Tha BBC Alba a’ cur feum air slighe ùr dhigitich

Ach, tha sin ag iarraidh fada barrachd taic, le Murray MacLeòid

Feumar cùisean atharrachadh airson luchd-amharc òg a thàladh

[English-language version below]

Cha b’ urrainn dhan dealbh a chaidh a thoirt dha Buill-Phàrlamaid Dimàirt a bhith na bu shoilleire: às aonais àrdachaidh chothromaich anns an taic a tha BBC Alba a’ faighinn, cha bhi mòran feum anns an t-seirbheis san àm ri teachd; a dh’aindeoin gach adhartais a tha air a dhèanamh gu ruige seo.

Nochd cathraiche na seirbheis, Iain Moireasdan, air beulaibh buill de Chomataidh nam Meadhanan, Cultair is Spòrs ann an Westminster agus chuir e na sgilean conaltraidh aige gu deagh fheum le bhith a’ mìneachadh mar a tha cùisean, agus cha b' e sgeulachd ro bhrosnachail a bh’ aige na bu mhotha.

Tha a’ chomataidh a’ sgrùdadh Bile nam Meadhanan a tha ag amas air gnìomhachas a’ chraolaidh a chur air stèidh nas freagarraiche anns an t-saoghal ùr dhigiteach; gu h-àraidh nuair a thig e gu seirbheisean a tha a’ faighinn taic bhon sporan phoblach.

Dh’fhaodar a ràdh g’ eil an luchd-poileataigs cianail fhèin slaodadh gu dùsgadh: tha crathadh nach beag air a thighinn air saoghal a’ chraolaidh anns na deich bliadhna a dh’fhalbh. Tha suidhe air beulaibh a’ bhocsa anns an oisean aig àm sònraichte a’ dol a-mach à fasan. A-nis, tha e mu dheidhinn coimpiutairean, teicneòlas is telebhiseanan a bhios a’ ceangal ris an eadar-lìon, le prògraman ri làimh às bith cuin a tha freagarrach dhut fhèin.

Chaidh am bile a chlò-bhualadh sa Mhàrt agus e a’ tighinn às dèidh Paipear Geal a bha a’ mìneachadh seasamh an riaghaltais air a' ghnothach. ‘S e an t-amas craoladh poblach a dhion anns an fharpais mhòir dhigitich a tha a’ dol air adhart.

Nochd Mgr Moireasdan air beulaibh na comataidh còmhla ri Elin Morris, àrd-oifigear S4C agus Clare Summer, stiùiriche poileasaidh a’ BhBC.

Chaidh BBC Alba a stèidheachadh ann an 2008 le buidseat de £24 millean. Ach, cha deach a cheangal le ìre na h-atmhorrachd, a’ ciallachadh g’ eil crìonadh mòr air a thighinn. Mar choimeas, tha buidseat de £90 millean aig S4C.

Thuirt Mgr Moireasdan gun deach ainmeachadh mar chathraiche air BBC Alba san Fhaoilleach. “Ach, nuair a thug mi sùil mi fon bhonaid, ghabh mi uabhas. Ann an 2026, cha bhi againn ri caitheamh air prògraman ach an dàrna leth ’s a bha againn nuair a thòisich sinn. Chan urrainn dhan sin cumail a’ dol.”

Le sin, tha èiginn ionmhais man coinneamh an-dràsta – agus sin gun smaoineachadh air an iomadach leasachadh a dh’fheumas tachairt airson slighe ùr dhigiteach a dhealbh.

Mar a h-uile craoladair eile, tha iad ag obair air. “Ach,” thuirt Mgr Moireasdan, “mura h-eil am buidseat agad air a shon, tha thu ann an staing.”

"Tha sinn mar-thà a’ faicinn mar a tha luchd-amhairc a’ crìonadh, gu h-àraidh an òigridh agus iad a’ gluasad air falbh bho telebhisean traidiseanta. Tha cothroman mòra ann an digiteach dha mion-chànanan mar a’ Ghàidhlig, ach mar eil thu faicsinneach annta, tha cunnart ann gun tig thu dìreach air chall.”

Agus às deidh an adhartais mhòir a thathar air a dhèanamh gu ruige seo, nach ann an sin a bhiodh am peacadh.

English-language version:

The picture painted to MPs on the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee could not have been clearer: without a major re-balancing of funding, the Gaelic television channel BBC Alba, so far seen as a resounding success, risks slipping fast towards irrelevancy. Its chair John Morrison used all of his professional communications background to outline his case when on Tuesday he appeared in front of the committee, which is gathering evidence on the Draft Media Bill.

It could be argued that the politicians are desperately slow to the table: change in the broadcasting field has been revolutionary in the last ten years, with a massive shift as to how audiences access their desired viewing. Sitting down to the box in the corner at an allocated time is becoming a thing of the past. Instead it’s all laptops, tablets, smart TVs, binge-viewing and dramas from across the globe.

The draft bill, published in March and which follows on from a UK White Paper setting out the future vision for the industry, is intended to offer protection to publicly funded broadcasting in the UK, that which has a social remit, in this brave new world of digital competition. Clearly, the likes of the BBC face a challenge in staying relevant, particularly given the pace of change. Mr Morrison appeared in front of the committee alongside Elin Morris, chief operating officer of S4C (the Welsh channel) and Clare Sumner, director of policy at the BBC.

BBC Alba was established in 2008 and has an annual budget of around £24 million. However, that has remained relatively static for a number of years as it has not been index-linked. In comparison, S4C has a budget of £90 million. Mr Morrison said he was appointed chair of BBC Alba in January. "But when I went in and lifted the bonnet I was quite shocked by what I saw,” he said. “By 2026, we will be down to 50 per cent of the spend capability that the channel started with. That is clearly unsustainable.”

So, right now, the service faces a funding crisis – and that’s before you take into consideration the challenges that are required to meet the digital transition, which is not at some point in an abstract future, but in the here and now. Like many other broadcasters, BBC Alba is looking to embrace a “digital first” future. "But,” said Mr Morrison, “if we don’t have the budget for that, then we have a very serious issue.”

"We’ve seen already that there has been a drop-off in audience numbers, particularly among the young as they are moving away from linear television towards digital. Digital has huge potential for minority languages like Gaelic – there are real opportunities there – but if you can’t find the content there and you don’t have prominence, then there is a danger you become irrelevant.”

Given the progress made to date, that would be disastrous, not least for the future of the language itself.