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Bid to bring Channel 4 to Medway

Channel 4 could be setting up home in Medway, a move which could create up to 300 jobs.

The University of Kent, Chatham Historic Dockyard and Medway Council have joined forces to submit a bid to the television station inviting it to set up one of three proposed regional creative hubs in the Towns.

The public service broadcaster plans on building regional creative hubs across the UK, and it is looking for another location in addition to its London base.

Channel 4's building in Horseferry Road, London (2229177)
Channel 4's building in Horseferry Road, London (2229177)

KMTV, the county's first dedicated television channel run by the KM Media Group and the University of Kent, is based at the campus in Chatham Maritime.

If Medway’s bid for a regional hub were to be successful, it would further boost job prospects for local residents and students.

Channel 4 prides itself on having a strong relationship with young people and for raising awareness of issues affecting people from all backgrounds. The university, the historic dockyard and council all support this work and are keen to offer further opportunities to young people.

There are now four universities in Medway offering a wide range of courses, from journalism to engineering, providing a skilled workforce for the area. Unemployment levels for 18 to 24-year-olds have decreased, with the volume of 18 to 24-year-olds claiming out of work benefits reducing by 55 per cent since 2013.

Medway is now home to more than 14,000 businesses, with its new business growth rate outstripping both the national and south-east averages. Medway has a growing reputation as a hub for high-tech engineering and creative businesses, as well as strong partnerships between education and business. .Medway is also home to a number of large international businesses, including BAE Systems, Delphi Diesel Systems and Lloyds of London.

The bid comes in the 20th year of Medway becoming a unitary authority and the 400th anniversary of the dockyard.

The offer has been placed on the table, alongside bids from areas across the country.

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