Equity is opposing the BBC’s proposal to end recording the flagship radio drama The Archers in Birmingham, with cast members up in arms over the move. The proposal comes as the BBC says it will no longer include an audio drama studio in the new Tea Factory site with Equity branding it a “hollowing out of BBC facilities in the West Midlands.”
The Archers is the world’s longest running drama and has always been recorded and produced in Birmingham and the West Midlands, which is also where the show is set.
The union is not a bystander in this bad decision for artists and audiences. If dialogue cannot produce a satisfactory outcome, all industrial tools remain on the table.
Paul W Fleming, Equity General Secretary
Equity held a cast meeting yesterday (Monday) following the news being shared by BBC bosses. Cast members are angry at the proposals and will fight them. Equity is contacting BBC leaders and politicians making the case for a fully developed Tea Factory site in Digbeth which can drive the local economy and fulfil the BBC’s commitment to invest in every region of the country, as well as keep The Archers in Birmingham.
Paul W Fleming, Equity General Secretary, said: “This outrageous move by the BBC would be a further hollowing out of BBC facilities in the West Midlands, which is already reeling from the loss of Doctors with no serious scripted work planned for production.
“The Archers is THE iconic radio drama, and it being recorded, and produced in the region where the story and characters are based is integral to the show. Equity cast members are up in arms at this short-sighted proposal which will disrupt the programme and leave the West Midlands, and the BBC, poorer.
“The union is not a bystander in this bad decision for artists and audiences. If dialogue cannot produce a satisfactory outcome, all industrial tools remain on the table.
“Axing the audio drama studio from the Tea Factory BBC site is a material downgrading of BBC infrastructure in Birmingham and the West Midlands. It follows the closure of TV drama Doctors in 2024, another show that was filmed in the West Midlands and provided valuable work for Equity members and was entry point for many actors to scripted productions.
“The Archers must stay in Birmingham, the Tea Factory must include an audio drama studio, as promised, and the BBC must stop cutting scripted drama and opportunities for our performers and creatives. Equity will be working with local policymakers to ensure the BBC is held accountable - with a Labour government demanding devolution and growth in every postcode, this decision is unfathomable.
“Eddy Grundy’s schemes have more integrity than these proposals.”
The West Midlands already receives the lowest share from the BBC licence fee of any region, despite having the UK’s second city and 25% of the UK’s population and licence fee payers. Evidence shows that public support for the arts is foundational for driving further private sector investment. The reduction of production capacity has a negative multiplier effect – making it harder to develop a local workforce in the city and driving future investment to other places.
