Salmon pledges support for creative sector
THE director of BBC North Peter Salmon has reiterated his pledge to support creative firms in the region and nurture new talent.
Speaking at a lunch organised by the professional services group Pro Manchester Mr Salmon said around 30,000 people had already applied to work at the new BBC North base at Salford Quays.
The corporation is moving around 2,500 staff to its new headquarters next year which will house Radio 5Live and its children’s and sport departments as well as local news.
He said it was investing across the North, working with independents such as Liverpool’s Conker Media and Sheffield-based Sumo Digital on new material that could be used across several platforms such as televisions, phones and computers.
- How to be a digital native – gen up on Salmon’s lingo at TheBusinessDesk blog
It is also commissioning new dramas and supporting smaller radio production companies to produce programmes for Radio 5Live.
“But it’s not all about spending money,” said Mr Salmon. “Another key objective is to support and nurture local employment with training and development, not only in Manchester and Salford, but right across the region. We’re creating hundreds of new jobs and I know there’s a huge appetite for them.”
Asked about the impact of the comprehensive spending review on the corporation Mr Salmon said, “we’re still feeding that into the machine. It’s a lot of new roles and responsibilities.” He added: “It was a reasonable settlement in quite tough times.”
