Concern as BBC pulls plug on Riddoch

BBC Scotland has pulled a topical chat show hosted by Lesley Riddoch, sparking concerns that it is neglecting political coverage north of the Border.

Riddoch was told by e-mail that her show would be aired for the last time on 31 July, bringing to an end the broadcaster's 25-year association with the BBC.

A European election hustings programme scheduled for next week has also been pulled. The show, which is being recorded on the Thursday evening, was to have been aired in Riddoch's normal early-afternoon slot on the Friday. Her production company will still record the show, set up by the Federation of Small Businesses and Amnesty, and it will be available on i-Tunes

The Scotsman understands Labour, the SNP and the Conservatives are all considering a protest over the withdrawal of one of the few hustings programmes in the run-up to the European elections on 4 June. They were already concerned about a low turnout.

A Conservative spokesman said "This is disappointing, but it is a problem of coverage right across the media."

Riddoch described the decision to pull the hustings show as "the most ludicrous" she had ever experienced from the BBC.

A spokesman for the BBC said the decision to withdraw that show after three months' preparation was because the audience "would not meet the BBC's criteria for impartiality", and that the European elections would feature on other programmes.

He said the end of Riddoch's show was "part of the normal cycle of programme reviews" and that there would be other opportunities for her production company.