Scottish Broadcasting Commission to be set up

[Analoguesat]

A Scottish Broadcasting Commission with the goal of defining a strategic way forward for television production and broadcasting is to be created. The Commission is to be chaired by Blair Jenkins, formerly head of news and current affairs at BBC Scotland and director of broadcasting at Scottish Television.

First Minister Alex Salmond made the announcement in a speech in which he made the case for broadcasting policy to be devolved to Scotland. He also said he would be seeking meetings with the main UK broadcasters to see what can be done to reverse the ’steep decline’ in network spending on production in Scotland.

The First Minister said:

“Broadcasting has a crucial and central role in our democracy, but also in obtaining the full cultural and economic benefits of our creative industries. That’s why my government supports the devolution of broadcasting powers to the Scottish Parliament.

“We see the policy as a means to an end, not just as an end in itself. We want to ensure the principle of editorial and creative control being exercised in Scotland on behalf of Scottish audiences. And we want to create thriving production businesses taking Scottish talent onto an international stage.

“We want proper public service broadcasting for this exciting and energised nation. That includes television news and current affairs, which seems to have been shrinking to an alarming degree in Scotland if the industry regulator, Ofcom, is to be believed.

“I will be speaking to the BBC and other television networks about what we can do to ensure that they are getting the right kind of talent and ideas from Scotland, so they can start investing the right amounts of money in Scottish drama, entertainment and documentaries.

“If we are going to participate fully in the future of broadcasting we need to put in place what software designers have called the ‘architecture of participation’. That will mean our institutional structures and priorities may have to change.

“If we have a national determination to encourage our creative talent, then we can build television services and production businesses which are genuinely world class. We need to galvanise not just our broadcasters, but also our schools and universities, our arts companies, our writers and producers, and our emerging talent.”

(Source: Scottish Executive)