Gaelic on Freeview

Published on 25/09/2008 21:05

Alex Orr (Letters, 25 September) calls for BBC Alba to be shown on Freeview. When the BBC Trust gave approval for the service earlier this year, it believed the evidence did not yet justify the proposed spend on Freeview.

The distribution costs represented a significant percentage of the overall cost to licence fee payers.

The trust will consider the launch of BBC Alba on Freeview before digital switchover in central and northern Scotland in 2010. It will review the actual performance of the service in achieving public value, including reaching a wider audience than existing Gaelic speakers.

By that time it will also be able to assess the effectiveness of distribution via the three platforms for which it is licensed, namely satellite, cable and broadband.

One further point. The weekly audience target of 250,000 includes all users of the multimedia service, not just non-Gaelic speakers.

JEREMY A PEAT

BBC trustee for Scotland

Pacific Quay

Glasgow