FINISHED “People from different backgrounds need to be able to get a job in television or radio, if they choose to” – Cat Lewis explains the importance of Media City

BAFTA award-winner and CEO of Salford-based production company, Cat Lewis praised Media City for creating media jobs outside of London.

The businesswoman discussed why she believed it to be important why more media companies should be based outside of London.

In 2007, Mrs. Lewis set up her own production company in Media City, Nine Lives Media – a play-on phrase of her name.

In regards to Media City, Mrs. Lewis said: “I think it’s really good for future generations coming through.”

After the BBC’s move to Media City, there was an overall 43 per cent increase in employment. Nearly 4,000 of these jobs were created in the media, 2,000 in national operations and 600 in local ones.

It’s had a massive effect on BBC and Channel 4 in terms of them changing their attitudes.

Explaining why she was at the University yesterday, she said: “I’m here really to add my voice as somebody who employs a lot of people from Salford University.”

She said: “I and many people working outside of London had noticed that although Ofcom had a certain kind of guidance that people were supposed to be following to create jobs outside London, there just weren’t very many jobs that were being created outside of the capital.”

Everyone kept saying it is a real problem but nobody was actually doing anything about it.”

She continued: “I could have gone to London a number of times for my career or the company but I’m just really passionately believe in the importance of television being made throughout the country.”

However, last year, after Lewis had campaigned, Ofcom reviewed the Regional TV Production and Programming Guidance.

Mrs. Lewis said of the review that it “had a massive effect on BBC and Channel 4 in terms of them changing their attitudes.”

In 2007, the BBC were given the green light to move five of their departments up north to Media City and last year, Channel 4 were debating between a move to Leeds or Salford.

Mrs. Lewis said: “The whole country, people from different backgrounds need to be able to get a job in television or radio, if they choose to. Otherwise, it just ends up being London talking to itself as opposed to representing the whole country.”

Featured Image credit – Abigail Major