Why the Nats want us to see less of Poldark
FUNDING for the BBC’s UK-wide shows could be slashed to pay for more Scottish content after an influential group of MSPs complained of ‘London bias’.
Holyrood’s SNP-dominated culture committee has demanded further devolution within the BBC, which would see the Scottish arm handed more power over commissioning of programmes and budgets.
But there are fears that would hit funding for popular shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, Poldark and Match of the Day.
The BBC’s UK-wide programmes account for nearly 90 per cent of viewing figures in Scotland, and a higher proportion of Scots tune into BBC channels as a whole.
However, with the Scottish parliament given a formal role in the BBC’s charter renewal process for the first time, the committee has called for ‘substantial change’.
In a report published today, the MSPs claim the current quota system for the proportion of programmes produced outside London is ‘an artificial mechanism that has not done enough to encourage a sustainable broadcasting and production sector in Scotland’.
It said the ‘lift and shift’ of programmes – where productions such as Waterloo Road have been moved to Scotland – had resulted in allegations ‘that the BBC’s commissioning practice has operated to subvert the spirit of the quota, which can mean the quota spend does not benefit Scotland’. MSPs conclude: ‘We expect a greater degree of decentralisation of and accountability for commissioning and accompanying budgets across the nations and regions.’
Scottish licence fee money going towards the production of UK-wide shows could be lost under the SNP’s proposal.
Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said the report ‘adds considerable weight to the growing consensus for substantial change to the way the BBC operates in Scotland’.
She added: ‘The committee’s call for decentralisation of BBC commissioning and budget decisions is consistent with our vision for public service broadcasting in Scotland.’
But a Scottish Tory spokesman said: ‘What matters most is that viewers in Scotland are well served by programmes which they want – and that means both UK programmes we all love as well as Scottish ones.’
A BBC Scotland spokesman said: ‘ We believe the BBC’s decisions about its Scottish services should be made in Scotland.’
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