Repeats, repeats, repeats

[Serial_Apologist]

serial -

this is my parish, so be careful...

The 'old' doughnut shaped BBC building at White City is on the site of the Franco-British Exhibition (remnants of which still to be seen in Hammersmith Park)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franco-British_Exhibition_(1908)

The 'new' silver building referred to by Caliban is on the site of the old White City greyhound track...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_City_Stadium

Not a fairground, then...

[Ferretfancy]

The small park behind the Television Centre is another remnant of the Franco-British Exhibition, with its small surviving pond. I once helped a colleague release a live eel into the pond after rescuing it from an eel and pie shop in the Uxbridge Road, but that's another story for which the public are not yet prepared .

[Stunsworth]

The BBC White City up the road from TC that you refer to was originally intended for both TV and Radio News, and was completely equipped for broadcasting, with all the infrastructure required

I used to belong to the Cix messaging board - predated the general availability of the internet, and I remember a BBC employee called Mike Todd being quite heavily involved in posting there. I think he was a studio manager. Anyhow, he was very sceptical that celebs and politicians would be prepared to travel to White City for news programmes. At the time I didn't realise how close the place was to central London - though I concede it isn't as close as BH. I think this would have been in the 90s, and I think there was a huge refurbishment at BH that was causing lots of problems with noise etc.

[mangerton]

The small park behind the Television Centre is another remnant of the Franco-British Exhibition, with its small surviving pond. I once helped a colleague release a live eel into the pond after rescuing it from an eel and pie shop in the Uxbridge Road, but that's another story for which the public are not yet prepared .

Shame! Was the giant rat of Sumatra involved?

[Ferretfancy]

mangerton

These are deep waters, Watson!

[LHC]

The future of the BBC archive really is one that needs raising with the BBC Trust. This is an organisation after all which is considering levelling TV Centre.

TV Centre is not being levelled (or at least not by the BBC), but it is up for sale along with the 14 acre site on which it sits. More details here, including confirmation of the Grade II listing for TV centre:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2011/06_june/13/television.shtml

Clearly a price has yet to be agreed, but I have heard the BBC are looking for a substantial price for the whole site.

[Stillhomewardbound]

Here's a link to a wonderfully detailed website which has about the most comprehensive overview of Television Centre:

http://www.tvstudiohistory.co.uk/tv%20centre%20history.htm

This is the inevitable outcome of Birt's internal market reforms, I suppose.

[Stunsworth]

Thanks for the link SHB, fascinating stuff. I've only skimmed though it, but will return later for a more thorough read.