Rosie Niven

When many of us think of the BBC, the image that comes to mind is a doughnut shaped building in Shepherds Bush.

I had the experience of going to Television Centre myself a few years ago for a job interview. Looking back now, it was very exciting, though I remember the building itself to be as dingy as hell once you got inside.

Having said all that, I have resisted joining the campaign to save TV Centre from being sold off as part of the recently announced BBC cuts. A Facebook group has been formed to oppose the sell-off and an electronic petition has also been set up. But I’m finding it very difficult to support this campaign, despite my own affection for the building.

The reality is the big studios at Broadcasting House are chronically underused. At one time, the size of broadcasting equipment meant that big studios were a necessity. They were also quite handy – big enough for Blue Peter presenters to drive in monster trucks or for a military band to march into the studio at Christmas.

These days, the large studios at Television Centre usually get partitioned to create smaller production spaces. Many lie empty for a lot of the of the time, apart from infrequent big events like Children in Need or Comic Relief. Even Eastenders doesn’t use the studio space at Television Centre – it’s made at Elstree.

As well as moving children’s programming to Salford, BBC management is considering other proposals that would reduce the need for Television Centre. Broadcasting House is currently being refurbished and would offer a more appropriate home for news operations.

Much as I like Television Centre, I can appreciate BBC bosses’ attraction to the idea of freeing up prime land to sell off. When jobs are being threatened, surely it is better to sacrifice obsolete pieces of infrastructure and invest the money saved in the workforce and programming?

I would, however, like to see the doughnut remain a feature on the west London skyline. I’m no developer, but I would guess that there’d be a lot of demand for living in the building that churned out Doctor Who, Morcambe and Wise and er… Noel’s House Party.