MPS’ GREEN LIGHT FOR A SCOTTISH SIX
BBC’s UK news bulletin set to be axed in Scotland as plans for ‘tartan’ replacement win Commons backing
PLANS for a Scottish Six news bulletin will take a major step forward today after a powerful group of MPs backed the move. A report by Westminster’s influential cross-party culture committee, published today, calls for the popular UK-wide BBC News at Six to be axed from Scottish screens.
In its place, MPs are backing an hourlong news programme, produced and anchored entirely from Scotland, despite massive opposition to the idea here.
SNP politicians are desperate for the Scottish Six to become a permanent fixture in the TV listings, as they continue to blame so-called ‘BBC-bias’ for their defeat in the 2014 independence referendum.
The backing of the Tory-dominated committee will put huge pressure on the BBC to introduce a Scottish Six.
Earlier this year, however, a poll for the Scottish Daily Mail revealed that only a
third of Scots would welcome a Scottish Six while an online petition, called Stop the SNP taking control of the BBC, has attracted more than 15,000 signatures.
The BBC has created three pilots: one similar to the current format, one Scottish Six entirely anchored in Scotland, and a hybrid programme with presenters in both Scotland and London. A decision is expected by the end of the year.
The committee report rejects staying with the current format and backs the idea of a Scottish Six anchored in Scotland, saying the hybrid programme would be ‘a needless extravagance’.
It adds: ‘There is also a danger that the programme will look patronising to a Scottish audience. It is perfectly reasonable for editorial decisions on the running order for television news broadcasts in Scotland to be made in Scotland, as they are already for radio.’
But there are fears a Scottish Six, broadcast at the same time as the UK teatime news, would struggle to compete for the BBC’s top national and international correspondents.
The committee, however, believes simple changes to the running order would allow the likes of Laura Kuenssberg, Gavin Hewitt and Jeremy Bowen to appear live on both the UK and Scottish broadcasts at different times.
Supporters says a Scottish Six would give less emphasis to English-only issues, while ending the duplication when stories appear on both the UK news and Reporting Scotland. But opponents fear it is the culmination of an SNP ‘vendetta’ against the BBC, which led to Nationalists protesting outside its Glasgow HQ in 201 .
Yesterday, Scottish Tory culture spokesman Jackson Carlaw said: ‘I fully expect the SNP to push for the Scottish Six proposals. Nationalists will very much see this as an opportunity to shove propaganda down the throats of a dinner-time viewing public north of the Border. But we must remember that many people are very happy with the current set-up, and would rather watch UK-wide news covering the whole world, than an extension of the current Reporting Scotland.’
The committee recommendations are not binding and the BBC has been clear it will be guided by what it believes is best for viewers.
John Nicolson, Nationalist MP and committee member, said: ‘BBC Scotland should deliver a high quality six o’clock television news programme for Scottish audiences with a broader remit of national, UK, and international stories – in the way that Radio Scotland or any newspaper already does.’
A BBC spokesman said: ‘We are continuing to test a number of options as part of our ongoing review into our news services and we are producing pilots as part of that process.
‘Ultimately our main aim is to provide the best news offer possible and that is why we’re exploring a number of possible formats.’