The broadcaster has reached a deal with the government to move a quantity of staff out of London but will not be forced to sell its base in the capital.

Bosses have laid out a plan to shift 300 of its 800 employees out of London in 2019 - a move which will mean ten times more staff operating outside the capital.

Next month Channel 4 will invite pitches from cities across the UK to host its second HQ, with chief executive, Alex Mahon, calling it ‘the biggest change in the structure of Channel 4 in its 35-year history’.

Mahon said Channel 4 would open three new ‘creative hubs’ in the nations and regions, with the largest set to be the new national HQ. She added that the locations for the new hubs would be confirmed by the end of the September. 

Channel 4 News will also be required to have an increased regional presence, with three new news bureaux in the nations and regions. The move will triple the number of Channel 4 News jobs by 2020. The plan also includes a commitment to spend half of Channel 4’s £700m annual programme budget on shows made by TV production companies based outside London by 2023. It currently spends £169m annually.

The government has been pushing for Channel 4 to relocate a significant part of its business to another city, with Birmingham considered the favourite location in the event of a wholesale move. The city, which has lobbied hard under its mayor, the former John Lewis boss Andy Street, will still hope to be a big winner under the partial move plan.