WHEN Professor Tim Luckhurst, a former editor at BBC Scotland and The Scotsman, comments that the viewing figures for The Seven and The Nine are “atrocious” and that current programming policy is “a deplorable waste of money”, surely it is time to seriously review the operating agenda, if not the sustainment, of BBC Scotland (BBC Scotland a ‘waste of money’, Jan 16).
With its flagship Reporting Scotland now consistently lagging behind STV News it is evident, as well as prevailing common sense, that viewers in Scotland do not wish to be served the same BBC perspective on news stories as that aimed at viewers in England.
While non-politicians such as Alan Cumming, Brian Cox and Annie Lennox echo the sentiments of Scotland’s First Minister in calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the humane treatment of refugees (which does not include flying even those with a legitimate right to stay in the UK to Rwanda), and prompt and appropriate compensation for those suffering from UK scandals such as Windrush, reporters and journalists at BBC Scotland appear obsessed with finding another patient seemingly failed by our NHS.
Regrettably, while there are some who seem to take a perverse delight in each and every negative Scottish story – as in their minds it confirms the limitations of the Scottish Government, and in particular the SNP and the cause of independence (in spite of the considerable limitations of the devolution settlement) – thankfully these individuals represent only a tiny minority of Scotland’s population.
As most now accept that around 50% (if not more) of the electorate support self-determination, what is the point of a BBC Scotland channel that essentially serves the same 50% of potential viewers as the main BBC channels while the other 50% are often denied even a single story on the many remarkable advances made across Scotland, from ground-breaking research at our universities to innovations in renewable-energy development?
At least 50% of the viewing public in Scotland are not getting value for their BBC licence fees, so either BBC Scotland has to be fundamentally reformed under a new ethos and new management to separately serve that potential audience, or a proportion of the fees should be committed to support a new Scottish News TV channel run independently of the BBC and reflecting the broad perspective of Scotland’s people.
Channel 4 has demonstrated that a more objective balance can be achieved in UK news reporting, and this should be the ambition of an independently run Scottish News channel receiving any public funding.
The only other realistic alternative path ahead for the BBC is to abandon the “BBC Scotland experiment” (which sadly would probably lead to job losses in Scotland in the short-term) and significantly reduce the licence fee for Scottish viewers.
Stan Grodynski
Longniddry, East Lothian
READING your article “BBC Scotland a ‘waste of money’, where Professor Tim Luckhurst informed us that it is a “deplorable waste of money”, I could only agree. According to research a total of 200 people watched The Seven and 1700 The Nine on January 7.
You really have to stop and consider why. I mean, why do so many still watch this awful travesty of news coverage which never fails to promote bad news about our country? Thankfully, except these small numbers, the bulk of Scotland’s viewing population – certainly the 50+% who support independence – have long ago seen through their collective agenda that denigrates Scotland at every opportunity.
Of the 80 journalists that you say are working at BBC Scotland, there must be several surely who are appalled at what they have to report and the negative spin their masters require of them but, by and large, having in the past watched both news bulletins, it is fair to say they appear happy in their role of talking their country down.
Let’s put a note in the diary for the day after independence: P45s to be issued throughout BBC Scotland. Then we create a Scottish TV channel worthy of its name. Scotland did invent the TV, after all!
Ian Stewart
Uig, Isle of Skye
THE fact that The Nine and The Seven viewing figures are virtually non-existent should surprise no-one. Set between “big boys” news at 6pm and 10pm and competing with The One Show, Silent Witness, Traitors etc, this was always a project set up to fail. Millions of pounds, which we ultimately pay for, spent so that BBC could answer calls for a Scottish Six news!
The quality of journalism is just as good on The Nine and The Seven, albeit with a distinct Unionist bias, and there are other decent programmes on the Scotland channel, but for me the BBC Scotland channel is yet another example of the lengths to which the establishment will go to suppress Scottish identity and put us back in our shortbread tin!
C Tait
Largs
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