BBC Scotland channel - service to also launch in HD

It's worth mentioning that UTV Ireland replaced the Belfast-based UTV on most platforms, so many viewers ended up with a more limited version of ITV than they were used to.

BBC Scotland does get off the hook in not being screened as a commercial service in the UK. The future of the channel is very much secure when it has funding coming in from the licence fee. There will have to be other significant challenges facing it's future if it become's an eventual failure by the audience's standards. The theory about BBC Scotland is that it's meant to give TV programming which can give value to a Scottish audience. I don't think it will have that many struggles within it's reach of the audience within the first week. It is a huge job for a broadcaster to set up a new channel for their audience.

The BBC over the past few years have had to make significant cutbacks in other areas of the BBC to make this new channel come into existence for their new audience. It will have to take time for the audience to consume it's programming schedule to see if it does become a positive impact. I do wish it well when it launches later this evening. I had a look at the channel's preview last night. The Reith font does look nice on the screen. The one programme that I am looking forward to seeing from it is Inside Central Station that is about the day to day operations of Glasgow Central Railway Station. I actually love trains as another hobby of mine. The preview of it last night looked really good.

The head of the channel already pre-empting the inevitable zero rating stories.

BBC News - New BBC Scotland TV channel 'not all about numbers'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-47345058

See this is where the similarities meet because does anyone in Scotland actually really want a BBC Scotland channel?

The Director General seems to think that's what Scotland wants but do they actually want it?

It may solve whatever politics goes on within the BBC but I don't think it meets the needs of scottish viewers really.

At the time it was revealed, there were a lot of unhappy people bemused as to why they weren't offered their own 6 o clock news. I'm not sure why that idea has been ignored? 6 is a pretty good time for news - especially local news.

They better hope it's been worth the 30 million spent on it.

Oh, it's actually 32 million of a budget Holy moly.

Guess that's about £30m more than the STV2 budget and £32m more than the That's TV Scotland budget.

I think those number are very devious, It would seem to included money BBC Scotland One and two already has for its programme budget.............

I suppose, after all, that is the point of the licence fee. If a commercial operator cannot make a financially viable outlet for this sort of programming but there is value in it, then that seems to me to be public service broadcasting. However, working out if there is value in it, if it is appreciated by the audience, is going to be key in working out if it's worth doing at all.

I still can't decide if this channel is a 'fair' thing. The obvious question that arises from a BBC Scotland channel is – where are the BBC Wales/NI/England equivalents. Perhaps these are already well catered for, in some cases by other outlets than a standalone channel (especially in the case of England, I suspect) – but it certainly might present a perception problem.

Good grief. It feels like people here want anything that doesn’t appeal directly to them to fail.

I hope BBC Scotland is a success. If it is, it may well pave the way for more local content in other areas, at a significantly higher quality than local tv is currently providing.

So do we call this channel BBC Scotland, the BBC Scotland channel or BBC Scotland TV? I've seen/heard all of these from various BBC outlets.

Oh I certainly hope it’s a success – and I do support the concept. I was actually thinking along the same lines as you, that it could be the start of further local content. I was simply reflecting on how it might appear. My first paragraph was intended to be supportive of the BBC trying this.

I reckon it will be the BBC Scotland Channel, which seems to be what it's being referred to as most frequently.

I can't see it being called "BBC Scotland", for the same reason as the BBC News Channel isn't normally referred to as "BBC News"