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Walesonline reports that Neath Port Talbot council are submitting a bid to Channel 4.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/port-talbot-compete-cardiff-swansea-14585494

OK, its good to see ambition. If this was some back office work for the BBC, or a government or private sector organisation, I'd say its worth it. Or a new Admiral office, or other customer service contact centre type place (most of which are concentrated in Cardiff and Swansea). The transport links are reasonably good. Recruitment for those sorts of jobs would probably be feasible.

But for what I think are fairly "front office" jobs for Channel 4? Get real. This looks like a bit of a vanity bid that will take up time of some senior personnel and councillors, and cost money (e.g. commissioning advisory services, reports). It looks like a waste of public money to me.

For what its worth, I also think its a mistake moving S4C's headquarters to Carmarthen as well.

Port Talbot the hometown of Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins, Micheal Sheen, Rob Brydon amongst others.

Port Talbot the engine of UK manufacturing - the Harbourside a Mile away from Aberafan Beach, yards away from Port Talbot Parkway, close to several M4 Junctions, a bike ride away from the Afan Valley world ranked Mountain Biking...
Channel 4 could do a lot worse...

Not sure they could get any better....

The Channel would flourish in San Portablo

RandomComment wrote:Walesonline reports that Neath Port Talbot council are submitting a bid to Channel 4.

https://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/business-news/port-talbot-compete-cardiff-swansea-14585494

OK, its good to see ambition. If this was some back office work for the BBC, or a government or private sector organisation, I'd say its worth it. Or a new Admiral office, or other customer service contact centre type place (most of which are concentrated in Cardiff and Swansea). The transport links are reasonably good. Recruitment for those sorts of jobs would probably be feasible.

But for what I think are fairly "front office" jobs for Channel 4? Get real. This looks like a bit of a vanity bid that will take up time of some senior personnel and councillors, and cost money (e.g. commissioning advisory services, reports). It looks like a waste of public money to me.

For what its worth, I also think its a mistake moving S4C's headquarters to Carmarthen as well.

You can't fault their ambition, and you are never going to gain expertise in a sector within your town/city without gaining some jobs in it in the first place, but what I really don't get with this bid is why two places within the same city region are bidding against each other.

Swansea and Port Talbot should be working together. If for some reason Swansea won it Port Talbot would gain anyway because there would be jobs just up the road.

As you say, in an attempt to win it, there'll be tax payer's money spent in preparing papers, attending meetings etc., and it'll now be x2 for the same bloody area! If anything, the bid should have come in from the Swansea Bay city region body.

NPT are reportedly not signing the City Region deal as they cannot guarantee vfm.

Blaenau Gwent should put in a bid, I can just see Channel 4 executives enjoying the sophisticated cafe and restaurant culture of Tredegar.

Bristol would seem like a good bet. Is the government trying to push them out of London? Not sure these things ever work well. Bristol would seem like a good shout. In the current climate I would expect it to remain in England.

Birmingham? Why leave London.
Manchester? Too obvious.
Liverpool? Too controversial.
Nottingham/Sheffield? Too bland.
Leeds? Too 90s.
York? Too esoteric.
Newcastle Upon Tyne? Too far (from London)
Norwich? Too postmodern

Bristol Built on Slavery and Tobacco - Expensive - the carrot crunch possibly the worse accent in the UK....

If Channel Four want value for money and do to things differently they might well go for an area like NPT....
Wicked, varied locations... best sunsets in the UK....skilled workforce.. value for money... Hollywood Pedigree...
It’s a Winner

Any move to decentralise from London and the major cities is good for the UK and should, hopefully, in time start some sort of redistribution of wealth...maybe

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“It is always the simple that produces the marvelous.” - Amelia Barr web design cardiff

So as I understand it Cardiff is out of the running for the main one but it might get a creative hub? And how can there be a new headquarters if most of the staff are staying in London? What does headquarters mean?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-44927845

Frank wrote:So as I understand it Cardiff is out of the running for the main one but it might get a creative hub? And how can there be a new headquarters if most of the staff are staying in London? What does headquarters mean?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-44927845

Your last question says it all Frank. The term is often misused or overused, sometimes a 'HQ' for a particular function or division of a business.