John Nicolson, the SNP’s spokesperson for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport sets out the priorities for BBC Scotland’s new director, Steve Carson.
I’m delighted to welcome Steve Carson to his post as director of BBC Scotland. It’s a tough gig. But Steve has all the qualities necessary, a sharp mind, great personal charm, and a background in good quality television production from youth tv, through Panorama and Newsnight before arriving here to launch the new BBC Scotland channel.
As an Ulsterman with years of experience working in the Republic, he will understand the challenges and privileges of working in a small country with a vibrant political culture. He’ll need skills aplenty to navigate BBC Scotland through the challenges of next year’s Scottish elections and indyref2.
The BBC freely concedes that it haemorrhaged trust during 2014’s Referendum coverage. And Corporate bosses don’t dispute that they subjected the status quo in the shape of the Union to much less assertive scrutiny than the insurgent campaign for independence. Many viewers left never to return.
READ MORE: BBC Scotland appoints new director to start later this year
BBC Scotland looks very different now, thanks in part to the new BBC Scotland channel which Steve launched. Its daily news output - The Nine - is consistently good at tackling the big stories of the day whether national, UK, or World on news merit alone.
That’s as it should be, but a challenge BBC bosses in London for years resisted, demanding that BBC Scotland’s nightly news output never stray south of Berwick let alone out into the big wide world.
The Nine has been a breath of fresh air with talented, youthful and bright Scottish journalists reporting on global issues - turning the too often insular, coothie and out of touch typecast of BBC Scotland news programming on its head.
The Covid crisis has exposed, starkly, how much Scotland needs its own prime time news show on the BBC’s main channel.
It’s no secret that I wanted a separate Scottish Six to replace the current offering on BBC 1. Indeed, I persuaded my Tory and Labour colleagues in the Commons to support my proposal when we published an all party Culture Select Committee report. It was not to be. But the BBC conceded The Nine instead, and it has more than risen to the challenge.
The time has come, I'd say, for The Nine to be moved onto BBC 1. The Covid crisis has exposed, starkly, how much Scotland needs its own prime time news show on the BBC’s main channel.
The BBC is not, of course, just news and current affairs but a valuable treasure trove of music and arts, radio, comedy, Gaelic and drama. The new director must lobby his colleagues in London to ensure a higher proportion of the licence fee raised in Scotland is spent in Scotland.
The Culture Select Committee, at my instigation, has recommended that Gaelic broadcasting be given matching funds to that given to Wales’ S4C. Given the huge success of Gaelic medium schooling there’s a whole new market growing up ready for some fresh and innovative Gaelic language output.
Steve Carson has wide experience of innovative programme making and he will have his own priorities. I look forward to talking to him about what they are in due course. But my feeling is that Radio Scotland could do with a revamp and a fresher sound.
READ MORE: BBC presenter under fire for claim Scots 'wouldn't get anything' outside the UK
Political programming is strong - Debate Night presented by Stephen Jardine is an intelligent and engaging watch far superior to the often unwatchable gammon shout fest Question Time. But where are the BBC Scotland politics podcasts?
In the last twelve months Frankie Boyle’s Tour of Scotland has shown that BBC Scotland isn’t afraid to take risks. And in Ally Heather I suspect BBC Scotland may well have found a star of the future. His Rebel Tongue was first rate.
I’m a fan of public service broadcasting. Having lived and worked in the States, I know what happens when media barons gain unchallenged control of the airwaves. I’m optimistic for the future of public service broadcasting in Scotland and know that we’ve a talent pool of rare quality waiting to be unleashed.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel