SCOTLAND'S television "suffers a lack of ambition" and is "missing out on Scottish talent and creativity", a report claimed yesterday.
The Scottish Broadcasting Commission, an independent body set up by the First Minister to examine the broadcasting services, made the claims in the second interim report looking at their cultural impact.
In examining the use of Scottish resources
to cover national culture, the report states that audiences are missing out on the chance to see indigenous talent tackling topics such as history and heritage.
The findings were backed by a public survey, which showed viewers had an appetite for more Scottish output but were dissatisfied by what they saw. The majority questioned stated it was important that television should "inform and teach you about Scotland".
The report also concluded that the list of major sporting events shown live on free television should be reviewed. The commission said good arguments have been made for adding Scotland's qualifying-round football matches for the World Cup Finals and the European Championship Finals to the protected list.
Protected events are defined as being of "national resonance", with those on the list broadcast on free-to-air and universally available television channels.
Blair Jenkins, the chair of the commission, said: "The main themes to emerge are a demand for more Scottish content. People are expressing a desire and appetite to see more programming of documentaries, history and heritage programmes.
"There is also a sense of disappointment in how well broadcasters are reflecting or celebrating Scottish culture, expressed as a lack of ambition or a lack of aspiration.
"People didn't feel the full diversity of life in Scotland was being reflected in their programmes."
The BBC was criticised, with commentators speaking of a "failure of imagination" and a failure to reflect the energy and vitality of Scottish culture, while concerns were raised about STV's statement that it will produce Scottish programmes if it can find a commercial rationale.
Donalda MacKinnon, head of programmes, BBC Scotland, took issue with the accusations. She said: "We refute the suggestion that BBC Scotland programme-making lacks ambition and imagination.
"The report is very selective in its observations and, we believe, does not give a fair reflection of the quality and range of production from in-house BBC Scotland teams and our partners in the independent sector."
She said that the claim by the commission that BBC Scotland productions make up only 5 per cent of Scottish schedules for BBC1 and BBC2 was "simply wrong".
Reacting to the report, an STV spokeswoman said: "STV is committed to growing a vibrant and dynamic broadcast and content business and creating compelling content is at the heart of all our plans for the future."
She added however, that the obligations on commercial broadcasters had to be re-examined because the "current model is not sustainable".
Addressing the coverage of national sporting contests, the report said other events such as rugby should also be reviewed against the criteria for inclusion on the "protected" list.
A review would help reflect the "evident national passion" surrounding football and other major sporting events where Scotland is represented, it added.
However, the Scottish Football Association said it did not support the proposal.
The full report is due to be published at the end of the summer.
'Talent-drain and distortion over what is Scottish'THE Scottish Broadcasting Commission's interim report, published yesterday, is the second phase in a wider investigation into Scotland's media.
It has already caused a storm of controversy, when in January it heard evidence from Michael Grade, the executive chairman of ITV, that Scottish talent was drawn to London by greater opportunities.
It also emerged the BBC had classed shows such as the drama series Waterloo Road, ten Jonathan Ross programmes, including Film 2008, and the children's programmes Shoebox Zoo and Raven: Secret Temple, as Scottish productions, despite having tenuous links.
Ted Brocklebank, MSP, the Tory culture spokesman, said of the practice that it was a "deliberate attempt… to distort the true facts about what is 'Scottish' to disadvantage broadcasters north of the Border".
The full article contains 685 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
