BBC Scotland appoint editor to new news hour programme

Current affairs journalist Hayley Valentine has been apointed editor of BBC Scotland's new hour-long news programme. Picture: Anthony Devlin/PA Wire

The integrated news hour is being planned as part of the new BBC Scotland channel, which is due to launch next year.

Ms Valentine has a depth of experience in news and current affairs journalism inside and outside the BBC.

She has been the frontwoman for BBC’s Question Time. She has also led a variety of special debate and interview programmes that BBC Scotland and BBC News have commissioned around elections and referendums, including the award-winning Hydro debate during the Scottish Referendum campaign.

Ms Valentine has been the BBC’s Executive Editor of Question Time and more recently, the Director of Current Affairs at Mentorn Scotland, who make the programme for the BBC.

She has also previously filled the role of head of news for 5Live.

While in that role, Ms Valentine led her team to a Radio Academy Gold Award for news coverage of the 2010 election.

Ms Valentine is based out of Glasgow.

She said: “To be given the opportunity to launch a brand new programme at the heart of the proposed new BBC Scotland Channel is a real privilege and a rare treat.

“I am looking forward to creating a really distinctive programme with a broad Scottish, UK-wide and international news agenda, which has the priorities of a Scottish audience at the centre of everything we do.”

Gary Smith, head of news and current affairs for BBC Scotland, said: ‘Hayley has an outstanding track record and I’m delighted she is joining us. I’m confident that under her leadership we will produce an exciting, distinctive, and brilliant new programme for our audiences.

“She will also join my management team, and play a key role in the running of the department and the recruitment of the 80 new jobs which are being created through the BBC’s major investment in journalism in Scotland.”