BBC Television Centre For Sale

The BBC’s iconic Television Centre in the West End will be put up for sale for £300m it was announced yesterday.

Selling the property is expected to reduce the BBC’s property holdings by 30%, so more money can be spent on high quality dramas.

W12 programme director Richard Deverell commented in the Guardian: "We want as much investment in programmes, not property, as we can. This is part of the evolution to best meet the needs of licence-fee payers."

The Children’s and Sports departments are in the process of moving to Salford, Manchester and BBC News will shortly be moving to Broadcasting House, close by to Oxford Circus. All 14 acres of the Television Centre are expected to be vacant by 2015.

Future plans for the Doughnut shaped building are unclear. However the BBC is looking to either sell the property as a whole or go into partnership with other creative companies. Turning the giant doughnut shaped building into a museum and tourist attraction is another option being considered.

Chris Kane, Head of BBC Workplace believes that selling the building for residential accommodation would generate the most money.