BBC boss says The Archers is "going nowhere" as anger grows

The BBC's director general, Matt Brittin, has defended the decision not to build a recording studio for The Archers at the corporation's new Birmingham headquarters, but says options are still being explored to keep the programme in the region.

Plans for a purpose-built studio at the Tea Factory in Digbeth were dropped as part of the BBC's drive to save £500m.

"Going strong and going nowhere"

Speaking on a visit to the Mailbox after meeting the mayor, Richard Parker, Mr Brittin said The Archers was "going strong and going nowhere", but admitted the BBC was "living in financial constraints".

"So what we've said is, we're not going to build a £1.5m bespoke studio for that production, which is something we might have afforded previously. But what we are going to do is make sure The Archers continues to exist here."

He called the programme "magic" and said there was still time to look at alternatives before the move to the Tea Factory in 2028. "We need a drama studio and that's different from a radio studio normally, and we've got others that we could use," he said. He added that the BBC also had the opportunity to explore alternatives in the region, "and that's what we'll do now".

He said the BBC had raised its production spending in the region from £24m to £40m, and had recently formed a partnership with Birmingham City University to develop new talent.

"No good reason"

Mr Parker said he was disappointed. "The Archers was born in Birmingham and is a key part of our broadcasting heritage," he said. "We have the talent and the facilities here. There is no good reason why we should lose a programme that has called Birmingham home for decades."

"I understand the financial pressure the BBC is under, but my responsibility is to this region and protecting and growing our creative sector here."

Equity: "We will fight"

The actors' union Equity said cast members were "angry at the proposals and will fight them", calling the plan short-sighted and warning it would leave both the region and the BBC worse off.

Tony Turner, who plays Vince Casey, said the show had "a commitment to Birmingham, and we're proud of that, and we'd like to stay here".

What happens next

No decision has been made on where The Archers will be recorded after 2028. The BBC is assessing its own studios around the UK, with London and Cardiff thought to have space, and private studios in the region.

The programme, set in the fictional village of Ambridge, marked its 75th anniversary this year and has about five million listeners a week. Its cast and production team are mostly based in and around the Midlands, and many local actors got their first professional work on the show.

The BBC's move to the Tea Factory, with a new home for BBC Midlands and network teams, is part of its plan to spend more of its budget outside London.