BBC’S Reporting Scotland programme marks 50 years on air
The BBC’S flagship Scottish news programme is celebrating half a century of broadcasting current affairs from around the country.
Reporting Scotland, which first went on air on 1 April, 1968, was groundbreaking in its day for its presentation style and in-depth journalism.
The brainchild of BBC’S Scotland’s then new controller, Alasdair Milne, the show was inspired by a US format with alternating presenters in different locations – Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.
The programme was also one of the first to feature female newsreaders.
Mary Marquis was the first woman to front Reporting Scotland, in a role she would fill for the best part of two decades. Current anchor Jackie Bird has been presenting the show for nearly 30 years.
“Men were regarded as having more authority, and that spilled into telling news,” said Ms Marquis.
A weather presenter and computerised graphics were introduced in 1992, while Prince Charles appeared as a guest newsreader in 2012.
Two major events stand out for reporters – the 1988 Lockerbie bombing and the Dunblane massacre in 1996, which saw the show broadcast nationally.