Ten Alps boss defends MediaCity - North West Media News

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Ten Alps boss defends MediaCity

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Wednesday, 12 November 2008

Ten Alps chief executive Alex Connock has written to How-Do to set the record straight on the BBC North move.

With a number of negative stories appearing in the national press and blogs, Connock told us that talent will come to the North West, but along the way, some personalities will no doubt get lost.

This is Connock's letter in full:

The key journalistic quality missing from all these anti-Media City pieces - apart from the sources never being on the record, and the absence of anyone from Media City or BBC North to put up a counter-argument - is one of logic.

Here's why:

* It is indeed true that almost all nationally famous radio presenters are currently in London.

* But the reason for this is not that they all were born in London. It's that for the past 70 years - the entire lifespan of BBC Radio, in fact - the only way anyone could become a nationally famous radio presenter was to move to London.

* So for aspiring broadcast talent, geographic dislocation was not invented by Media City - it's been going on for nearly three quarters of a century, in one direction only - from the regions, towards London.

Build and they will come

Now there is just a slight rebalancing of the talent migration, and a little traffic in the other direction. Inevitably there will be some who choose not to relocate in the early months of Media City, and one can understand why, given that kids are at school and so forth.

But there will also be great opportunities for new talent to come in, which is never a bad thing. If the new talent happen to be from the North West, they won't now have to uproot their lives to London, or move their kids.

I think of it this way. Supposing Shell discovered new oil wealth in the Irish Sea and wanted to move staff from the North Sea. There would be some staff who said no, and wanted to stay put in Aberdeen. Fair enough. 

But Shell would definitely build the oil rigs anyway, and hire workers. Soon enough, probably instantly in fact, those rigs would be full of talented, qualified oil personnel, and the oil would be flowing. After all, in the 1950s there were no oil rig workers twiddling their thumbs in Aberdeen, waiting for oil to be discovered and an industry to be built - and Shell managed to staff the North Sea.

In other words, the Field of Dreams aphorism really is true in economics: if you build it, they will come. In ten years' time, Media City will be easily strong enough to command its own talent, no-one will be complaining about moving there, and we can all sit back and listen to the actual programmes.

I for one actually hope Simon Mayo is on - because I'm a fan. I'll show him and Dr Kermode round Lyme Park if they like.

Alex Connock
Chief Executive, Ten Alps PLC

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Comments (19)

1 By Loggedoff, on 12-11-2008 12:41
But, but, but...how can Connocks write about a lack of journalistic quality when he starts every other paragraph with 'But' and litters his letter with simple grammar errors.

These errors might pass muster in 'Water and Sewage Journal' or the other delightful Ten Alps (non ABC) vanity publishing ventures, BUT not when you are criticising others.

That said the letter does make some reasonable if a little obvious points so thanks for sharing Alex.

I know readers, I am putting myself up to be shot down, however, I am not the one who started it.