Subject - BBC and MCIN partnership

Posted : (Friday 4th July 2008 ) By - jess (Registered User)Manchester Community Information Network and the BBC are to work together to open up pathways into employment in the media industry and to develop new talent within the region. Manchester Community Information Network has signed a partnership agreement with the BBC, ahead of the Corporation's move to Salford in 2011.



The BBC is creating a modern, multimedia broadcast and production centre in the North of England as part of moves to better reflect and represent the whole of the UK.



The new centre at MediaCityUK in Salford will be home to around 2,400 BBC staff. Five key London-based departments, including two TV channels and two radio stations, will be making their new homes in Salford: BBC Children's (including CBBC and CBeebies); BBC Formal Learning; BBC Future Media and Technology; BBC Radio Five Live (including Five Live Sports Extra) and BBC Sport.



The partnership between Manchester Community Information Network and the BBC will help to identify new talent, focus on learning and development, build relationships within communities and develop clear pathways into the BBC and the wider industry.



The BBC are particularly pleased to be working with MCIN on a range of projects, including supporting the community reporters programme.



Gary Copitch director of MCIN said "We work in some of the most deprived communities in the country and support residents to tell their stories using social media. The BBC have undertaken training programmes with our community reporters, provided visits to the North West tonight studio, provide a platform for our content to be broadcast on and also work experience opportunities. This partnership has helped raise the aspirations of the local community reporters who feel that they have a real possibility of working at the BBC or in media. "



Fiona Wright, Senior Resourcing Project Manager, BBC Project North says: "We are delighted to have signed a partnership agreement with Manchester Community Information Network. The new centre in Salford will be a test bed for how we want the whole of the BBC to work in the 21st Century. A BBC that is not just owned by the whole of the United Kingdom but which is more open and accessible, working in partnership with local communities and educational institutions to showcase the talent and creativity of people everywhere."



In Salford, by working with the local community and with the developers of MediaCityUK, the BBC hopes to create a new powerhouse of media production and innovation for the North of England. The BBC's presence should act as a catalyst for change and regeneration, encourage other creative industries to develop and create new opportunities for talented individuals across the North.



For further information, Contact MCIN on 0161 2301 1430 or email gary@mcin.net