BBC director general Mark Thompson today reaffirmed his commitment to the BBC moving major parts of its services to Salford in Greater Manchester, writes Stephen Brook. At the Society of Editors conference he said how the BBC planned to proceed with the move - subject of much debate after recent suggestions it would not occur without a favourable licence fee settlement - was still undecided.
Thompson recently gave a speech that was widely interpreted as meaning that the move to Salford hinged on the licence fee settlement. But today he said he was totally in support of the move and said the question marks over it were limited. "It is about the shape of the spend rather than the commitment," Thompson said.
In the long run it would be cheaper to move the services to Manchester but there were many massive start up costs and the BBC was majorly constrained by its borrowing limits.
