// BBC ENTERTAINMENT & ARTS — MODA & SOCIETÀ
BBC director general defends plan to shelve new Archers studio
DG defends decision not to record The Archers at new Birmingham site.
The BBC's director general has defended the decision not to record The Archers at its flagship new Birmingham headquarters - and said options were still being explored to keep it in the West Midlands.
Plans to build a bespoke studio for the long-running Radio 4 soap at the corporation's new Tea Factory building, in Digbeth, were shelved this week as part of a wider drive to cut costs.
Matt Brittin, who met with West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker on Wednesday, said the broadcaster needed to save money but they were working together to look at future recording locations.
"We're going to explore how we can best house The Archers where they need to be and at the moment, we have other studio space around the country which could accommodate them," he said.
The Equity entertainment union said cast members were "angry at the proposals and will fight them".
The drama, set in the fictional West Midlands village of Ambridge, celebrated its 75th anniversary earlier this year.
Brittin said The Archers was "going strong and... going nowhere" but acknowledged the BBC was "living in financial constraints" and had to make £500m worth of savings.
"So what we've said is, we're not going to build a £1.5m bespoke studio for that production, which is something we might have afforded previously.
"But what we are going to do is make sure The Archers continues to exist here."