In early October I won a competition, courtesy of writing an essay with a funny joke at the end, to visit Media City. This is a development in Salford Quays, Manchester where the BBC will be moving in 2011. Five departments, including children’s and Five Live, will move up to the north away from London.

My impressions fromthe day was that the site was much smaller than I had imagined it to be, essentially not much bigger than my university campus. It is also a weird mix of proposed BBC site, University of Salford building, Holiday Inn, apartments.  It is just a strange mixture on such a small site.

Also with everything that you essentially need in one small place and a lot of media types all living together then it feels inevitable that it will become secluded, even though the centre of Manchester is only 15 minutes away on tram.

On top of that I keep being told that I could get a job in Manchester when I graduate as it isn’t too far from me now. However, I am a Southerner and pretty much everything I hold dear to me is closer to London. So whilst others are genuinely excited about media corporations finally looking at the north, I find it strange. Of course when it comes to job finding time I won’t be this picky then.

During the course of the day I spoke to representatives from Peel Construction Company, the people behind the building of the Media City site, and people from the BBC.

This is a package that I have made for Siren FM, which will be played out before the upcoming talk from Peter Salmon, BBC North Director.