Salmond vision to replace the BBC

VIEWERS in an independent Scotland would see the BBC replaced by a new state-funded broadcaster, it has emerged.

In a paper on the future of Scottish broadcasting, culture minister Mike Russell outlined a vision for a purely Scottish broadcasting corporation (SBC) funded by licence payers, advertising and direct taxation.

The change is necessary because viewers in Scotland were still being short-changed by the current system, Mr Russell said.

The BBC – which would in effect become a foreign broadcaster – would still be available to Scottish viewers on digital or satellite platforms.

However, viewers could be forced to pay two licence fees if they wanted to continue to watch popular BBC programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing and EastEnders.

In a populist move, he said Scotland's World Cup and European Championship football qualifiers could be shown free in an independent Scotland. There would also be a beefed-up Gaelic television service.

Opposition parties, however, described the document as the "latest example of SNP grandstanding from a fantasy wish list" for an independent Scotland.

The Scottish Government paper sets out possibilities for broadcasting under the present system, under more devolved powers and under full independence, as part of the "national conversation" on the country's constitutional future.

It said that, under the present set-up – with broadcasting powers reserved to Westminster – Scottish broadcasting is "marginalised" within the UK.

Under full independence, viewers would not see a reduction in choice or quality, the paper continued. "We therefore are clear that a Scottish Government would aim to enhance the broadcasting services available to Scotland by establishing new Scottish broadcasting institutions while retaining the availability of the main UK broadcasters," said the paper.

One of the options laid out is to use the Irish state television model of funding a new SBC. This would include a mix of licence fees, advertising and direct taxation.

Currently, viewers in the Irish Republic are also able to access the BBC without charge, but The Scotsman understands that the BBC is unhappy with this arrangement and would seek to prevent viewers in an independent Scotland having similar free access.

"Why should England and Wales pay a licence fee while Scotland gets the service free?" one source said.

This has raised doubts about whether popular programmes would still be accessible north of the Border.

One option would be for Scotland to pay part of its own licence fee to the BBC.

There would also be a new Scottish version of Ofcom – the broadcasting regulator – set up to oversee television and radio in a newly independent country.

Mr Russell launched the document on the day he made a statement in parliament attacking the UK government for failing to consider a proposal made by a recent commission on broadcasting in Scotland for the creation of a Scottish digital channel.

Mr Russell criticised television channels which had previously pledged to increase the number of programmes produced in Scotland. Both BBC and Channel 4 had made "strong public commitments to do more to increase network production in Scotland".

But just 1.4 per cent of Channel 4's network programming was made in Scotland, he said.

"That is, I have to say, completely unacceptable – it needs to do much more," he said.

He said that broadcasting talent in Scotland was being underused and the country's potential was not being developed.

And he pointed out that £130 million of Scottish licence fee money is not spent in Scotland and that Scotland's overall value in the network production share across the UK is a mere 2.5 per cent.

He said: "I do not accept that there is not the talent and potential in Scotland to produce high-quality television."

However, he insisted that what he was proposing in the paper was an option under independence which would offer more choice, not less.

"There is cross-party consensus on the clear need for an improvement in public service broadcasting in Scotland and I hope this will continue. Audiences in Scotland are not receiving the services they deserve.

"The Scottish Broadcasting Commission's detailed evidence made clear that Scottish viewers value relevant public-service broadcasting. It also showed clear demand for increases in both quality and quantity."

The paper was the latest contribution to the Scottish Government's National Conversation on independence following contributions on an oil fund and foreign affairs.

Even though, like its predecessors, it also laid out options for the status quo or increased devolution, the paper's section on independence was met with criticism from opposition parties. Labour's culture spokeswoman Pauline McNeill described the idea of an SBC as "undoable".

She said that the size of the BBC allowing for "efficiencies of scale" was important in producing high-quality programming.

"It's just nonsense to imagine that an SBC with a £300m budget would be able to perform the same role," she said.

She also questioned how an SBC could produce prime-time programmes to compete with popular shows such as Strictly Come Dancing, EastEnders, The Apprentice and Dragons' Den.

Conservative culture spokesman Ted Brocklebank, a former broadcaster, said: "The SNP is going through contractions to make Scotland's television fit into its narrow nationalist view.

"It speaks volumes that they had to rapidly reassure viewers in Scotland that they could still watch the BBC's UK output but couldn't rule out Scots having to pay for it twice."

National football team's matches 'could be shown free in independent country'

SCOTLAND'S World Cup and European Championship football qualifiers could be shown free on television if the country gained independence, Scottish ministers claimed.

The move was suggested as part of the Scottish Government's National Conversation on the country's constitutional future.

Under the independence scenario, the paper said: "We would be able to add additional events which are prioritised and broadcast on free-to-air television.

"For example, Scotland's football qualifiers for the World Cup and European Championship are currently only available on satellite television, but a government of an independent Scotland could make them available to all fans on terrestrial television."

The issue of the Scottish national team's matches not being available on free-to-air broadcasting has long been a source of contention in Holyrood.

Currently Scotland's football matches are shown exclusively on Sky, which requires fans to pay a subscription.

However, the Scottish Football Association has always insisted that politicians would have to find a way of compensating the loss of revenue and sponsorship worth £60 million from Sky alone in a deal stretching to 2014.

Tuning In

HOW would the new Scottish broadcasting corporation (SBC) be funded?

From the £300 million raised from the licence fee in Scotland, £130m of which is currently not spent in Scotland. There are also proposals for government subsidies from direct taxation and advertising revenue. This is drawn from the model used to fund state television in Ireland.

What sort of programmes would an SBC show?

This is yet to be outlined except that the SNP want Scottish national football matches to be on freeview. Culture minister Mike Russell also wants SBC to have its own news programmes looking at the world from a Scottish perspective and possibly including items made by the BBC. The paper made clear there would also be an increased Gaelic service.

Would Scots still be able to watch BBC programmes?

The SNP proposal is to increase choice, which means that in their view BBC programmes would still be available as they currently are to Irish viewers.

Would Scots have to pay for BBC programmes?

This is currently unclear. Irish viewers get BBC through freeview and pay nothing. However, it is believed that the BBC would be unhappy to be broadcasting to a "foreign" nation without receiving any income.

Mr Russell yesterday implied the Scottish Government may negotiate a fee for it.

With a licence fee income of £300m how would it be able to compete with a BBC with an income of £4.7 billion?

This has yet to be explained by the SNP, but its view is that the new SBC would simply be able to offer Scottish choice.

Mr Russell believes that Scots would prefer to tune in to news programmes with a Scottish perspective on the world.