpose,

By: Pat Hagarty

Pat Hagarty — Fri, 31 May 2013 14:16:34 +0000

Please save these BBC Studios at White City,as i am sure they would PAY for them selves in the long run.

By: Anne Cowley

Anne Cowley — Fri, 24 May 2013 19:32:51 +0000

It seems madness to demolish good studios at this iconic location. Let’s keep them!

By: Reg Tarling

Reg Tarling — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:51:39 +0000

Having worked at TV Centre during the late 80′s early 90′s
as Project Surveyor for the construction group that developed
hundreds of millions of pounds of TV Centre buildings and
studios including TC1 for the BBC to walk away having spent
all of our money on producing these fine facilities is nothing
less than shameless.

By: Antonia Rae

Antonia Rae — Wed, 08 May 2013 08:43:05 +0000

The idea of knocking down 5 of the best HD studios in London isn’t just a bad idea, it is completely and utterly crazy and a massive waste of BBC Licence Fee payers’ money. There is now a chronic shortage of studio space in London and productions are desperate for decent studio facilities in the capital. It also provided real jobs in one of least affluent areas of London as well as being a beautiful, iconic functioning building.