SIS Slates Move to MediaCityUK

Satellite Information Services (SIS), a UK-based provider of betting-industry TV programming and data, will move its London facilities to MediaCityUK at Salford Quays in Greater Manchester. The relocation includes the production, studio, play-out, teleport, engineering-support, and master-control–room departments and will be carried out in stages from now until 2013.

SIS is the first major commercial-broadcasting operation to commit to MediaCityUK, other than Manchester postproduction facility Sumners. The BBC will move five departments from London to Salford in 2011, including Sport, Radio 5 Live, and Children’s.

Sumners is involved in The Pie Factory at MediaCityUK, running sound stages for film and TV production, but, with that exception, the site has attracted only public-sector tenants. The University of Salford is taking premises on the site, which is built on old industrial dockland. A new higher-education centre is due to open next year, with space for 1,700 students and staff.

SIS will move from Corsham Street in north London, which has been its base since the company was founded in 1986. It has committed to occupy at least 25,000 sq. ft. in one of the studio towers at MediaCityUK, with more than 100 personnel working there.

A spokeswoman for SIS says the company is in consultation with London staffers affected by the move and will offer a package to those not wanting to relocate to Salford. The SIS LIVE outside-broadcast division has a presence at The Pie Factory, which was established when it was still part of BBC Resources. According to the spokeswoman, “more OB resource” may be added in Manchester.

SIS states it will “expand its operation by taking on new and additional space in MediaCityUK.” There will also be further development of its facilities in Milton Keynes in southeast England, which house the uplink and Internet-services arm of SIS LIVE. The spokeswoman adds that there are “various contractual obligations and expansion plans that involve both Milton Keynes and Salford.”

Says SIS Chief Executive David Holdgate, “The MediaCityUK development at Salford Quays represents a fantastic opportunity for SIS and our staff to be based in what will become the television centre of the UK. As well as co-locating some key clients, including the BBC, we’ll have the advantage of purpose-built premises.”

Password must contain the following:

A lowercase letter

A capital (uppercase) letter

A number

Minimum 8 characters

;
SVGLogoHR_NOTAG-200

The Latest in Sports Video Production & Technology
in Your Inbox for FREE

Daily Email Newsletters Monday - Friday