BBC Scotland to launch new channel

I doubt it was an idea and decision made totally by management in London. Of course Glasgow's management would have been involved in coming up with the plans. It won't be something that's just been dictated to them.


Something like a new channel or new investment has to be London based, that's where 'head office' is

I'm not sure those 'Midlands', 'south' 'north' designations have existed at the BBC for long while.
I can't see the license fee stat on that page

Why should it need to any more than any other region? I don't see a lot of network programming coming from the South West or North East. Although it's been reduced significantly since the 90s there is still some network production in Birmingham. I live in the Midlands and as much as it's a shame there's not more media based here these days, I don't really get the need for more representation on screen nationally, I just want the best programmes whereever they're made. The local/regional content here however is very good and that's what I expect from them


As I say, the money is being spent there it's just not appearing on the screen/radio.

I agree. The next time the BBC starts pleading poverty, or the programmes on BBC1 are affected by "cuts" i will just scream "BBC SCOTLAND" and leave it there. I think it's incredible that the BBC are broke one minute and have to close BBC Three from their broadcast platform and then suddenly seem wealthy enough to launch a new channel that we all pay for but only 4 or 5 million will benefit from. Why is Scotland, a part of the UK, already with its own programming, being regarded as more special than any other part of the UK? i

It's only, what £20 million a year? That's really not much in TV terms.



Let me let you into a little secret.... you won't have to be Scottish to watch or enjoy it

But the BBC can't even afford to show new programming after 10.30pm. They haven't the budget apparently. So where are they finding this extra cash that has suddenly materialised from thin air? It is the dishonesty and pleading of poverty that annoys me. Clearly they are not as skint as they would like us to think they are.

I've said it once, and I'll say it ONE MORE TIME.

It's that kind of little Englander resentment which is breeding Scottish nationalism. As I posted earlier, there is a programming deficit of more than £100m based on what Scots pay in and what they get back. By all accounts, argue the case for England to get its own programming, or the regions of England to get greater programming devolution, but PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE give it a break with the 'Those Scotch get everything' clap trap. It's unbelievably tiresome and is almost always proved to be groundless.

I never thought I'd say this, but being a TVForum regular is turning me pro-independence! At least we won't have to be endlessly lectured on the decision to spend - as Inspector Sands rightly puts it - a modest sum of cash on a TV project.

Now, can we all get back to what we love which is TV presentation? You may not like the politics, but at least we have a fresh new channel with new presentation and idents we can all probably agree will be rubbish!

No its not, and to believe such stuff is causing the trouble in the first place, So I take it us scots shouldn't be paying for Eastenders? Or Blue plant? All the dramas? Cbbc stuff? which you might get a shock does have stuff made in Glasgow for it.

Scottish nationalism is different kettle of fish, and needs to be kept clear of this whole subject because it cloudy ups the water.

It really does look like BBC would rather spend money a new channel then allow a Scottish six.

Blimey - chip on shoulder or what! The fundamental flaw in this creation has nothing to do with whether anyone is anti-Scottish or not - which I'm not - why the hell would I be? It's to do with the BBC closing down BBC3 as a broadcast channel and reducing BBC1 services post 10.30pm because they have no money. that is what we were told. In fact, we are always told that. I think the BBC should give Scotland far more freedoms in what they believe to be more relevant for Scotland. I also think that if BBC Scotland felt a Six O'Clock News version to cater for what is in effect Scottish interests, then that is what they should have done. Each person across the UK pays the exact same amount for a TV licence. The Licence fee is used for a whole variety of purposes including regional and national programming. No region of the UK should be over or under represented by the BBC considering that what we pay is equal. Now, this means that Scotland will now get an extra service, along side the Gaelic Scottish service, that the rest of the UK won't be getting. River City might come from the BBC Scotland budget, but where does the BBC Scotland budget come from? I'm not for one moment saying that River City should not be made because it reflects Scottish life and is important for Scottish licence fee payers to be represented by programming that they can relate to. But, when other viewers across the UK could theoretically lose out in services where it has now been demonstrated that the corporation had extra money all along, forgive me if I'm asking questions into why money can be found for additional Scottish services where it is not available for UK-wide services?

Especially when Scottish posters know 100% that if additional funding had been found for English viewers to benefit from and not them, they would be asking the exact same questions. Any surplus of licence fee money, regardless as to where it comes from, should be put back into providing UK-wide services that all UK wide citizens can benefit from. And, please, drop the "Little Englander" accusations!

I hope not many here did watch this after all, especially as some politicians were questioning whether £30m was really enough to run a decent TV channel... Take nice deep breaths, everyone.

If there's a deficit of over £100 million from what Scotland pays in than what it gets back then I dread to think what the programming deficit is for viewers in the English Regions, who of course pay the same license fee yet, bar regional news, get the grand total of 50 minutes of regional programming a week (20 minute Sunday Poltics opt-out and 30 minutes of Inside Out, of which half of the stories are used to pad out the regional news).

You have to remember that English regions, or England as a whole, doesn't have its own Parliament, justice system, health system, etc.
I agree that English regions should get more in the way of "local" programmes.

Just to add, I think the new Scottish stand-alone channel is a bad idea. Money could be better spent improving Scottish programmes on BBC One and Two, especially Reporting Scotland...

Fine. Let the Scottish Parliament fund this additional channel if opt outs of the main channels are not sufficient.