Scottish Six best option for a devolved nation

Committee of MPS are right to recommend shake-up in broadcaster’s news output north of the Border

MPs have recommended setting up a Scottish Six news programme broadcasting Scottish, UK and international news from Scotland.

Such a move to greatly broaden the scope of output is opportune because many of the main stories which lead the present UK flagship news bulletins, be they in health – such as the strike earlier this year by junior doctors in England but not in Scotland – or education, have little or no relevance to audiences north of the Border.

That is not to say they are not of note or raise important issues, legal, social or otherwise. Also, post devolution, many of the items at the top of the news in Scotland are likely to be of little interest to viewers in the rest of the UK.

Scotland already has many talented and experienced journalists and as long as the Scottish Six has access to the reports and journalists covering the world for the BBC and the rest of the UK then it should make for more relevant content for Scotland without losing the international perspective.

Such proposals for altering the broadcasting structure and relocating part of its remit has long been controversial with similar proposals ruled out in 2006 by the BBC’S then director general Mark Thomson.

However, a decade later and the proposals are being looked on favourably by Lord Hall, the current director-general, who has worked to allay criticisms by senior management and the somewhat negative feedback from focus groups in Scotland which pinpointed a possible fall in quality of output.

Damian Collins, who chaired the influential commons, culture, media and sport committee, noted that the BBC had previously noted the dissatisfaction which current arrangements generated and pointed out that a precedent had already been set by BBC Radio Scotland which set and broadcast its own running order of home and international news.

A document released by the BBC in February looking at various options said the Audience Council for Scotland had said that more depth and analysis of Scottish news was needed, and that the “Scottish Six is a great opportunity which not be squandered.”

With the more positive tone and careful note being taken of the need to broaden the remit and scope of output, there is every reason the Scottish Six should be a success.

The same committee also turned its attention to the secrecy surrounding the attractive salaries paid to a number of the BBC’S broadcasting stars saying those who earn more than the Prime Minister should be forced to publish their licence payer-funded salaries.

Claims that going public would lead to “poaching” by rival channel talent headhunters were dismissed with the straightforward reasoning that nothing in showbiz remains secret for long and that artists and agents would be well aware of the going rate. By the same logic they said the same transparency should apply to BBC executives whose salaries also come from licence fee payers.

Keeping such details from public scrutiny is a backward step and not fit for a publiclyfunded broadcaster.