BE
If Wales can have SC4, I don't see why Scotland shouldn't have an equivalent. How about an arrangement like that with Channel 4 - I'm not completely sure about the ins and outs of how it works, but it seems to work for Wales, so I don't see why it shouldn't for Scotland. BBC Scotland could contribute programmes to it like BBC Wales does to SC4 (like the News). And it's a tried and tested method, so it's not a complete step into the dark.
LC
[quote="tvmercia"]
ooooh *rubs hands* then the 5 million licence fee payers could fund bbc scotland themselves - freeing up a bit more money for english viewers.
Perhaps we could use money from the North Sea Scotland oil that England takes from us !!!!!
p_c_u_k posted:
The first one - hard to justify as long as Scotland remains part of the UK. While BBC Scotland should be given more powers, and in my opinion a Scottish Six (as long as they learn not to fill it with the same crap that inhabits Reporting Scotland), I don't think you can justify a separate channel for a nation of five million versus 50 million, no matter how different it is. If people want Scotland to have a completely different identity, TV channels, and everything else, they should vote for independence.
ooooh *rubs hands* then the 5 million licence fee payers could fund bbc scotland themselves - freeing up a bit more money for english viewers.
Perhaps we could use money from the North Sea Scotland oil that England takes from us !!!!!
GE
I wouldn't say that nobody speaks it - I'm up in Inverness at the moment, and occasionally hear conversations in it, and more so in the Western Isles.
But Radio nan Gaidheal only transmits for 11 hours a day, which gives you a vauge idea of the kind of demand for broadcasting in that language.
I can see the benefits in a Scottish Six, where the main stories of the day are irrelevant to Scotland - but it really needs to be handled well. It ought to use the same packages as the national news for stories which cover national issues, but then there would be problems in getting reporters on air for live 2-ways if they're also needed for the national program.
thegeek
Founding member
Hymagumba posted:
Gaelic is pointless and nobody speaks it; leave it to TeleG.
I wouldn't say that nobody speaks it - I'm up in Inverness at the moment, and occasionally hear conversations in it, and more so in the Western Isles.
But Radio nan Gaidheal only transmits for 11 hours a day, which gives you a vauge idea of the kind of demand for broadcasting in that language.
I can see the benefits in a Scottish Six, where the main stories of the day are irrelevant to Scotland - but it really needs to be handled well. It ought to use the same packages as the national news for stories which cover national issues, but then there would be problems in getting reporters on air for live 2-ways if they're also needed for the national program.
ND
I would suggest that separating BBC Scotland would be nonsensical - and I have to say that the "Scottish Six" is a rubbish idea - BBC National News bulletins are a summary of World and UK News, and is just as applicable across the country. That's not to say that the agenda may be a little South-East orientated, but the "Scottish Six" is no solution to this.
<political rant>It seems to me that these MSPs want to do silly little things to make Scotland look a bit more independant without actually pushing for full independance properly </political rant>
I do agree though that more regional programming (not just in Scotland) would be a good thing, especially as ITV don't seem to be bothered with that any more.
However - why not have a Scottish channel 4? After all Wales has S4C, perhaps there is room for a similar channel in Scotland (with much less of a language issue, obviously)?
Angusmast posted:
I seem to remember, just after devolution, BBC News mentioned the fact when a story applied to England and Wales more often. They seem to have largely forgotten about this now. There was also a distinct increase in coverage of Scotland only issues, but that seem to have declined.
I don't expect viewers in London to have to put up with too many irrelevant Scottish stories, but neither do I want to be confused by English stories about education and legal matters.
I'm not a rampant nationalist, but I do think there is a good case for a more independent scottish TV service. I'd like to see one completely Scottish channel, the only question is it's viability.
I've got nothing against Gaelic, but realistically only 1% of the Scottish population actually speak it now. There is no arguement for more Gaelic programmes.
My suggestion is to make channel 2 in Scotland controlled in Scotland with more and more regional programmes. Run by BBC Scotland, but having a new non-BBC identity. BBC One would not get so many regionally variations, but would do so when necessary.
BBC2 England should be made available on Freeview in Scotland too.
I don't expect viewers in London to have to put up with too many irrelevant Scottish stories, but neither do I want to be confused by English stories about education and legal matters.
I'm not a rampant nationalist, but I do think there is a good case for a more independent scottish TV service. I'd like to see one completely Scottish channel, the only question is it's viability.
I've got nothing against Gaelic, but realistically only 1% of the Scottish population actually speak it now. There is no arguement for more Gaelic programmes.
My suggestion is to make channel 2 in Scotland controlled in Scotland with more and more regional programmes. Run by BBC Scotland, but having a new non-BBC identity. BBC One would not get so many regionally variations, but would do so when necessary.
BBC2 England should be made available on Freeview in Scotland too.
I would suggest that separating BBC Scotland would be nonsensical - and I have to say that the "Scottish Six" is a rubbish idea - BBC National News bulletins are a summary of World and UK News, and is just as applicable across the country. That's not to say that the agenda may be a little South-East orientated, but the "Scottish Six" is no solution to this.
<political rant>It seems to me that these MSPs want to do silly little things to make Scotland look a bit more independant without actually pushing for full independance properly </political rant>
I do agree though that more regional programming (not just in Scotland) would be a good thing, especially as ITV don't seem to be bothered with that any more.
However - why not have a Scottish channel 4? After all Wales has S4C, perhaps there is room for a similar channel in Scotland (with much less of a language issue, obviously)?
:-(
A former member
I wouldn't say that nobody speaks it - I'm up in Inverness at the moment, and occasionally hear conversations in it, and more so in the Western Isles
Scottish Gaelic is still very much a living language, with an estimated 100,000 speakers in Scotland and many more among the expatriate population. In the Western Isles, it's the everyday language of community life.
But Radio nan Gaidheal only transmits for 11 hours a day, which gives you a vauge idea of the kind of demand for broadcasting in that language
No, that's nothing to do with demand and everything to do with the very small budget Radio nan Gaidheal has to work with.
Scottish Gaelic is still very much a living language, with an estimated 100,000 speakers in Scotland and many more among the expatriate population. In the Western Isles, it's the everyday language of community life.
But Radio nan Gaidheal only transmits for 11 hours a day, which gives you a vauge idea of the kind of demand for broadcasting in that language
No, that's nothing to do with demand and everything to do with the very small budget Radio nan Gaidheal has to work with.
GE
I actually quite like it, as a language - I'm considering taking some courses in it at uni next year. I heard yesterday that they've got one word for 'dry weather', and another for 'not raining anymore'. I like that concept...
Like I said, a vauge idea. I wasn't sure if budgets came into it as well - but with many things at the BBC, I suppose it was inevitable.
Does that explain the 2-hour gap in the middle of the day's broadcasting, then?
thegeek
Founding member
Glorfindel posted:
Scottish Gaelic is still very much a living language, with an estimated 100,000 speakers in Scotland and many more among the expatriate population. In the Western Isles, it's the everyday language of community life.
I actually quite like it, as a language - I'm considering taking some courses in it at uni next year. I heard yesterday that they've got one word for 'dry weather', and another for 'not raining anymore'. I like that concept...
Quote:
But Radio nan Gaidheal only transmits for 11 hours a day, which gives you a vauge idea of the kind of demand for broadcasting in that language
No, that's nothing to do with demand and everything to do with the very small budget Radio nan Gaidheal has to work with.
No, that's nothing to do with demand and everything to do with the very small budget Radio nan Gaidheal has to work with.
Like I said, a vauge idea. I wasn't sure if budgets came into it as well - but with many things at the BBC, I suppose it was inevitable.
Does that explain the 2-hour gap in the middle of the day's broadcasting, then?
BN
I have never liked the idea of a Scottish Six - and i don't think there wil be one in the forseable future.
I also think they would strugle to fill a full hour - you would have a Scottish slant on some on the stories featured on the Six, but they may not feature others - then we would have some of the usual rubbish that we currently have on RS. The first 15 mins is generally OK- but after that it isn't great.
I also think they would strugle to fill a full hour - you would have a Scottish slant on some on the stories featured on the Six, but they may not feature others - then we would have some of the usual rubbish that we currently have on RS. The first 15 mins is generally OK- but after that it isn't great.
PC
What's happening in Sudan is of importance to the world because it's a major catastrophe - a minor change to the law which only affects viewers in England and Wales is a completely different matter.
Psythor posted:
If you consider the irrelevance point on a wider scale, then why does the BBC National News cover what's going on in Sudan at the moment? Surely, that's irrelevant to everyone in Britain in the same way that something about England and Wales is irrelevant to someone in Scotland?
What's happening in Sudan is of importance to the world because it's a major catastrophe - a minor change to the law which only affects viewers in England and Wales is a completely different matter.
PC
Oh no doubt - if BBC Scotland think they're getting one hour to go on about a new species of bird found in the Hebrides, or an update on the memorable Newsnight Scotland report on Mull Theatre, they've got another thing coming. They'd need to up their game substantially - Reporting Scotland at the moment is a disgrace.
On the two-ways - Newsdrive on Radio Scotland manages to get correspondents for their reports, but on a smaller scale to the likes of Radio 4. I think we'd have to accept there would be fewer live reports up here.
For comparative purposes, CBC in Canada takes a lot of its foreign news from the BBC and American networks. I'd suggest a BBC Scotland Scottish Six would do the same sort of thing, and take its international news from reports sent up from the BBC in London.
As for the question of being able to manage a whole hour - how about the first half hour being a Scottish national news programme, the way the Scottish Six has been described, and the last half hour (or less, depending on how much there would be to fill it) given to more regional news, divided into four regions (north, south, east and west)? Alternatively they could use the last half hour to do a variant on the UTV Live at 5.30 idea.
thegeek posted:
I can see the benefits in a Scottish Six, where the main stories of the day are irrelevant to Scotland - but it really needs to be handled well. It ought to use the same packages as the national news for stories which cover national issues, but then there would be problems in getting reporters on air for live 2-ways if they're also needed for the national program.
Oh no doubt - if BBC Scotland think they're getting one hour to go on about a new species of bird found in the Hebrides, or an update on the memorable Newsnight Scotland report on Mull Theatre, they've got another thing coming. They'd need to up their game substantially - Reporting Scotland at the moment is a disgrace.
On the two-ways - Newsdrive on Radio Scotland manages to get correspondents for their reports, but on a smaller scale to the likes of Radio 4. I think we'd have to accept there would be fewer live reports up here.
For comparative purposes, CBC in Canada takes a lot of its foreign news from the BBC and American networks. I'd suggest a BBC Scotland Scottish Six would do the same sort of thing, and take its international news from reports sent up from the BBC in London.
As for the question of being able to manage a whole hour - how about the first half hour being a Scottish national news programme, the way the Scottish Six has been described, and the last half hour (or less, depending on how much there would be to fill it) given to more regional news, divided into four regions (north, south, east and west)? Alternatively they could use the last half hour to do a variant on the UTV Live at 5.30 idea.