Channel 4 has selected Bristol as the base for one of its two new creative hubs, delivering a huge boost to the city’s creative sector and offering a new route into the industry for its young people.
The broadcaster will relocate around 50 jobs to Bristol from its London headquarters. It said Bristol had “put forward exciting proposals to establish new social mobility initiatives to work with diverse communities across the city and bring through new talent into the industry”.
There was also an opportunity to build on Bristol’s thriving television production sector, which Channel 4 said boasted world-renowned factual producers along with strengths in areas such as animation and digital production.
Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees, pictured, described it as “fantastic news”, adding: “Bristol is a city that pushes boundaries, questions the norm and actively nurtures a strong culture of creative and digital innovation – we know Channel 4 will feel at home here. This move will help to build on our existing thriving media industry and wealth of local talent. We look forward to welcoming Channel 4 to the city.” 
Leeds won the race to be the site of the broadcaster’s new national headquarters. Bristol had bid for this and was visited by Channel 4 bosses but did not make the final shortlist. Leeds was this afternoon described as the unexpected winner as its two rival cities – Greater Manchester and Birmingham – were both considered to have strong cases.
Glasgow is to be the home of Channel 4’s other creative hub. Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon said establishing a creative hub in Bristol gave it the opportunity to build on the thriving production communities in the city and to partner with Cardiff and harness the power of the wider creative industry across the South West and Wales.
She added: “The city also put forward exciting social mobility proposals to develop talent across the wider region.”
Mayor Rees met Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon in April to press the city’s case for being the location for the national HQ, which will involve moving around 300 staff from its London head office. He used the meeting to showcase Bristol’s rich and diverse creative and cultural sectors. These were key elements of Channel 4’s requirements.
No figure for jobs at the new Bristol creative hub have been announced by Channel 4. 
Alex Mahon, pictured, said this afternoon: “Diversity and inclusion have always been at the heart of Channel 4’s mission and the launch of our 4 All the UK plan is the biggest and most exciting change in the organisation’s 36-year history – as we open up Channel 4 to people from across the UK and supercharge the impact we have in all parts of the country.
“We will be spending up to £250m more on programming produced in the nations and regions and to catalyse that spend I’m delighted to confirm that we will be establishing a new national HQ in Leeds and new creative hubs in Bristol and Glasgow.
“We undertook a rigorous process over the last seven months and the high calibre of all the pitches meant those were incredibly difficult decisions to make. However, I know that Leeds, Bristol and Glasgow will best deliver our objectives to grow the production sector across the UK, build the pipeline of creative talent outside London and support our increased investment in programming produced across the nations and regions.”
A survey by readers of TV industry title Broadcast on which city they felt would be the best location for Channel 4 put Bristol and Glasgow in equal top spot. Bristol’s bid had powerful backing from the city’s MPs, the city council, West of England Combined Authority, and its leading creative and cultural bodies including Aardman, Animations, Icon Films, Plimsoll Productions, RDF West and The Bottle Yard Studios – the city council-owned TV and movie studio complex at Hengrove which has been used to film productions ranging from Poldark and The White Princess to Broadchurch and Hellboy 3.
Plimsoll CEO and founder Grant Mansfield, pictured, said Channel 4’s decision would “super charge” Bristol’s already expanding creative sector and help support the city’s commitment to improve inclusivity in the sector.
“Bristol is simply a great place for 4 to be – my own company, Plimsoll, is now the biggest indie outside London, making shows for clients across the world, and this couldn’t have happened if we’d been based in any other city,” he said.
Icon Films managing director Laura Marshall added: “We are all absolutely delighted to welcome C4 to this city of disruptors, innovators, diversity and success and can’t wait to get going on introducing them to the many communities who will be impacted by this vote of confidence.
“In our schools and higher education organisations there’s a whole new generation of content creators who will benefit from the C4 presence, and a heavyweight production community who will help create the conditions for C4’s future success in the regions.”
And Bottle Yard Studios site director Fiona Francombe, pictured, said: “It’s really exciting to see that C4 shared our collective vision to build on our creative talent base, improve skills development and widen access into the industry for people from all backgrounds. 
“Bristol is a place where people celebrate a strong sense of independence whilst also working together to produce genuinely exciting collaborations. Having C4 here will endorse and enhance our media community.”
West of England Metro Mayor Tim Bowles said Channel 4’s decision was a “fantastic recognition for our region’s wealth of local talent and thriving creative industry”.
He added: “Well done to all those involved in the successful bid – including everyone at the West of England Combined Authority’s inward investment arm Invest Bristol & Bath with their knowledge, expertise and tireless efforts to increase national and international interest and growth in our region.
“Through our significant investment in the bid, and the combined efforts of all our councils and Bristol’s fantastic independent TV production cluster to support the leadership of Mayor Marvin Rees, we’ve definitely been tuned-in to giving Channel 4 the perfect location for the future.”
Bosses from Channel 4 visited 13 shortlisted cities and regions in their search for suitable locations, with the half-day visit to Bristol taking place on June 22. A month later the city was told it had missed out on becoming the home to the new national headquarters but was still in the running to be the location for one of its two creative hubs in competition with Cardiff and Glasgow.
Channel 4 received more than 30 submissions in the first round of applications from across the UK. Seven cities, including Bristol, were shortlisted for the national HQ or creative hub and a further six were shortlisted for consideration as a creative hub only. None of these six have made it onto the final list. The only one of the seven cities vying for the national HQ not to make it through to the next round was Liverpool.
Channel 4 announced its 4 All the UK plan in March to ensure it serves the whole of the UK. It is the biggest change to its structure in its 35-year history.
At the heart of the strategy is a major new commitment to increase the level of content produced for it in the UK’s nations and regions from 35% to a voluntary target of 50% by 2023.
Channel 4 said this would result in a cumulative boost of £250m-plus in commissioning spending.
It said it plans to transfer jobs from across the business including key creative decision makers to the new national HQ and two new smaller creative hubs.
Pictured below: Bristol’s Channel 4 bid working group outside City Hall earlier this year, with mayors Marvin Rees and Tim Bowles, centre
