The BBC has launched Made Of Greater Manchester, a campaign putting the spotlight on some of the region’s much-loved BBC programmes and content.
As part of the campaign, a new economic report has been published showing the increasing impact of the BBC on the Greater Manchester economy.
The campaign comes as the BBC marks 15 years since moving to MediaCity and 100 years since Salford was officially granted city status.
Heidi Dawson, BBC Head of the North of England, says: “The BBC’s move to Salford Quays 15 years ago was a bold statement about the future of UK media, and today, our commitment to the region and the impact we are making continues to grow, contributing £450m to the Greater Manchester in 2024/25.
“Made Of Greater Manchester celebrates not only the local, national and international content that the BBC produces from MediaCity and the wider region, but also the stories and creativity of the people that that call Greater Manchester home.”
Made Of Greater Manchester
Made Of Greater Manchester is the latest location in the BBC’s Made Of Here campaign, designed to celebrate its commitment to homegrown storytelling. More than 300 billboards, digital screens, bus sides and other media will run across the city centre and Salford for the campaign, celebrating the people, the stories and the programmes that are made of Greater Manchester.
From MediaCity in Salford to Manchester Piccadilly, eye-catching collage-style artwork features characters from The Royle Family, Small Prophets and Waterloo Road, which were all filmed and set in Greater Manchester. More than 50 stars and voices from the region – from Vernon Kay to Maxine Peake and Hacker T Dog – are included.
Made Of Greater Manchester billboards and digital screens can be seen at tram stops, bus stops, on board and on the side of buses for the next two weeks, while passengers on the tram network will hear announcements from some famous voices. You can hear Hacker T Dog at St Peters, Mike Sweeney at Langworthy, OJ Borg at Chorlton, and Joe McGrath at Old Trafford.
The campaign includes a new film, celebrating everything that makes Greater Manchester – and the voices and stories that come from it – special.
The iconic BBC blocks have been transformed into the ‘Bee Bee C’ on Quay House and in campaign artwork, incorporating the Manchester worker bee emblem – the historic symbol that represents its industry and hard-working people – to honour the region’s contribution to culture.
As part of the campaign and to celebrate Greater Manchester’s voices, the BBC’s Contains Strong Language festival, the UK's biggest poetry and performance festival, has commissioned five poets to pen new works about their region. Films of the poets reciting their creations will be available on iPlayer and shown at the festival, which takes place in Salford, for the first time, from 24 to 27 September. Free tickets are available via the BBC programme page.
Production Unlocked is also hosting a day of free masterclasses and panel discussions in MediaCity for those who work in, or want to work in, the creative industries.
The BBC’s Economic Impact in Greater Manchester
Findings in the report, The BBC’s Economic Impact in Greater Manchester, include that in 2024/25, the BBC contributed £450 million in GVA (gross value added) to the Greater Manchester economy. Over the past six years, the BBC’s GVA contribution to the region has grown by an average of 7% per year. It also demonstrates that in 2024/25, the BBC’s economic activity in Greater Manchester supported more than 5,000 jobs.
Discover Made Of Greater Manchester content
You can also discover collections of BBC content made of Greater Manchester across iPlayer and Sounds.
Special content and programmes celebrating Greater Manchester will air across the BBC, including:
- Radio Manchester has been out and about meeting listeners and asking them to share what it means to be Made Of Greater Manchester. Special programmes will include Something In The Air, Manchester Mural Icons and Music of Manchester, with their Make A Difference Awards on Thursday 24 September
- North West Tonight will feature the campaign throughout the week
- Radio 2 has a special edition of OJ Borg’s show on Tuesday 22 September, telling the stories of Manchester from Dusk to Dawn
- Radio 5 Live dives into the economic report
- Radio 6 Music have a Northern-themed edition of the Indie Forever playlist available this week on Sounds
- Morning Live are covering the campaign across the week, with segments including a special film with Mike Sweeney
- The One Show are covering the campaign in several of their shows across the week
- Children’s are bringing back some iconic Bedtime Stories from Greater Manchester stars, including Sara Cox and Suranne Jones
- World Service will run a series of special Witness History programmes focused on Greater Manchester, including a special compilation programme on Saturday 26 September
Recent Greater Manchester-set dramas include The Split Up, Waterloo Road and the third series of Daddy Issues. It was recently announced that Small Prophets, filmed and set around Greater Manchester, will return for a second series, whilst filming for the adaptation of David Nicholls’ novel You Are Here has started around Manchester.
Made Of Here
At the heart of the Made Of Here campaign is a compelling film; the BBC’s love letter to the hometowns and cities across the UK that have inspired some of its most iconic TV shows and characters.
Alongside the national film, the campaign – which has been produced in house at the BBC by BBC Creative – has been brought to life in towns and cities across the UK, including Birmingham, Liverpool, Belfast and Glasgow, spotlighting the local areas that have inspired the BBC to tell these stories.
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Sources: BBC’s Made Of Here campaign creates a buzz in Greater Manchester, BBC
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