The BBC's early morning breakfast show is to be moved to Salford, along with other departments, such as those running parts of Radio 5 and some children's programming, as previously announced. The programme's staff and presenters – including Bill Turnbull, Sian Williams, Susanna Reid and Charlie Stayt - were informed  of the decision on Wednesday.

BBC media correspondent Torin Douglas says this: "Viewers could really start to notice that the BBC is making more of its programmes in the North - just as listeners may when Radio 5 Live moves. Breakfast runs for three hours a day on BBC One - and the Salford Quays waterfront and new buildings could provide a highly visible backdrop for the programme."

Around 2,500 jobs are moving to the BBC's new Salford Quays location in 2011.

BBC2's Raymond Blanc fronted reality show 'The Restaurant' is to come to an end after three series. The programme saw couples compete for the chance to open a restaurant with financial backing from the host. Blanc won't be leaving BBC screens altogether, however, as he is currently discussing the possibility of a new series of 'Kitchen Secrets' as well as other projects.

The news has been announced alongside plans for the channel's autumn and winter schedule, which will include a drama based on the events surrounding the organisation of 1984's Live Aid, which  will star Domhnall Gleeson – son of Brendan Gleeson – as Bob Geldof and Ian Hart as Harvey Goldsmith. It is to be broadcast later this year, timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the event. Elsewhere, Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon will star in a new part improvised comedy series called 'The Trip', which is to be directed by Michael Winterbottom, and will feature a guest appearance from Ben Stiller.

The BBC have confirmed that Christine Bleakley will not return to host 'The One Show' when it begins screening again next week, which I think was already common knowledge, but there you go. Following Adrian Chiles' decision to leave the show (because of Chris Evans' arrival on the scene), the Beeb asked her to remain, but withdrew the offer after she admitted to feeling 'torn' about her future. Last month, it emerged that she was planning to go to ITV to take up a place beside Chiles on GMTV.

The BBC said in a statement:  "Following the BBC's decision to withdraw its offer of an extended contract to Christine Bleakley, we have agreed she will not be returning to The One Show. The BBC would like to take this opportunity to thank Christine for her contribution to the show and to wish her well."

Jason Manford, as announced in May, is to take over on the show from August, and until then, a number of different presenters will stand in. The BBC are currently screen-testing female presenters to work alongside the comedian.

It's emerged that actress and comedian Jennifer Saunders was diagnosed with breast cancer after finding a lump back in October last year, but has now completed her treatment. The 52 year old star has been informed by doctors that she is now in remission. She has not spoken publicly about having the disease, and her spokesperson says she has no plans to.

She had recently been photographed wearing a wig and bandana because of hair loss caused by chemotherapy treatment, but 'went public' by attending Tracey Emin's recent birthday party bare-headed, and revealing her very short hair.

The Stage reports that 'Glee' star Matthew Morrison may appear in a production at the Donmar Warehouse, and is in talks with artistic director Michael Grandage and associate director Rob Ashford about it. The actor's background is in musical theatre, and apparently misses being on stage "more than anything" whilst working in TV.

He told The Stage: "I met with Michael Grandage and Rob Ashford and they gave me a tour of the Donmar. It’s such an amazing space. That is something I might be able to do because the runs are so short. They were just saying, 'Come to us with a project you would want to do'. And so I have some ideas for stuff I have been thinking about".

He added that he would be interested in appearing in a new piece, be it play or musical.

Jonathan Ross will present a new chat show on ITV following his imminent departure from the BBC. The final instalment of 'Friday Night With Jonathan Ross' will, as previously reported, be broadcast on 16 July, and feature David Beckham and Jackie Chan.

Ross, who will begin his new ITV show late next year, says: "I am thrilled and excited that after a short break I will be rolling up my sleeves and creating a brand new show for ITV1. I have worked successfully with most of the key figures at the network in the past and cannot wait to get back on screen with a fast, funny and unpredictable new talk show. I do have a little spare time at the beginning of 2011 though, so if England needs a temporary new manager I will consider the post seriously. Thank you".

Channel 4 has commissioned a four part thriller about gang members living in East London, to be broadcast next year. The drama has been scripted by Ronan Bennett, and is being produced by Cowboy Films, who also made the hard-to-sit-through, but still rather good 'The Last King Of Scotland'.

In researching 'Top Boy', Bennett has turned to Gerry Jackson, a fitness coach who has worked with young people in Hackney to help them stay away from drugs. The scriptwriter says: "I knew that I wanted to write about this world from the bottom up, from the point of view, not of the police, but of the tinies and youngers I saw every day hanging around the supermarket forecourt. So I asked Gerry if he would introduce me to kids on the street. Some of their stories were brutal and frightening. Others were sad and some were unintentionally funny. I wanted Top Boy to look at the fabric of life in a world we hear a lot about, but about which we know a lot less than we think".

Elsewhere in programmes-about-crime news: that Christopher Ecclestone is to star as a drug lord in a new six parter for the BBC, 'The Shadow Line'. It's a "noir thriller", written, produced and directed by Hugo Blick and co-starring the likes of Antony Sher, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Stephen Rea, and Lesley Sharp. Filming begins this month on the Isle Of Man, and the show will air next year.

Jackie Chan and David Beckham are to appear on the final instalment of Jonathan Ross's final Friday night talk show, which will be broadcast on 16 July. Also appearing, at the host's request, are Roxy Music.

As previously reported, Ross announced earlier in the year that he was leaving the BBC after thirteen years with the broadcaster. Speculators doing that old speculating thing are currently speculating that he is to take his chat show over to ITV.

The BBC Trust has called for the publication of the salaries of the corporation's highest paid stars. The governing body's chair, Sir Michael Lyons, says that the Beeb has to show that it is in touch with, and not "aloof and separate" from, the economic problems faced by the rest of the country, adding that "this is one of a small number of areas where we need to recapture public confidence". The stars in question won't actually be named however.  

Lyons also explained that a plan to cut the pay of senior managers at the BBC should be accelerated, and that millions had already been saved by the lowering of salaries elsewhere, as well as the axing of some posts. The BBC's executive board, and director general Mark Thompson will additionally only receive eleven months pay in this financial year, and members of the BBC Trust will themselves take a pay cut of 8.3% over the next two years.

Lyons said: "That's further evidence of the BBC recognising that this is a country facing tough times and that we need to do more to satisfy licence fee payers that we are genuinely using every pound and that we have particularly got to focus on the top pay of managers and the performers".

US chat show veteran Larry King has said that he will end his nightly show on CNN in the autumn, after a run of 25 years, during which he has interviewed more than 40,000 people, and gained an entry in the Guinness Book Of World Records: 'Larry King Live' is the longest running show with the same host retaining the same slot.

King has been plagued by personal trouble in recent months. He was, as previously reported, blackmailed over allegations of affairs with staff members, and his marriage seemed to be over, though he and seventh wife Shawn Southwick are now reconciled.

King explained via his blog that his departure would allow "more time for my wife and I to get to the kids' little league games", though added that he will "still be a part of the CNN family", and plans to host special programmes and events.

Floella Benjamin has taken a seat in the House Of Lords. The liberal Democrat peer, whose title is Baroness Benjamin of Beckenham in Kent, was one of 56 new appointments to the Lords made by the government last month.  She pledges to devote "much energy to the well being of children and young people".  

Benjamin was born in Trinidad and hosted shows like 'Play School' and 'Playaway' during the seventies and early eighties. During her career she has also been chairman of Bafta TV, Chancellor of the University of Exeter, and has in recent years appeared in children's 'Dr Who' spin-off 'The Sarah Jane Adventures'.

That Jessie Wallace of 'EastEnders' fame is to star in a BBC drama about the beginning of 'Coronation Street'. She is to play Pat Pheonix (aka Elsie Tanner) in the programme, alongside Lynda Baron as Violet Carson (aka Ena Sharples) and Celia Imrie as Doris Speed (aka Annie Walker). Also set to appear in the drama are Jane Horrocks, who will play Margaret Morris, Granada's then-casting director, and 'Cold Feet' star John Thompson. Cast member William Roache, aka Ken Barlow, who has been on the show forever, is to be portrayed by his own son, James Roache.

The programme is being made by ITV studios and will be broadcast as part of the Great Northern season on BBC Four later this year.

ITV have confirmed that they are cancelling long running nostalgia drama 'Heartbeat', after screening it for eighteen years. The move is apparently the result of a bit of a shake-up, programming-wise; an ITV spokesman explained: "We are overhauling our schedule to reflect the changing demands of our audience [and] refreshing the mix of programming we commission and broadcast".

The spokesman continued: "We will continue to maintain our significant investment in the genre, the biggest of any commercial broadcaster, but ITV1's future focus will be on new and varied drama commissions. 'Heartbeat' has been an important part of the television landscape over the last 18 years and we are incredibly proud of what it achieved in its heyday as one of ITV1's top rated dramas".

Back in January reports suggested that the show was to end, but ITV said at that time that production of 'Heartbeat' had merely been suspended, due to the fact that they needed to clear a backlog of unseen episodes.

Former double act Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie are to reunite on screen for the first time in fifteen years, say reports. A special programme reflecting on their respective careers as well as their friendship is being made by Tiger Aspect for UK digital channel Gold.

Fry says: "I am delighted to be given the opportunity to retread the 30 years Hugh and I have known each other and worked together".

Gold channel head Paul Moreton adds: "We are so proud that Stephen and Hugh have chosen to come together on television for the first time in 15 years to create a new show exclusively for Gold. This fantastic special follows in the footsteps of the hugely successful Fawlty and Blackadder specials which also brought together Britain’s comedy royalty to Gold".

Victoria Wood is set to hold open audition on 8 July in Manchester to find two young men to play the roles of Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. The comedienne is to star in a film about the early lives of the comedy double act, playing Morecambe's mother Sadie.

Wood explains: "It's the story of Eric and Ernie and how these two little boys got together. If there are any boys out there who think they look like Eric and Ernie - and they need to be able to sing and dance a bit. We're looking for some wayward funniness that Eric will have had as a little boy".

A venue for the auditions is to be confirmed.

That Stephen Fry has criticised British TV programmes for being childish. He says that these childish programmes are good, if you're a child, but basically, if you're an adult, you need to be watching something a bit more challenging.

"I'm not saying TV should be pompous and academic, but it should surprise and astonish", he said. "The only drama the BBC will boast about are 'Merlin' and 'Doctor Who', which are fine but they're children's programmes. They're not for adults. And they're very good children's programmes, don't get me wrong, they're wonderfully written... but they are not for adults. They are like a chicken nugget. Every now and again we all like it. Every now and again. If you are an adult you want something surprising, savoury, sharp, unusual, cosmopolitan, alien, challenging, complex, ambiguous, possibly even slightly disturbing and wrong. You want to try those things, because that's what being adult means. It's children's television, it's entirely infantilised. It's not grown up".

He added that shows such as 'Gavin and Stacey' and 'Little Britain' were "very successful", but also "unbelievably Balkanised". He continued: "They are set into a particular demographic. This is what I mean by television not being the nation's fireplace. It's just all parcelled and I don't know that there's a solution to it".

'Strictly Come Dancing' star Brian Fortuna is to leave the show, because changes are being made to the format.

Producers are planning to cut the number of celebrity dancers from 16 to 14 for the next series, and have hired three new male dancers too. Therefore he, and some of his fellow dance types, were asked to concentrate on professional-only routines, rather than mentoring the celebs. Programme bosses asked Fortuna, Ian Waite, Matthew Cutler, Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova to form a troupe which would perform "show stopping dance spectacles" on each edition of the only slightly tedious c'leb dancing show.

Fortuna has decided not to stay under the circumstances, and is planning to concentrate instead on West End show 'Burn The Floor'. "I really enjoyed working on Strictly over the years - loved the fans and loved all the people I got work with", he says, "but there are changes planned for the next season so I've decided not to return to the show".

A BBC spokeswoman said: "We would like to thank Brian for all his hard work over the last two series".

Steph Fearon, losing semi-finalist from BBC West End talent search show 'Over The Rainbow', is to appear in a summer revival of 'Smokey Joe's Cafe' at Clapham's Landor Theatre. The jukebox musical, which was produced in the West End back in 1996, will open on 13 Jul and run until 22 Aug.

'Smokey Joe's Cafe' is set in 1950s America and features songs such as 'On Broadway', 'Jailhouse Rock' and 'Stand By Me'.

Channel 4 have announced that they are to broadcast the British Comedy Awards, screened by ITV for the past two decades, for the next three years. The network says it will show the awards live, and hope to inject "spontaneity, excitement and edge into the new look awards show". It could certainly do with it, as award shows go, it's had a very tired feeling for years now.

Channel 4 head Julian Bellamy adds: "From 'The Inbetweeners' and 'Peep Show', to our Comedy Labs and Showcases - we're passionate about comedy at Channel 4, and have a long heritage of supporting and developing new talent in this arena. After the success of our 'Comedy Gala', and our 'Alternative Election Night', we're excited about bringing the event of the comedy calendar to viewers this winter".

This year's Bafta TV awards have taken place, and Armando Iannucci's 'The Thick Of It' has taken three awards.

The show's Peter Capaldi took Best Male Comedy Performance for his role as the foul-mouthed spin doctor Malcolm Tucker, while Rebecca Front, who plays MP Nicola Murray, was awarded the Best Female Comedy Performance gong, and the programme was also named Best Sitcom. Accepting the latter award, Iannucci thanked Lib Dem Nick Clegg, for allying with the Tories and therefore "completely destroying our plans for the next series".

Other winners on the night included Kenneth Branagh and Julie Walters, who took the Best Actor and Best Actress awards, and Matthew McFadyen and Rebecca Hall, who triumphed in the supporting actor categories. Ant and Dec beat off competition in the Best Entertainment Performance category from Stephen Fry ('QI'), Harry Hill ('TV Burp'), and Michael McIntyre (with his 'Comedy Roadshow') to take their first ever Bafta for 'I'm A Celebrity'.

'Britain's Got Talent' took the Best Entertainment Programme award, 'The Armstrong and Miller Show' picked up the 'Best Comedy Programme' gong (controversial to my mind, given that Mitchell and Webb and Stewart Lee were also nominated and A&M's current TV venture is decidedly mediocre, but what do I know?) and 'EastEnders' won in the soap, aka 'Continuing Drama' category.

Elsewhere, ITV's 'News at Ten' was rewarded for their coverage of the Haiti earthquake, the Best Current Affairs award went to Dispatches' 'Terror In Mumbai', and the documentary gong was given to BBC1 programme 'Wounded'. A Bafta Fellowship was bestowed on Melvyn Bragg, and a Special Award was given to Simon Cowell, for his services to popular TV crap. Oh, sorry, no. For "reinventing Saturday night entertainment".