Elvis Presley to kick off new Gaelic TV channel

Published on Wednesday 13 August 2008 22:08

ELVIS Presley will help launch the first dedicated Gaelic television channel next month, it was announced yesterday.

BBC Alba will start at 9pm on 19 September with a new drama starring Greg Hemphill, the Chewin' the Fat star, as Elvis and a live concert from Skye.

Over the coming months, the channel aims to broadcast a wide range of sport, news, children's shows, documentaries and entertainment.

It will show one Scottish Premier League match a week on an as-live basis, some three hours after the final whistle.

BBC Alba will be on satellite and cable all over the UK, with content also available online. After the digital switchover, it will be available on Freeview in Scotland only, subject to a review by the BBC Trust.

The service is being delivered through a partnership between the BBC and MG Alba, formerly the Gaelic Media Service, who together will provide digital television, radio and online services in Gaelic.

Ken MacQuarrie, the controller of BBC Scotland, said: "The launch next month of BBC Alba is the realisation of a long-held ambition of the Gaelic community and an achievement for those who worked so hard to bring it about.

"BBC Alba will offer a new and enhanced service to the Gaelic audience."