Channel 4 has announced increased investment in its creative hub in Bristol, which could bring new jobs to the city, particularly with people hired locally to work in the TV industry.
Bristol, which already has a creative hub set up in 2019, will be one of the big beneficiaries of a £6 million investment announced by Channel 4 this week as part of its ‘4 All The UK’ strategy.
The aim is to end up with 600 of Channel 4’s jobs located outside of London, and with the hub already set up here – it’s based at Finzel’s Reach in the city centre – metro mayor Dan Norris said it will be a ‘major boost’ for the region’s creative industry.
“This is fantastic news for Bristol and the wider West of England,” said metro mayor Dan Norris.
“Channel 4’s expansion and investment in skills will help to ensure that our region remains a leading place for creativity, offering more and more opportunities for local talented people,” he added.
Channel 4 opened its main office outside London in Leeds in 2019, with hubs in Bristol and Glasgow. Now it will open a new office in Manchester, and expand the size of its hubs in Bristol and Glasgow too.
The channel, which is a not-for-profit public service broadcaster that relies solely on advertising and is not state funded or funded by the licence fee, said it would advertise new roles across all its locations, and will prioritise recruitment outside London, with new roles to be ‘actively recruited in Leeds, Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow’.
“Additionally, Channel 4 will introduce a relocation and financial support package for employees wanting to move out of London to another Channel 4 office.”
The channel’s chief executive, Alex Mahon, said: “This is a really special moment for Channel 4 as we continue our significant momentum to grow our presence across the UK.
“Channel 4 has always led the way in representation and now we are going even further, strengthening our Nations and Regions commitment and offering our people the opportunity to relocate out of London and making all new roles available at any of our regional locations,” she added.