New UK TV company to base itself in Leeds
MADE Television, the largest holder of local television licences in the UK, is to set up its headquarters in Leeds, creating more than 50 jobs and generating more than £1m of investment in the city.
The move has been secured by Leeds and Partners, the strategic agency for inward investment, that has been working in partnership with MADE Television to secure their headquarters in the city.
Earlier this year, Ofcom awarded the local TV licence for Leeds to MADE Television, citing their greater understanding of the specific needs of the area, strong local links and developed partnership proposals.
Having already made successful bids for the local TV licences in Bristol, Cardiff and Newcastle, it was the fourth franchise win for the company chaired by former BSkyB executive and Top Up TV co-founder Ian West.
The shared services of the four stations will be headquartered at The Leeds Media & Broadcasting Centre on Savile Mount in Chapeltown.
In addition to the job creation and capital investment being made at the Made in Leeds TV Studios and Playout Centre, the group also intends to work with local producers and systems integration firms.
Jamie Conway, chief executive of MADE Television, said: “This is the dawn of an exciting new era in UK television broadcasting. Our new channels will act as a mirror to the local zeitgeist, broadcasting an eclectic array of new shows dedicated to the city. From an operational point of view, Leeds was always our number one choice for locating headquarters.”
Lurene Joseph, chief executive of Leeds and Partners, said: “MADE Television’s decision to set up its headquarters in Leeds is a huge triumph and demonstrates real investor confidence in the city.”
“As part of our engagement with the universities and colleges, we have been building a pipeline for the talent pool in the city, which MADE Television will be helping to nurture through their commitment to apprenticeships.
“We look forward to our continued partnership with MADE Television, and to developing and strengthening the city’s digital proposition in order to exploit the opportunities for economic growth presented by this sector.”
Leeds was partly selected due to its high calibre student population, allowing MADE Television to tap into the abundance of emerging creative talent in the city.
Sally Joynson, CEO of Screen Yorkshire, said: “The arrival of a major new player in TV is excellent news for the city, the local industry and of course new talent and Screen Yorkshire look forward to working closely with the MADE Television group.
“The city is already well known for its extensive TV production history, but the arrival of local TV heralds a new era in broadcasting. It opens a new platform for us to identify and develop the next generation of home grown talent.”
Whilst shared services will be centralised in Leeds to remain cost-efficient, news and entertainment content will be produced locally in Leeds, Bristol, Cardiff and Newcastle. The stations will be broadcast across all major platforms, including Freeview, Sky, Virgin and Freesat.
MADE in Leeds, which will be led by Station Manager Isi Abebe, is expected to go live in early 2014 and will air to a potential audience reach of more than 3.5m people across Leeds and the wider region, including Wakefield, Dewsbury, Halifax and Huddersfield.
