Duchess of Cornwall to open new BBC South West HQ

Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall will officially open the new BBC South West Headquarters in Plymouth on Wednesday 20 July 2016.

For the last two years BBC South West has undertaken an ambitious redevelopment of its headquarters in Plymouth. The multi-million pound investment is the biggest BBC building project outside London in recent years.  The new headquarters is home to cutting edge news-gathering and broadcasting technology and future-proofs the BBC’s commitment to the South West, a commitment that began in 1924 when the first BBC offices in Plymouth were built.

The Duchess will be given a guided tour of the new BBC South West Headquarters by the Head of Regional and Local Programming for the BBC, Leo Devine. The tour will incorporate the BBC Radio Devon studios, BBC Spotlight studio, and the BBC Newsroom that houses the region’s documentary, investigative and digital journalism teams. The Duchess will unveil a commemorative plaque to mark the official opening.

Leo Devine, Head of Regional and Local Programming, for BBC South West said: “We are so honoured that Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall has accepted our invitation to open the new BBC South West Headquarters. As a team we are incredibly proud of this major project which reinforces our commitment to the region’s audience as the biggest national broadcaster in the area.” 

Audiences are able to follow the royal visit on BBC Radio Devon, BBC Radio Cornwall, BBC Spotlight and BBC Online or via social media with the hashtag #BBCRoyalOpening.