Joan McAlpine: BBC badly needs to raise its game in Scotland
Alex Salmond was "censored" by the BBC. Picture: PA
The corporation’s decision to kick Alex Salmond into touch raises questions about its ability to cover Scottish affairs properly
Editing a newspaper these days is probably the definition of executive multi-tasking. You need a business brain as well as a nose for news, an understanding of the bottom line as well as the snappy headline. If an editor finds time to practise his old trade, you know the subject must be important.
So when the editor of this newspaper, John McLellan, yesterday penned a column supporting the views of former BBC trustee Jeremy Peat, we should pay attention. Mr Peat had argued in these pages that more thought should be given to how Scottish news and current affairs is covered by the BBC. In particular, he said the main network news output is not serving Scotland well – we listen to long debates about the NHS or school reform in England and Wales, which are of no relevance.
A Scottish Six O’Clock News combining the best of Scottish, UK and international stories, was ruled out by London in the late 1990s for the telling reason that BBC bosses thought it would be “bad for the UK”. Professor Lindsay Paterson resigned from his role on the Broadcasting Council of Scotland in protest at the time, and it later emerged that Prime Minister Tony Blair had influenced the decision to block a Scottish Six. The technical capacity is available to produce an appropriate bulletin for Scotland, as is the journalistic talent. As Mr McLellan said yesterday: “Someone with satellite or cable TV in Stornoway can watch the local news from East Anglia but not a full Scottish news programme, which puts national, UK and international stories in the correct context.”
A senior BBC insider told me recently that the “Scottish Six” was still “not on the table”. Perhaps that is why Peat felt he had to put it there. The BBC is centralising just as demand in society at large is for more devolution, and attitudes seem almost to have hardened since the Scottish Six debate of the late 1990s. Recently, two separate BBC figures have told me of conversations with senior executives who dismissed demands for better resources in Scotland on demographic grounds, arguing that there were more people in north west England than in Scotland. There was contempt for the concept of this country as a nation.
It is, therefore, timely that the chairman of the BBC Trust, Chris Patten, or Baron Patten of Barnes, visits the Scottish Parliament this week, where he will meet the First Minister. I believe the former Conservative minister and Hong Kong governor recently made a similar trip to Wales, where the arbitrary government decision to hand the Welsh-speaking channel over to the BBC has caused resentment. I hope Lord Patten was informed of the words of the great Welsh writer, Raymond Williams, who coined the phrase “metropolitan parochialism”. Williams observed that where power is excessively concentrated, the powerful often forget every reality but their own.
That perhaps explains the odd decision to withdraw an invitation to the First Minister to appear on a sports panel in advance of the Scotland-England Six Nations rugby game. The reason given – that his appearance was inappropriate at a politically sensitive time due to the referendum debate – has serious implications with the referendum two and a half years away. How then can he do his job representing Scotland? The argument that a Scotland-England sporting clash has particular sensitivity suggests a peculiar reading of the independence issue – framing it in the context of a conflict, as opposed to a reasoned debate about good governance and democratic accountability.
The most generous interpretation of the decision is that it was made in ignorance. But that is worrying because the man who made it, political adviser Rick Bailey, has been given a powerful role in shaping the referendum coverage. When he appeared before the Scottish Parliament’s education and culture committee two weeks ago, BBC Scotland’s head of news and current affairs, John Boothman, revealed that Mr Bailey was a key member of a “high-level, senior group [formed] to discuss and plan the coverage of the referendum”. The group is to be chaired by the BBC Scotland controller Ken MacQuarrie and includes Mr Boothman, a controversial figure because of his past links to the Labour Party, and also the head of UK news in London.
Lord Patten must be left in no doubt that there is, among a significant section of opinion in Scotland, a total lack of confidence in the BBC’s ability to cover the referendum impartially. To return to Williams’ point, “the powerful often forget every reality but their own”. That might explain why Mr Bailey felt it appropriate to take the First Minister off a rugby programme in the interests of balance, despite the fact that the balance of political opinion in Scotland is not reflected across the BBC, which mirrors the UK as a whole. The coalition parties in particular punch well above their weight in terms of the coverage they get in Scotland, both on the network and opt-out programming.
If we are to have a referendum that is a straight choice between the status quo and independence, then you cannot have the topic discussed in the traditional, UK four-party set-up – it should be balanced for and against. But how can the BBC really pull this off when the vast bulk of its political reporters and producers have all their contacts in a Westminster village dominated by anti-independence parties? This is reflected in the language used in coverage. If a supposedly impartial BBC reporter spoke of the “struggle for Scotland’s freedom” there would be, quite rightly, an outcry. Why then is it acceptable for them to use the equally loaded term “separation”?
Independence is about joining in – being part of the family of nations, enjoying an equal relationship with our other partners on these islands. Independence is a neutral term and that’s the one that should be used. Lord Patten should also be left in no doubt that the cuts to current affairs coverage in Scotland are unacceptable.
For Radio Scotland’s budget to be slashed, with quality programmes such as Newsweek and Janice Forsyth axed while Radio Four is protected as a “jewel in the crown” is not just metropolitan parochialism – it is downright arrogance.
• Joan McAlpine is an SNP MSP for South of Scotland
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Comments
There are 339 comments to this article
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christelijk_recht
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 10:59 AMYes, Joan - particularly egregious is the policy of the BBC to have one SNP advocate for independence, and three anti-independence representatives, from the Labour, Tory, and Liberal parties. I am aghast at the chutzpah of the BBC when it comes to this clearly biased practice. ....................................................................................................................................... The fact is that Scots are required to pay an annual tax levied to fund this organization which often appears contemptuous of the government to whom the People gave an historic parliamentary majority only 9 months ago. .................................................................................................................... I do not believe the BBC is capable of reforming itself even if it wanted to do so, and I see no evidence that is DOES want to do so. Given the near unanimity of the chattering classes in favor of the Union, and their unrestrained animus toward independence, the SNP, and Alex Salmond, it is nothing less than astonishing that the SNP is dominant in the opinion polls and Alex Salmond, by far the most popular leader with the electorate by a Royal Mile. ................................................................................................................. The BBC in Scotland needs to be dismantled and rebuilt from scratch. That of course will not happen this side of the referendum, and we are left with a very serious problem of how the case for independence can be expected to receive a fair hearing from what is a de facto organ of the the Unionist state. ..................................................................................................................... Perhaps the only solution bad as it may be, is to expose the BBC's bias and enmity toward all things Nationalist, at every opportunity so that the people of Scotland are left in no doubt, that as a neutral conveyor and interpreter of political news and opinion, it is not fit for purpose, That would at least serve to blunt the effectiveness of this source of Unionist propaganda. .......................................................................................................................................... The BBC is a lost cause and it should be exposed and condemned as the undeclared Unionist tool that it is. Let's not be shy about doing that.
Qwercus
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 03:44 PMPosting on topic. We should be very wary of politicians (of any persuasion) who seek to gain publicity or credibility on the back of sporting fixtures. It is a tactic to often employed by populists in an attempt to rouse the rabble when emotions are running high and judgement is clouded. The Calcutta Cup is just a game with national pride at stake, the serious business of Scottish politics and possible independence should not be treated like sport and should not involve matters of pride.
easyzone
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 03:41 PMExcerpts from Daily Telegraph on line ...........Alex Salmond tried three times to 'gatecrash' BBC's Six Nations party. Alex Salmond’s complaint that he was unfairly vetoed from acting as a sports pundit on the BBC has been undermined after it emerged that he approached the corporation and suggested he appear on three programmes.............He complained that he had been booked by Carl Hicks , editor of BBC TV sport , but the Corporation made it clear that the first contact came from the First Minister.........the SNP leader had also tried to feature in BBC Scotland's rugby coverage , and to set up an interview for himself on radio5live...........the first minister compared Ric Bailey, the Corporations chief political adviser in London , to a Nazi official for vetoing an appearance by Mr Salmond as a pundit ahead of last saturday's Calcutta cup.....A similiar offer had been declined by BBC Scotland following advice from Mr Bailey . Mr Hicks initially accepted the offer subject to checking with Mr Bailey who overturned the decision...........according to e-mails published by the First Minister's office , his officials contacted the BBC a week ago saying he was attending the game and " is happy to take part in suitable media opportunities"
Vote 'NO'
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 12:26 PMThe only connection Salmond has with a rugby ball is in size.
Vote 'NO'
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 12:24 PMSalmond asked to appear on the rugby. The BBC thought about it and refused. Salmond isn't happy. His lackeys make a big deal about it. Question: IF THIS IS, AS SUSPECTED, A DIVERSIONARY TACTIC, WHAT'S GOING ON AT HOLYROOD THAT THEY DON'T WANT US TO KNOW ABOUT?
Qwercus
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 10:27 AMJimmy fae the west #255 Your assertion that the UK has sent 30 nuclear armed cruise missiles to the Falklands is as confused, illinformed and incorrect as almost all of your other posts to this forum. As you'll be able to find out from lots of open source information the UK does not maintain any 'tactical' nuclear capability for cruise missiles or any other vehicle. The UK's only nuclear capability comes in the form of the Trident D5 missiles carried by the Vanguard class submarines based in a quiet corner of Argyll. One of those submarines will be on patrol right now to maintain the continuous at sea deterrent.
Goodbye London Labour
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 10:07 AMI have noticed that this newspaper is allowing comments on fewer and fewer articles these days. Also, there has been a lack of debate about Independence matters on BBC radio and on television. Aberdeen's Press and Journal appears to have stopped all comments on news items on its website. Is there a trend here? Are the unionist Nazis running scared of the democratic voice of Scotland?
Qwercus
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 10:05 AMJaydee #308 Why are those who paid the ultimate price, buried on a bit of ground in the South Atlantic? --------- Because until relatively recently it was the norm for for servicemen fighting in foreign theatres to be buried close to where they fell. Hence "If I should die, think only this of me; That there's some corner of a foreign field......" (next line left out for this forum!) and the reason why the globe is covered by immaculately maintained commonwealth (and other nations) war graves. The fashion for returning or repatriating servicemen killed in action is new and is probably influenced by the US who have been doing it for much longer. Families of servicemen killed overseas (though not in operational theatres) may still opt for a burial service to be carried out in the country where the serviceman fell.
Fergie35
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 10:35 AMMaurice you Dolphin, the 15m that BBC Alba gets is money paid by viewers, money that we have no choice to pay, to a state controled broadcaster, so whats the problem? Scotch whisky pays £8,700,000 in exise duties to the UK chancellor, every day, so this 15 m per year looks fairly trivial?
Logie88
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 09:29 AMHer master's voice.
Arthur G
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 01:37 AM#42 Blow Hard von Stumm =================================================== I never met Reiner Luyken even when I worked in the same offices as the staff of 'Der Zeit'. This is hardly surprising as Herr Luyken has lived in Achiltibuie, Ross & Cromarty since 1978. As Luyken is now sixty years old this means he has spent more than half his life in Scotland. He was a Salmon fisherman before becoming 'a' foreign correpondent for 'Der Zeit' (not 'the senior' Auslands-korrespondent for this particular 'zeitung'). He has been married for more than thirty years to a Scottish woman, has four Scottish children and two Scottish grandchildren. Offly for a media man Mr Luyken hates television and wont have one in the house. =================================================== It's odd that this rag didn't find space to mention any of this. All in all, it isn't much of a stretch to believe that the 'Hootsmon' found someone who would give precisely the type of quote that it would wish for in this type of smearing article in which it specialises.
Arthur G
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 01:35 AM#42 Blow Hard von Stumm =================================================== I never met Reiner Luyken even when I worked in the same offices as the staff of 'Der Zeit'. This is hardly surprising as Herr Luyken has lived in Achiltibuie, Ross & Cromarty since 1978. As Luyken is now sixty years old this means he has spent more than half his life in Scotland. He was a Salmon fisherman before becoming 'a' foreign correpondent for 'Der Zeit' (not 'the senior' Auslands-korrespondent for this particular 'zeitung'). He has been married for more than thirty years to a Scottish woman, has four Scottish children and two Scottish grandchildren. Offly for a media man Mr Luyken hates television and wont have one in the house. =================================================== It's odd that this rag didn't find space to me ntion any of this. All in all, it isn't much of a stretch to believe that the 'Hootsmon' found someone who would give precisely the type of quote that it would wish for in this type of smearing article in which it specialises.
whitstomatowiu
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 01:17 AMMaurice the Dolphin,-------------------You say "you are not happy with any politicians in this country "----------------------------------------------------------------So did you vote in the last Scottish election?
Maurice the Dolphin
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 12:58 AM#323 - So was that "whitstomatowiu" or "Bunch of malcontent whingers" asking that question?
Maurice the Dolphin
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 12:57 AM#323 - I'm not happy with any of the politicians in this country. Does that answer the tricky question you posed? Absolutely no help needed to answer either, how's that? Will that do?
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