BBC VIEWERS REVOLT OVER SCOTTISH SIX

Blow to broadcaster’s £5million revamp of evening bulletin after ‘unprecedented’ level of complaints

A BACKLASH against BBC plans for a Scottish Six news bulletin has seen an unprecedented deluge of complaints from the broadcaster’s own viewers. The Scottish Daily Mail revealed just over two weeks ago that Corporation bosses were drawing up the highly divisive plans.

To date, 1,000 people have complained – by phone call, letter and email – about the controversial scheme.

Sources have told the Mail that the sheer scale of negative feedback – with praise ‘extremely thin on the ground’ – is unprecedented in Scotland before a programme has been broadcast.

SNP politicians are desperate for the hour-long bulletins to become a permanent fixture in the TV listings, as they continue to blame the BBC for their defeat in the 2014 independence referendum.

But the figures show the challenge facing

the Corporation as it attempts to get the idea off the ground – with a final decision on whether or not to proceed now unlikely until after the EU referendum on June 23.

A BBC source said: ‘There were 00 official complaints logged centrally – where people ring in to the complaints department – and that was within a matter of days.

‘But the estimate is that when you take into account phone calls, emails and letters to individuals within the Corporation, you are looking at a grand total of about 1,000 complaints so far.

‘Praise has been extremely thin on the ground and the tone of the feedback has been real concern about the future of the national broadcaster’s flagship evening news bulletin.’

‘Dry runs’ of the Scottish Six, which will be presented to focus groups, are still under way. Various format options are being discussed, including an entire show run, edited and anchored from Glasgow.

Another would see a Scottish host accompanied by a London-based journalist fronting a round-up of national and international news. A third option would see a Glasgowproduced show on some nights of the week and the original London show on others.

It is believed among BBC staff that no decision will be taken on whether or not to go ahead with the proposals until after the EU poll. The earliest a Scottish Six could be aired would be towards the end of next year.

But many within BBC Scotland’s news operation are concerned at a lack of resources.

The source said: ‘The overwhelming opinion among BBC Scotland news staff is in favour of the principle of Scottish Six but the fear is that without the necessary resources, we would be putting out an inferior product. The BBC is skint and facing major cuts so is this the time to be proposing a venture like this which would need much more investment?’

The Scottish Six proposal was revived mainly because of concern the network news produced in London was excluding viewers outside England due to its emphasis

‘Feedback has been real concern about the future’

on stories which do not apply north of the Border, such as the junior doctors’ strike.

Last night, Scottish Tory culture spokesman Elizabeth Smith voiced concern at a lack of public consultation.

She said: ‘It now seems totally unclear what is and is not being proposed by the BBC.’

She added: ‘I would ask the BBC to clarify matters urgently; to ensure that there is a wide-ranging and transparent public consultation, the results of which must be published in full before any decision is made.’

Last week, an opinion poll commissioned by the Mail showed that just over one-third of Scots support the BBC’s plans to introduce a Scottish Six bulletin. The survey results stunned the Nationalists, as only 53 per cent of their own voters back the idea.

Former First Minister Alex Salmond has been at the forefront of the campaign to seize more control of the BBC.

But ex-Scottish Secretary Lord Forsyth said last month the moves paved the way for a ‘descent into inward-looking parochialism’.

Commenting on the complaints, a BBC Scotland spokesman said: ‘We don’t publish figures where there is evidence of lobbying or where media coverage has influenced the number of complaints.’