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| QUOTE (MEN) | Silicon Valley of Salford
Andy Russell
23/ 1/2008
THE new boss of the media city complex has pledged to make the hi-tech Salford centre `the new Silicon Valley'.
And with its bars and restaurants it will be a `cool' place to hang out'.
Brian Greasley outlined his hopes for the development at Salford Quays in his first public speech as managing director of mediacity:uk and spoke of the example of the original high-tech Silicon Valley in California. He said that the Salford project, where the BBC will base three main departments from 2011, will represent a `seismic change' in the media industry. Mr Greasley told 400 leading figures from TV and radio: "I think we will change the future here in Salford.
"We will change it because of the amount of talent in this region. Over 50 per cent of the TV, radio and music today is created by people who were born here or who work here. The talent here is extraordinary."
Mr Greasley was addressing the 15th Television for the Nations and Regions conference at The Lowry.
Historic shift
The conference also heard Mark Thompson, the director general of the BBC, say that the corporation's decision to move five departments to Salford was `an historic shift in the shape of the BBC'. He said: "It is a irreversible move of the physical centre of gravity in the BBC. We expect half the people working for us in the UK to be based outside London by the end of the current charter in 2013.
"The move to Salford will be good for programmes, good for the audience and good for the creative talent on which the BBC depends."
Mr Greasley cited the growth of the internet and social networking phenonmena, such as YouTube, as indicators of how the media industry is changing rapidly.
He said: "When George Bush was elected, YouTube did not even exist but now both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are using it in their campaigns. We have to break the boundaries and attract the new YouTubes and the new Googles - the new talent.
"I want media city to be the equivalent of Silicon Valley. It will have the funding and technology."
Mr Greasley said that he also wanted the site to be `relaxed'.
He said: "At the centre there will be areas of greenery, surrounded by bars, restaurants and shopping facilities. It will be a cool place to hang out rather than just a place to work." He also championed the advantages of living in the north west. He said: "You can drive for 45 minutes from here and be in the middle of the greenest part of the country.You can drive 45 minutes from central London and be where? Hammersmith?
"Mediacity:uk is a completely new phenonmenon which will bring together media, technology and creative businesses into one community.
"The city will be focussed on creating a community that allows people to live and work in the future landscape and have the necessary social facilitiies needed to stimulate ideas, talent and creativity."
The BBC is the main tenant at the mediacity development. The 200-acre site will have 15,000 jobs, of which over 2,400 will be at the BBC. The departments moving there are sport, Radio Five Live and children's programmes, children's learning, and future media and technology |
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