Gambon Street? Project reportedly afoot to turn Top Gear test track into housing development

Noah Joseph — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:29:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, UK, Celebrities

Come on, England: Leave Top Gear alone. We know they can make a lot of noise and take away air time from your precious Antiques Roadshow, but deep down inside you know you love them as much as we do. And don't try to deny it: the ratings don't lie. So isn't it about time everyone just leave Jeremy Clarkson & Co. to do what they do best in peace and calm?

The local townsfolk and big business are at it again, arguing over a new residential development that's slated to be built on the Dunsfold Aerodrome. We know, who cares, right? Well, the Dunsfold Aerodrome has another name: the Top Gear test track. Yeah, you're listening now. Real estate development firm Rutland Group is planning a 2,600-home eco-village on the property with a loan secured from the Royal Bank of Scotland. Locals are organizing against the plan, but to make things just a tad more complicated, RBS was recently nationalized by the British government, making this a political issue as well. Considering that the BBC (which produces Top Gear) is also a crown corporation, this is bound to get messy.

[Source: UTV]

Gambon Street? Project reportedly afoot to turn Top Gear test track into housing development originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Clarkson and BBC team up to take Top Gear global

Noah Joseph — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:29:00 EST

Filed under: Earnings/Financials, UK

A new business deal signed between the BBC on the one hand and Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson and producer Andy Wilman on the other could see the vast expansion of the Top Gear brand worldwide. The deal involves BBC Worldwide, the international commercial arm of the government-owned television network, taking a majority stake in Badder 6. The latter is a company set up by Clarkson and Wilman two years ago for reasons unknown, but will now act to channel all revenues from the Top Gear brand back to the BBC, Clarkson and Wilman.

The deal is seen as a necessity to keep Clarkson happy so he'll remain on the show amidst offers from competing networks and producers for the world's most famous automotive journalist. Badder 6, which now includes three top-level BBC Worldwide executives, will be responsible for managing the marketing of Top Gear around the world, including the magazine, the original British television program, the new program for the United States undertaken by NBC, an additional new series for Australia, and all related merchandising opportunities. Now reaping the rewards for his efforts, Clarkson will act in a direct capacity as the figurehead for the Top Gear brand around the world. Although the deal did not involve his co-hosts Richard Hammond and James May, the pair are reported to have secured more lucrative deals themselves in light of Clarkson's new arrangement.

[Source: The Guardian via Inside Line]

Clarkson and BBC team up to take Top Gear global originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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