Proclaimers... no more?
Senior Nat grills BBC Scotland boss over why documentary on singing twins was not broadcast UK-wide
IT was an opportunity for MSPs to grill BBC bosses on major issues such as the corporation’s gender pay gap.
Instead, a senior Nationalist demanded answers about a documentary on The Proclaimers.
Richard Lochhead used a meeting of Holyrood’s Culture Committee to tell BBC Scotland director Donalda MacKinnon that he was a ‘huge fan’ of the SNP-supporting twins.
He said he was excited when a documentary was aired to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of their album This Is The Story – but it was ‘quite puzzling’ as to why it was not broadcast UK-wide.
Addressing Mrs MacKinnon, Moray MSP Mr Lochhead said: ‘I’m a huge fan of The Proclaimers and I bought their album This is the Story in 1987; one of my favourite albums, it’s great.
‘I was very excited when the BBC made a documentary in Scotland celebrating the 30th anniversary. But I remember at the time it was only shown on BBC Two Scotland as opposed to being across all parts of the UK and network.
‘I was slightly surprised by that because they are quite a big band. I was just wondering how you take decisions like that, for instance, was designated for BBC Two Scotland and only in Scotland.’
The BBC aired Proclaimers: This Is The Story in June, about Fife brothers Craig and Charlie Reid’s rise to stardom with hits such as I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), Sunshine on Leith and Letter From America.
Mr Lochhead claimed that had the documentary been about a different band, it would have been broadcast across Britain.
He said: ‘I just do suspect that if it had been a 30th anniversary programme about The Beautiful South or some other band that would have been across the network at the same time.’
Mrs MacKinnon said it was ‘important’ the show aired in Scotland first. She added: ‘A lot of these titles will find their way on to the network, possibly not at the exact same time, and I think it was important for us to have the first window in that transmission as The Proclaimers are hugely important to us culturally.’
Mr Lochhead’s questions prompted rivals to reference Letter From America, which repeats the phrase ‘no more’ after listing Scots locations.
A Scottish Tory spokesman said: ‘Anyone listening to this particular evidence session would be left hoping for “Richard Lochhead no more”.’
The session also heard BBC plans for a new channel for Scotland were likely to be delayed.
‘Favourite albums’
IT was another busy day at Holyrood yesterday where MSPs on the culture committee questioned BBC Scotland boss Donalda MacKinnon.
Among the weighty matters raised was Nationalist MSP Richard Lochhead’s love of The Proclaimers – and his dismay that a documentary about the pop duo wasn’t screened south of the Border.
Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised – after all, Nationalist MSP Colin Beattie once lodged a parliamentary motion bemoaning the reduction in chocolate in Toblerone bars. Of course, as Mrs MacKinnon said, The Proclaimers are ‘hugely important to us culturally’ – but isn’t it time our triviaobsessed tribunes changed the record?