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Commission looks at broadcasting | Commission looks at broadcasting |
(about 12 hours later) | |
First Minister Alex Salmond has announced a commission to look into Scottish broadcasting. | First Minister Alex Salmond has announced a commission to look into Scottish broadcasting. |
He called for the Scottish Parliament to be given powers over the area, currently reserved to Westminster. | He called for the Scottish Parliament to be given powers over the area, currently reserved to Westminster. |
The UK government warned that creating a "Scottish Broadcasting Corporation" was a backward-looking proposal. | |
Blair Jenkins, a former head of news at BBC Scotland, will chair the commission on which former Labour First Minister Henry McLeish will also serve. | |
Speaking at an event at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, the first minister said the commission would have a broad remit and would combine "substantial industry experience with a broad spectrum of political opinion". | |
Denying Scots access to the world's most respected broadcaster by creating a parochial and narrow Scottish Broadcasting Corporation is a backward-looking proposal David CairnsScotland Office minister class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/briantaylor/2007/08/broadcasting_scotland_1.html">Brian Taylor's blog | |
Mr Salmond said the long-running debate over a separate BBC six o'clock news programme for Scotland was only "shorthand" for a much wider debate which had to be conducted. | |
He said the most pressing issue was a dramatic cut in television production in Scotland in recent years and described the industry's desire to see the BBC and STV spending 9% of their budgets in Scotland as a "floor not a ceiling". | |
The first minister also criticised television chiefs for claiming an average spend of 3% was due to a lack of talent and ideas. | |
class="bodl" href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/This-Week/Speeches/broadcasting">Read Alex Salmond's Speech in full (external link) | |
Mr Salmond said: "It was a previous BBC director general, Greg Dyke, who championed the cause of greater ethnic diversity at the BBC, an organisation which he famously and controversially once described as hideously white. | Mr Salmond said: "It was a previous BBC director general, Greg Dyke, who championed the cause of greater ethnic diversity at the BBC, an organisation which he famously and controversially once described as hideously white. |
"It's not just whether the BBC is hideously white but whether it's also still hideously White City, believing that talent and wisdom reside only in West London." | "It's not just whether the BBC is hideously white but whether it's also still hideously White City, believing that talent and wisdom reside only in West London." |
Mr Salmond also said he would be seeking meetings with the main UK broadcasters in a bid to "reverse the steep decline" in network spending on Scottish productions. | |
"We want to ensure editorial and creative control is exercised in Scotland on behalf of Scottish audiences," he said. | |
Alex Salmond raised concern over cuts in TV production | |
Earlier at the event, the broadcaster and actress Elaine C Smith claimed Scotland was not well served by current broadcasting arrangements. | |
But David Cairns, minister of state at the Scotland Office, said Mr Salmond was "clearly out of touch". | |
"Denying Scots access to the world's most respected broadcaster by creating a parochial and narrow Scottish Broadcasting Corporation is a backward-looking proposal which will command little public support," he said. | |
Mr Cairns said he had sought assurances on an increase in Scottish programming "from the highest levels of the BBC in Scotland". | |
Scottish Tory culture spokesman Ted Brocklebank said there was a legitimate concern that Scotland was not getting a fair share of national broadcast funding. | |
However, Mr Brocklebank, a former Grampian Television head of news and current affairs, said: "Nobody is fooled by Alex Salmond's demand that the Scottish Parliament be given a regulatory role over broadcasting, whilst having no control over editorial policy. | |
"Influencing editorial policy is precisely the ultimate goal of the separatists." | |
'Major investment' | |
Liberal Democrat culture spokesman Iain Smith MSP welcomed the prospect of a serious debate about the future of broadcasting in Scotland. | |
But he warned: "It is, however, important to recognise the considerable advantages that Scotland has from access to the BBC and other UK-wide broadcasters." | |
A spokesman for BBC Scotland said it welcomed any debate on broadcasting as it believed it already contributed significantly to the Scottish economy. | |
He said: "We are about to open our new £188m state-of-the-art headquarters at Pacific Quay in Glasgow - the most sophisticated digital production centre in Europe - and it will benefit not just BBC Scotland but the entire broadcasting industry. | |
"Our Network TV commissions are set to increase with £50m investment forecast for the coming year and further growth planned for 2008/2009, while our overall investment for Scottish output remains strong. | |
"The decision to make this major investment is a sign of the BBC's confidence in the strength and ability of the creative community in Scotland." | |
The spokesman said BBC Scotland worked closely with local theatre companies, with a new radio drama studio within Pacific Quay, and was developing new comedy writing. | |
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