Mainstream radio stations could be sacrificed for Gaelic

Published on Monday 26 October 2009 20:54

THE BBC has recommended sacrificing transmission of English-language radio stations on Freeview television in Scotland to broadcast a Gaelic channel.

As part of a review of BBC Alba, the BBC Trust will be carrying out a consultation to look at the recommendation by the corporation's executive to make the channel, which is currently only available through satellite and online, more easily accessible.

This would see Radios 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Live, BBC Radio Scotland, and the World Service and several other minority stations, all drop off Freeview between 5pm and 11pm every night a loss of 130,000 listening hours per week, to free up necessary bandwidth to broadcast BBC Alba.

It is understood that proposal is an alternative to buying more bandwidth for the channel at a cost of 4 million. The projected cost for bringing BBC Alba on to Freeview would be 50,000.

The move would affect 60,000 to 90,000 listeners, but would increase the reach of the Gaelic service by between 150,000 and 180,000 listeners, the BBC argues.

BBC Alba began broadcasting last September with a budget of 14m – 4m from the BBC and 10m from MG Alba, a Gaelic media body funded by the Scottish Government and regulated by Ofcom. The station was set up after intense lobbying from politicians and Gaelic speakers.

Viewing figures fell from 610,000 in the four weeks after its launch to 220,000, close to the minimum level needed to make a case for Freeview. However, according to the BBC, it has higher approval ratings in Scotland than BBC Two, BBC Three, and BBC Four. Critics claim its popularity has been artificially boosted by screening SPL football matches to attract non-Gaelic-speaking viewers.

The BBC Trust gave the go-ahead in January 2008 for the Gaelic channel, but said a review of how well it was performing should be carried out before next year's digital switchover in central and northern Scotland.

BBC national trustee for Scotland Jeremy Peat said the Freeview proposal would only remove radio stations from Freeview boxes. "It is critical for us to find out how many listen that way during those hours, how important it is to them and whether they can or would access that radio through other means," he said.

MG Alba chairman Alasdair Morrison said: "We are pleased the BBC has found a mechanism to make BBC Alba available on Freeview."

But Highland councillor John Rosie, who has attacked the level of expenditure on Gaelic, said the move was unnecessary. "I have nothing against the Gaelic language, but there is a disproportionate amount of money going to the Gaelic speaking population, even though they represent a small percentage of the nation," he said.

"We're in a situation where budgets in areas such as education and social work are being cut, while the Gaelic budget is going up. Common sense dictates that this is nonsense."