HRH The Duchess of Cornwall officially opens BBC South West Headquarters

HRH The Duchess of Cornwall will officially open the new BBC South West Headquarters in Plymouth today (Wednesday 20 July 2016).

Published: 20 July 2016
We are incredibly proud of this major project, which reinforces our commitment to the region’s audience as the biggest national broadcaster in the area
— Leo Devine, Head of Regional and Local Programming for BBC South West

The Duchess will tour the new building with the following itinerary:

  • The BBC Radio Devon studios where HRH will meet Mark Grinnell, Editor of BBC Radio Devon. Mark will explain to HRH the new technology developed and used by BBC Local Radio, ViLoR
  • The BBC Spotlight studio and gallery where HRH will meet presenters, Justin Leigh and Clare Casson. HRH will also meet members of the BBC Spotlight production team who will explain the new technology, which forms the most advanced BBC TV studio and gallery outside of London
  • The BBC South West newsroom - the heart of the building. HRH will meet Jon Gripton, Editor of BBC Spotlight and Emma Clements, Assistant Editor of BBC Radio Devon
  • HRH will unveil a commemorative plaque to mark the official opening

Leo Devine, Head of Regional and Local Programming for BBC South West will host HRH during the visit.

At the time of announcing the visit, Leo said: “We are so honoured that Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall has accepted our invitation to open the new BBC South West Headquarters. As a team we are incredibly proud of this major project which reinforces our commitment to the region’s audience as the biggest national broadcaster in the area.”

Audiences are able to follow the Royal visit on BBC Radio Devon, BBC Radio Cornwall, BBC Spotlight and BBC Online or via social media.

Background to the BBC South West Project

For the last two years BBC South West has undertaken an ambitious redevelopment of its headquarters in Plymouth. The multi-million pound investment is the biggest BBC building project outside London in recent years. The new headquarters is home to cutting-edge newsgathering and broadcasting technology and future-proofs the BBC’s commitment to the South West, a commitment that began in 1924 when the first BBC offices in Plymouth were built.

The BBC appointed local architects AWW and project managers AECOM to complete the redevelopment project. Planning permission was granted by Plymouth City Council.

BBC South West Headquarters in Numbers

70 - The number of kilometres of IT cabling installed in the new building. The distance from Plymouth to Exeter
150 - The number of staff housed at BBC South West Headquarters (A further 100 based across the region)
1600 - The approximate area of BBC South West Headquarters in square metres
17 - The total number of TV studios, radio studios, galleries, graphics suites and edit suites in the new building
1 - The number of SKA silver awards in environmental credentials

Environment Credentials

The new headquarters of BBC South West has achieved a SKA silver award in environmental credentials. Environmental benefits include:

  • LED lighting
  • Solar panels on the roof
  • Free cooling
  • Bike stores and staff showers

Notes to Editors
BBC South West Key Facts

  • BBC South West’s portfolio includes: BBC Spotlight, BBC Radio Devon, BBC Radio Cornwall, BBC Radio Jersey, BBC Radio Guernsey, BBC Channel Islands News, Sunday Politics South West, BBC Inside Out South West, BBC News Online South West and one-off documentaries for BBC network television and radio
  • BBC South West is home to the most watched regional TV news programme in England, BBC Spotlight
  • Leo Devine, Head of Regional and Local Programming sits on the following boards: Non-Exec Director of South West Film and Television Archive, Non-Exec Director Celtic Media Association, Member of the Leadership Group of Mayflower 400 and Member of the Plymouth History Centre stakeholder group

An average week in 2015 saw:

  • 897,000 people watch the BBC regional TV bulletin in the South West
  • 424,000 people listen to one of the BBC’s Local Radio Stations in the South West
  • 1.2m UK unique browsers visit BBC News Online content about the South West

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