First Bbc Scotland Editor

[Rossy]

I feel dirty doing this, but I had to look at the Daily Fascist's comments to see the garbage posted.

They haven't let me down...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4248776/BBC-announces-30m-new-BBC-Scotland-channel.html#comments

[Toepoke]

2 hours ago, Rossy said:

I feel dirty doing this, but I had to look at the Daily Fascist's comments to see the garbage posted.

They haven't let me down...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4248776/BBC-announces-30m-new-BBC-Scotland-channel.html#comments

 Filter the comments by worst rated, there's a common thread running through those ones...

 

[Guest flumax]

49 minutes ago, Toepoke said:

 Filter the comments by worst rated, there's a common thread running through those ones...

 

Feel that love

[exile]

I would prefer a separate Scottish channel. This new BBC Scotland is like the equivalent of the Sunday Times Scotland or Scottish Daily Mail. tt's a branch office with local window dressing. Better than nothing, maybe, but no substitute for a genuine alternative Scottish based national like the Scotsman or Herald at their best.

The ultimate problem is the licence fee, being forced to pay for the BBC whether we like it or not. Imagine if we were forced to pay for the STS or SDM, how difficult it would be for a Scotsman or Herald to get off the ground.

 

[Rossy]

7 hours ago, exile said:

I would prefer a separate Scottish channel. This new BBC Scotland is like the equivalent of the Sunday Times Scotland or Scottish Daily Mail. tt's a branch office with local window dressing. Better than nothing, maybe, but no substitute for a genuine alternative Scottish based national like the Scotsman or Herald at their best.

The ultimate problem is the licence fee, being forced to pay for the BBC whether we like it or not. Imagine if we were forced to pay for the STS or SDM, how difficult it would be for a Scotsman or Herald to get off the ground.

 

We have one effectively in STV....which has raised its game considerably in the last few years while BBC Scotland has still been waiting on instructions from London.

The current affairs programmes are far better on STV, and while I don't always agree with them I at least have the sense that they 'understand' Scotland.

[Orraloon]

This plan allows the BBC to keep Reporting Scotland, which is their main propaganda outlet north of the border. 

I can't see many folk bothering to watch another "Scottish News" program at 2100. That is peak viewing time for all the other channels, when they put on what they think are their best programs. And it's still the BBC so it's not going to be any better than what we get already. 

This has been set up to fail.

[Toepoke]

1 hour ago, Orraloon said:

This plan allows the BBC to keep Reporting Scotland, which is their main propaganda outlet north of the border. 

I can't see many folk bothering to watch another "Scottish News" program at 2100. That is peak viewing time for all the other channels, when they put on what they think are their best programs. And it's still the BBC so it's not going to be any better than what we get already. 

This has been set up to fail.

It's not scheduled to go live until autumn 2018 though, by which time there could've been another independence referendum...

 

[Orraloon]

2 minutes ago, Toepoke said:

It's not scheduled to go live until autumn 2018 though, by which time there could've been another independence referendum...

 

I'm not sure what your point is here. They will still need to deliver their propaganda before, during and after the next Independence referendum. BBC propaganda isn't just about Scottish independence. That's only a tiny part of it.

 

 

[biffer]

More indication of content here

 

BBC Scotland

[Toepoke]

7 minutes ago, Orraloon said:

I'm not sure what your point is here. They will still need to deliver their propaganda before, during and after the next Independence referendum. BBC propaganda isn't just about Scottish independence. That's only a tiny part of it.

It might change if there's a Yes vote though...

 

[Orraloon]

36 minutes ago, Toepoke said:

It might change if there's a Yes vote though...

 

You think the BBC will stop being a state sponsored propaganda machine just because the people of Scotland vote YES? Aye, right. If anything it will be cranked up even more.

 

[aaid]

29 minutes ago, Orraloon said:

You think the BBC will stop being a state sponsored propaganda machine just because the people of Scotland vote YES? Aye, right. If anything it will be cranked up even more.

 

Depends if you are talking about any transition period post a Yes vote and actual independence or after independence?

In the first case I would tend to agree with you with a big "however".    The BBC as currently constituted has an institutional bias in favour of the UK, -  its charter states that, so that shouldn't be a surprise.  

However, faced with the reality of the UK breaking up, there will be a certain level of self-interest that kicks in as both the BBC as a corporate body and also BBC Scotland looks to secure the best possible settlements. Settlements plural as I would suggest that these would be more likely to be in conflict with each other and potentially mutually exclusive.  

It would be interesting to see how that plays out especially as I understand there is already tension between Pacific Quay and Broadcasting House.

There are a number of possible options that public service broadcasting could look like in an independent Scotland, including not being any at all but that's unlikely.  If you look at the least radical and therefore most likely scenario then it would be an SBC which takes over the public assets of BBC Scotland, e.g. Pacific Quay, regional studios, Scottish share of the back catalogue, etc.   That would then be funded centrally, presumably by some Scottish license fee, hopefully beefed up to reflect the actual budget that share should give.  Part of that output would be "popular" BBC programmes that they would purchase in much the same way as content is purchased from TV production companies worldwide.   This would have a new charter and would be accountable to a Scottish board and to the Scottish Parliament in the same way the BBC is accountable to its Trust and to Westminster.

In that scenario, its hard to see an organisation that was wholly funded in Scotland and was accountable to Scotland would be openly hostile to Scotland and which would be successful.  Its not outwith the realms of possibility that they may be hostile to individual political parties due to bias in key managerial or editorital appointments but its hard to see how that would translate itself to being openly antipathetic to the country and its institutions as a whole.   Given the real-politik, I doubt that any controller or senior executive would last long in the job.

[PapofGlencoe]

3 hours ago, aaid said:

Depends if you are talking about any transition period post a Yes vote and actual independence or after independence?

In the first case I would tend to agree with you with a big "however".    The BBC as currently constituted has an institutional bias in favour of the UK, -  its charter states that, so that shouldn't be a surprise.  

However, faced with the reality of the UK breaking up, there will be a certain level of self-interest that kicks in as both the BBC as a corporate body and also BBC Scotland looks to secure the best possible settlements. Settlements plural as I would suggest that these would be more likely to be in conflict with each other and potentially mutually exclusive.  

It would be interesting to see how that plays out especially as I understand there is already tension between Pacific Quay and Broadcasting House.

There are a number of possible options that public service broadcasting could look like in an independent Scotland, including not being any at all but that's unlikely.  If you look at the least radical and therefore most likely scenario then it would be an SBC which takes over the public assets of BBC Scotland, e.g. Pacific Quay, regional studios, Scottish share of the back catalogue, etc.   That would then be funded centrally, presumably by some Scottish license fee, hopefully beefed up to reflect the actual budget that share should give.  Part of that output would be "popular" BBC programmes that they would purchase in much the same way as content is purchased from TV production companies worldwide.   This would have a new charter and would be accountable to a Scottish board and to the Scottish Parliament in the same way the BBC is accountable to its Trust and to Westminster.

In that scenario, its hard to see an organisation that was wholly funded in Scotland and was accountable to Scotland would be openly hostile to Scotland and which would be successful.  Its not outwith the realms of possibility that they may be hostile to individual political parties due to bias in key managerial or editorital appointments but its hard to see how that would translate itself to being openly antipathetic to the country and its institutions as a whole.   Given the real-politik, I doubt that any controller or senior executive would last long in the job.

Difficult to know what would happen.  Would agree that the BBC in Scotland would likely take over the current regime and be a separate organisation.

I would also say; I don't think all that many people think BBC Scotland is actually that biased.  It's the Network which is biased.  That is the BBC in London - the six o'clock news, the UK Politics Show, Nick Robinson, Norman Smith, Andrew Neil etc.  

It was the Jim Noughties and Nick Robinsons total lack of understanding at best of the debate which led to accusations of bias.  Unfortunately, as they were at a UK platform their primary school level output for English audiences was given more credence and profile than BBC Scotland's more nuanced coverage. They were also blatantly biased.  It's not conspiracy to point it out.  I do think people's ire at BBC Scotland though is mostly misplaced.

Many people in BBC Scotland were not happy at the Networks approach.  I think this should be understood. 

[aaid]

22 minutes ago, PapofGlencoe said:

Difficult to know what would happen.  Would agree that the BBC in Scotland would likely take over the current regime and be a separate organisation.

I would also say; I don't think all that many people think BBC Scotland is actually that biased.  It's the Network which is biased.  That is the BBC in London - the six o'clock news, the UK Politics Show, Nick Robinson, Norman Smith, Andrew Neil etc.  

It was the Jim Noughties and Nick Robinsons total lack of understanding at best of the debate which led to accusations of bias.  Unfortunately, as they were at a UK platform their primary school level output for English audiences was given more credence and profile than BBC Scotland's more nuanced coverage. They were also blatantly biased.  It's not conspiracy to point it out.  I do think people's ire at BBC Scotland though is mostly misplaced.

Many people in BBC Scotland were not happy at the Networks approach.  I think this should be understood. 

I think that's all pretty much correct and is kind of what I was getting at when I mentions tensions between Pacific Quay and London.

A great example of this was something I saw on the BBC National News where they had someone - can't  remember who exactly - interviewing Brian Taylor during the referendum.  It wasn't the sort of "interview" you'll see tonight on Reporting Scotland tonight, where Jackie Bird or Sally Magnusson will top and tail a piece with him on what happened at Holyrood.  

I doubt that the BBC have anyone who has a more in depth knowledge of Scottish politics than Brian Taylor and he's an experienced journalist who would have been more than capable of delivering the piece direct to camera as he's been doing for years.

It's difficult to explain but you got the distinct impression that it was as if they felt his words wouldn't have any credence with a UK audience unless there was someone from "important" from the Network to "interpret".

From what I've understood, I think BBC Network have come to realise that the way they "took over" the referendum coverage was a big mistake.

Anyway, things have gotten a lot better since they got shot of Eleanor Bradford, who did a great job as Health Spokesperson for Scottish Labour.