Friday, 8 May 2009

Scottish television from Newcastle!

Soooooo, here's a story. This week we've seen Party Political Broadcasts (PPB's) from all the major parties.

BBC Scotland have shown us Brown holding hands with Obama, whom I presume is standing in the forthcoming Euro elections. Murphy and Iain Gray got a mention, as did lots of snide comments about divorce and seperation.



However, here in the land of the Doonhamer a quick glance at this weeks TV schedule showed a strange anomaly. Border TV who no longer operate from Carlisle and have been subsumed within Tyne Tees to make Tyne Tees and Border ITV, made a boo boo. Based over in Newcastle they supposedly serve the circa 250,000 grumbling jocks in the Dumfries & Galloway and the Scottish Border regions, giving us a few moments of opt out TV as a sop to the OFCOM considerations, that they purportedly represent their viewers with local news and issues.




Therefore it was with some disquiet this week that I discovered that Border had decided not to show the SNP Party PPB and instead planned on showing the UKIP one. By doing so they disenfranchise a a sizeable number of SNP members, voters and future voters of seeing their countries democratically elected governments views on the life politic.



Vociferous emails were sent and sense finally prevailed. All well and good, but what is the point in having a regional TV company, part of the mahoosive ITV franchise that gives a few moments opt out reportage to a sizeable number of people in another country. Put it this way, the distance between Stranraer and Newcastle is similar to the distance between Stranraer and Dundee.

It's time for a distinct Scottish Digital broadcasting channel which can serve all the people of Scotland.

5 comments:

McGonagall said...

"It's time for a distinct Scottish Digital broadcasting channel which can serve all the people of Scotland.'

Well - ye'll have tae fight for it, and I don't see it happening before independence. They will not surrender their propaganda machine willingly.

Conan the Librarian™ said...

When did Gordon streak his hair and put it in wee bunches?

Administrator said...

hee hee glad your keen eye still works Conan.

subrosa said...

Oh Conan, that's below the belt that is.

Anyone heard any progress on the committee which was set up to look at broadcasting here?

Administrator said...

The SBC met and delivered a report that we should have a digital channel paid for out of the license money we send south that doesn't come back to us in programming. Some feel that they should have demanded Broadcasting be devolved. I feel a gradual approach will work better for the endgame.

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