Broadcasts set to bloom; MEDIA: Showcase boost to BBC TV production in the Midlands.

Byline: By Jon Griffin

THE Chelsea Flower Show is on its way to Birmingham in a huge boost to TV production in the Midlands.

The BBC has announced that production of the Chelsea and Hampton Court flower shows is to switch to the Mailbox as part of a major national rethink.

The move will cement Birmingham's status as the heart of the national broadcaster's gardening coverage.

And the Mailbox is also to get Factual and Drama, where recent titles include Coast and Trawler Men as well as the long-running daytime drama Doctors, recommissioned for a further three years.

The coverage of the UK's most famous flower show will move to Brum as part of plans to create one of seven new "sustainable creative clusters" across the UK.

The BBC is switching half of its network television production spending out of London within eight years, with Anne Robinson taking her Weakest Link show from London to Glasgow and Crimewatch switching to Cardiff.

The moves are part of the BBC Trust's requirement that the broadcaster should produce more programmes in the regions in an attempt to boost approval ratings there.

The Beeb aims to have half of all spending on network television shifted to the regions by 2016, compared to today's proportion of 30 per cent.

Jana Bennett, the broadcaster's head of television, said: "We want to build clusters of people who want to make a career without having to up sticks, pack their bags and hop on the train to London for the next stage of their career.

"Our intention is nothing less than changing the very DNA of the BBC to bring the production of programmes closer to the audience we serve."

CAPTION(S):

BLOSSOMING... The Chelsea Flower Show.