BBC director general defends decision not to record The Archers at new Birmingham headquarters

The BBC's director general has come out in defence of the decision not to record The Archers at its prestigious new Birmingham base - while confirming that options were still being considered to retain the production in the West Midlands. Plans to construct a purpose-built studio for the long-running Radio 4 soap at the corporation's new Tea Factory building in Digbeth were abandoned this week as part of a broader cost-cutting drive. Matt Brittin, who held talks with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker on Wednesday, told the BBC that the broadcaster was under pressure to reduce expenditure, but insisted both parties were working together to identify future recording venues. "We're going to explore how we can best house The Archers where they need to be and at the moment, we have other studio space around the country which could accommodate them," he said. Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings. Entertainment union Equity said cast members were "angry at the proposals and will fight them". The drama, set in the fictional West Midlands village of Ambridge, marked its 75th anniversary earlier this year. Brittin maintained that The Archers was "going strong and... going nowhere", while conceding the BBC was "living in financial constraints" and faced making £500m in savings. "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." Regional mayor Richard Parker expressed his disappointment over the announcement and emphasised his desire for the production to stay within the city. "The Archers was born in Birmingham and is a key part of our broadcasting heritage," he stated on Tuesday. "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." In conversation with the BBC, he continued: "We've now got the fastest growing creative economy in the country with increasing large amounts of programmes being produced here. "I understand the financial pressure the BBC is under, but my responsibility is to this region and protecting and growing our creative sector here. "The BBC is critical to that and I've made it really clear to the Director General that, whilst I understand the challenges he faces, I also want to secure and retain investment here." Equity described the proposal as short-sighted and warned it would leave both the West Midlands and the BBC worse off. Tony Turner, who portrays Vince Casey in the programme, voiced his concerns about the plans. He highlighted the show's heritage, saying it had "a commitment to Birmingham, and we're proud of that, and we'd like to stay here". During a visit to the BBC's existing Birmingham headquarters at the Mailbox, Brittin called the programme "magic" and noted there remained time to consider alternative arrangements before the broadcaster relocates to the new Tea Factory premises in 2028. "We shouldn't really go behind the curtain, but 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. "We've also got the opportunity to explore here in the West Midlands alternatives and that's what we'll do now." He noted that the BBC had raised its production spending from £24m to £40m across the West Midlands, and had recently entered into a "strategic partnership" with Birmingham City University to nurture emerging talent. He further described the mayor and other regional organisations as "brilliant partners for us". "We are at a time of big change. And if we want original drama that's rooted in the places and the people and the stories that matter to us, then we need to protect public service broadcasting and the BBC's at the heart of it."