BBC GO TO CHVRCHES FOR SUNDAY SERVICE
NEW SCOTTISH CHANNEL LAUNCHES
BY DOUGLAS BARRIE reporters@dailyrecord.co.uk THE new BBC Scotland channel began last night with a little divine inspiration – in the form of indie synth-pop band Chvrches.
They performed with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra at the start of an evening that included the first airing of the final series of Still Game.
A Night at the Theatre, hosted by Love Island comedian Iain Stirling, Getting Hitched Asian Style and The People’s News also aired on opening night.
The evening ended with the documentary Nae Pasaran, about Scots factory workers who refused to repair plane engines belonging to Chile’s dictatorship.
BBC boss Tony Hall said the channel’s £32million budget was the “biggest single investment by the BBC in broadcast content in Scotland in over 20 years”.
Still Game’s ninth series, which includes appearances from stars Martin Compston, Midge Ure and Amy Macdonald, will be repeated on BBC1 later in the year.
The new channel aims to have a 50/50 balance between original programming and repeats.
Each day between 12pm and 7pm, BBC2 programmes will be shown alongside political coverage, as well as sport and music events.
A range of other programmes will fill the peak-time hours, including dramas, documentaries and news programme The Nine.
Anchored by Rebecca Curran and Martin Geissler, the hour-long bulletin will focus on national as well as international stories live from the broadcaster’s Glasgow office each weeknight at 9pm.
Entertainment news show The Edit will air on Wednesday nights, while Stephen Jardine will host the first episode of current affairs show Debate Night on Wednesday at 10.45pm.
BBC Scotland is available in Scotland in HD at channel 115 for BT TV, TalkTalk and Freeview users, 115 on Sky, 106 on Freesat and 108 on Virgin Media.
It will also be in SD at channel 9 for BT TV, TalkTalk and Freeview users.
Sky and Freesat viewers can watch it in SD on 115/106.