BBC S&PP quits central London facility

The facilities firm moved into its Charlotte Street base at the start of the year but BBC S&PP chief executive Anna Mallett said it would exit the premises after judging its current business model was “not commercially viable”.

BBC S&PP will retain its post capacity at Elstree and will continue to provide post production for EastEnders and Holby City, but from 2014 it wants to move to a “project-based, client-tailored post model”.

BBC S&PP said it will post produce the upcoming series of BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing and ITV’s Stepping Out from Charlotte Street before it exits the premises on 1 January.

Around 12 staff are thought to be affected by the changes.

The company is now in talks with an unknown number of production companies and broadcasters about taking on their post production work as a managed service.

Mallett said the shift had come about further to a review of the business .

“Despite best efforts, post production in its current form is not proving to be commercially viable for BBC Studios and Post Production,” she said.

A building adjacent to the Charlotte Street premises is to be be redeveloped from early next year, which Mallett said compounded the situation.

An email was sent to BBC S&PP staff on 15 August informing them of the move.

The assets from the Charlotte Street facility, which contains nine Avid Media Composer offline suites, eight Avid Symphony Nitris DX finishing suites, an Avid Pro Tools 5.1 audio suite and a Flame Premium VFX suite will be retained and split among the firm’s Elstree and South Ruislip sites.

BBC S&PP moved into Editworks’ old premises on Charlotte Street in January, after the BBC decided to move out of Television Centre.

It will return to TVC after the site has been redeveloped.

BBC Studios and Post Production is a commercial subsidiary of the BBC.