BBC Breakfast Show Moving North

[daffy654]

http://www.dailymail....litical-decision.html

Do you think the BBC Breakfast programme will suffer if they move it to Salford?
The 'stars' of the show are concerned that 'big names' will decline to be interviewed by them if they have to travel north for it. The sports presenter Chris Hollins seems to be very vocal in his criticism of the move, yet he would be able to interview the stars of Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool FC, etc. instead of just the players from Southern clubs.

Is it really that big a deal for anyone wishing to promote themselves or their cause to hop on a plane and take a very short journey north to appear on the show?

[IggyB]

I hope it does put these celebs off then maybe we could have a news programme made instead of what seems like hours upon hours of adverts with a little bit of news-lite sprinkled in the break up the product placements and celebrity endorsements

[jno]

it's a significant difference - between doing an interview before work and taking half a day over it. Their main concern is politicians rather than footballers, I believe.

[IggyB]

can we move parliament to Salford as well?

A live link to westminster is very easy to arrange and won't hinder the presenters asking what the interviewees favourite colour is or if they've read any good books lately.

[jackthehat]

Will the ability to conduct an interview live in London and to insert it into the Breakfast Time broadcast be lost ?

[jno]

I shouldn't think so, jack, but if you have to have interviewers in London to do these interviews then why move, is the thinking.

[jackthehat]

A smaller more intimate studio-room would be perfectly suitable for carrying out these interviews.
I am more interested in the interviewee than the interviewer; and therefore, if Chris Hollins wishes to stay in London, where his duties may be significantly reduced, let him. I'm sure there are many other equally qualified interviewers who realise that 'it ain't all about them' who would be happy to assume some of his current job-load.

[McMouse]

It's a BBC ploy to get vastly overpaid presenters to quit.

[daffy654]

jno, I hardly think Hollins is concerned with politicians. He seems to be the main focus of the DM article, so it was from his point of view that I asked my question.

Live links are commonplace on news programmes these days so I really don't see the big deal about them moving north. I am slightly puzzled as to why they are moving at all though.

[jno]

it's a political move, daffy; they want to make it clearer that they're serving the whole country. In an era when governments try to centralise everything so they can keep an eye on them, that's probably no bad thing. However, many metropolitan media types are distressed at being moved beyound the reaches of civilisation. Hollins would have been among those affected less, I would have thought, but as pointed out, he could always resign and find work asking 'You want fries with that?'

[Gromit]

The London Broadcasting Corporation and all its lazy celebs should stay where they are. Manchester has been relatively luvvie-free since we managed to export Richard and Judy.

The vast influx of homosexuals from London, with their pink pounds will add to the local economy.

[237SJ]

People weren`t put off travelling when This Morning used to broadcast from Birmingham

[kinell]

its a fact of life that London is where its at

i work at a hedge fund based in mayfair (London W1), and the majority of hedge funds are based there....not because they like the highest rents in the country but because the clients reside there when in town and are reluctant to even travel the four miles from their hotel to the City for meetings

these people and the types the BBC like to interview are used to doing the rounds in one relatively close area so they are hardly going to be inclined to do 2 tv interviews in london and a couple of radio interviews there and then flit off to Manchester for another one

[237SJ]

What have hedge funds got to do with the BBC? They are only based in London because it`s Britain`s financial centre. If so called celebrities have something to promote, they`ll go anywhere for an interview

[daffy654]

I too am baffled with the link between hedge funds and the BBC Breakfast programme.

As I already said, if the person being interviewed doesn't want to travel north, then there are always live links to wherever they are.

[237SJ]

And I don`t think the statement that hedge fund clients are the kind of people the BBC like to interview is quite correct. It would be more exciting watching paint dry!

[kinell]

the comparison was to show that people with a high opinion of themselves (politicians, celebrities, people with loads of money etc) cannot be bothered to put themselves out, so sad but true

you have to go to them or failing that the best case is that they will come to you if you are no more than say 30 mins away

live links / video conferencing just is not the same

[scotman]

I am not that bothered either way but I seem to recall that Richard & Judy gave similar reason for moving their show to London from Liverpool? They couldn't get anyone important to come for interview.

[jno]

the BBC had trouble when it moved a lot of its operations from Oxford Circus to TV White City - many potential interviewees couldn't even be bothered going as far as Shepherd's Bush, let alone Manchester. (Which is why they're moving back to Oxford Circus.) You have to go where the news is. More news comes out of London. You can leave London but there will be a cost (which I'm sure they've weighed up.)