BBC Alba
The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S3M-6991, in the name of Ted Brocklebank, on congratulations to BBC Alba. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament congratulates the BBC Alba partnership on two years of what it considers to be its groundbreaking achievements in Gaelic broadcasting, including securing exclusive coverage of Scottish football, rugby and national cultural events; believes that BBC Alba has established itself as a cornerstone of public service broadcasting and an important source of commissioning revenue for the independent production sector, and would welcome steps for the widening of the distribution of BBC Alba by licensing its transmission on Freeview, the popular digital television platform, so as to allow full access to it for viewers throughout Scotland.
18:03
Feasgar math a’ chàirdean. Tha e na thoileachas mòr dhomh an deasbad seo a thoirt don Phàrlamaid. Bidh fios aig buill gu bheil ùidh air a bhith agam bho chionn fhada ann an Gàidhlig agus cultar na Gàidhlig agus tha e na thoileachas mòr dhomh meal a naidheachd a chur air BBC Alba airson dà bhliadhna air leth soirbheachail de bhith a’ craoladh phrògraman telebhisean air a’ Ghàidhealtachd ann an cànan nan Gàidheal.
As most members will have gathered, I was saying how pleased I am to be able to bring this debate before Parliament tonight. Members will know of my long-standing interest in the Gaelic language and culture. I am delighted to be able to congratulate MG Alba on two highly successful years of broadcasting television programmes from the Gàidhealtachd in the tongue of the Gael.
I confess to the chamber that, in a largely misspent youth, I wasted too much time chasing a rugby ball. Indeed, that passion intruded well into adulthood, and I was still turning out for my former pupils team when sensible people had already switched to croquet. These days, I get my fix by watching rugby on television. Last Friday night, I switched on BBC Alba to watch the Magners league fixture between Edinburgh and Ulster. It was a great game. This season, I have been able to watch all the matches featuring Edinburgh and Glasgow live on BBC Alba. It seems incredible that Scottish rugby fans can see their top teams live only on the Gaelic channel. The fact that the commentary is in Gaelic in no way spoils the coverage—I can see what is happening and pick up Gaelic sporting phrases as something of a bonus.
Like hundreds of thousands of others who are fortunate enough to have satellite television, my viewing has been hugely enhanced by the arrival of BBC Alba. For us, it is normal to switch to the Gaelic channel for programmes ranging from gardening to mountaineering, from cooking to ceilidhs and from documentaries and in-depth interviews to exclusive coverage of football and rugby matches. For those of you who were fooled by my opening few words, I say that I have little Gaelic, but I find the English subtitles totally adequate for understanding the programmes. Subtitles are also a useful prompt for those of us who are still trying to learn the language.
In tonight’s motion, which celebrates the first two successful years of BBC Alba’s existence, we not only praise the channel’s achievements but welcome the wide support for licensing its transmission on Freeview so as to allow full access for viewers throughout Scotland. It is ridiculous that Scots who cannot afford satellite TV should be denied a whole range of excellent Scottish-produced programmes.
About 70 per cent of Gaelic speakers with access to satellite TV watch BBC Alba for an average of six hours a week. That is not surprising. However, despite only 23 per cent of TV sets in Scotland receiving it, BBC Alba has built up a loyal audience of about 200,000—some 5 per cent of viewers all over Scotland are watching more than 1.5 hours each week. It is clear that if the channel were available on Freeview, it would get a huge surge in viewership, and I believe that there would be a corresponding surge in interest in Gaelic language and culture.
Later this month, at its next meeting, the BBC trust will make the vital decision on whether the channel should be licensed on Freeview. Two years ago, the regulator, the Office of Communications, recommended that Channel 4 should make space for S4C in Wales, which happened a year later. It also recommended that ITV should make space for the Irish language channel in Northern Ireland in 2010, and planning for that is under way. Ofcom also recommended that BBC Scotland should make space for BBC Alba. Following Ofcom’s clear steer, we await the BBC trust’s decision with interest.
The trust would do well to consider that, as well as creating Gaelic language and cultural benefits, BBC Alba has allowed for the development of Scotland’s hard-pressed independent TV production sector. Half the programme hours that were made by independents in 2009 were for BBC Alba. That is a remarkable figure, given the channel’s size and financial position. As a former indy, I cannot stress enough how vital that extra production has been to the sector. In genres other than news and current affairs, Alba made more programmes than either STV or BBC Scotland for Scottish audiences—and that after only two years.
I understand that the channel will be launching its new schedule tomorrow, and I can exclusively reveal that among the programmes on offer will be continued live coverage of Magners league rugby matches, the ever popular trad music awards and the return of “Horo Gheallaidh”, which is a particular favourite of mine. I am told that there is also to be a documentary on redheads and a series on working dogs. All those shows will be of interest to viewers throughout Scotland but, unless they have a satellite dish, they will not be able to view them. That is despite the fact that Alba is funded entirely by the taxpayer, either through the licence fee or directly by the Scottish Government.
Why has it taken the BBC trust so long to make up its mind about the switch to Freeview? Apparently, it is because, to make access for Alba, the BBC would need to take its radio services off Freeview between 5 pm and midnight. It turns out that the vast majority of people in Scotland who listen to radio on Freeview are tuning into stations that are available on FM/AM, including Radio Scotland, Radio 1, Radio 2 and 5 live. They will still be able to gain access to those stations on analogue radio, on the internet, on Sky or on cable.
According to research that has been carried out by the BBC, fewer than 4,000 listeners are at risk of losing some digital radio listening. I am a huge radio fan and I recognise how important it is for sections of the community, but are we really saying that the possibility of 4,000 radio listeners having to tune in elsewhere to get their programmes is more important than the principle that all Scots should have Freeview access to the only TV channel offering programmes in Scotland’s first language? Surely not.
I never tire of reminding members that it was a Conservative Secretary of State for Scotland, Malcolm Rifkind, who set up the fund to support Gaelic television. In my then role as a current affairs producer, and with access to the fund, I launched the first weekly Gaelic news show in Scotland, “Crann Tara”—fiery cross.
The fiery cross has burst into full flame during the past 20 years. I wish Alba even greater success as it moves into its third year, and I look forward to the BBC trust doing the right thing, by allowing viewers all over Scotland to enjoy the diversity and quality of the Gaelic programmes that BBC Alba is producing. Moran taing.
18:10
Anns a’ chiad dol a-mach, bheir mise taing mhòr do Ted Brocklebank airson an deasbaid seo a chumail. Tha ùidh làidir agus eòlas farsaing aig Mgr Brocklebank ann an craoladh na Gàidhlig, agus tha sin a’ nochdadh an-diugh.
Tha cothrom againn a-nochd “meallaibh-ur-naidheachd” a ràdh ri BBC Alba às dèidh dà bhliadhna a’ craoladh. Is math a rinn e, gu dearbh. A’ coimhead air ais dha na ciad prògraman aig BBC Alba, tha e doirbh a chreidsinn gur e dà bhliadhna bhon oidhche ainmeil sin nuair a chuir iad am prògram mu dheidhinn Elvis air. Ma tha BBC Alba a’ dearbhadh aon rud, ’s e sin gu bheil a’ Ghàidhlig freagarrach airson cuspair sam bith fon ghrèin—eadar ball-coise no rugbaidh, drama no Russell Brand a dhèanamh is dòcha. Seo “exclusive” dha Mgr Brocklebank: an sreath phrògraman mu na daoine ruadh air an robh e a’ bruidhinn – tha mise ann.
Air sgath ’s nach eil BBC Alba air Freeview fhathast, chan eil BBC Alba ri fhaotainn ach air aon a-mach à gach trì telebhiseanan ann an Alba. Tha sin na chnap-starra mòr dhan stèisean, ach a dh’aindeoin sin, ge-tà, tha sluagh mòr a’ coimhead air BBC Alba, le cairteal de mhillean neach-coimhead aig an t-sianal.
Ach gun àite sam bith air Freeview, tha an sianal a’ crochadh air ff
reesat agus Sky. Mar a tha an t-seanfhacal a’ ruith, tha Sky TV aig cuid ann am Barraigh, ach chan eil Barra TV aig mac màthar anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Tha rudeigin air chall bho sin anns an eadar-theangachadh, tha mi ag aideachadh.
Dà bhliadhna air ais, bha dòchas làidir againn gum biodh Urras a’ BhBC a’ dèanamh co-dhùnadh air a’ cheist mu Freeview ro dheireadh 2010. Tha mi deònach a chreidsinn gu bheil deagh thoil aig an Urras airson BBC Alba, ach tha sinn a’ feitheamh fhathast. Tha dùil gum bi an t-Urras a’ tighinn gu co-dhùnadh a dh’aithghearr mun cheist a bha iad a’ faighneachd mun “public benefit” aig BBC Alba.
Cha bhi mi a’ ruith tro na h-argamaidean a-rithist airson BBC Alba, bhon taobh chultarach neo eaconamach. Ach feumaidh sinn dèiligeadh gu luath leis na h-argamaidean an aghaidh Freeview. Cùm do shocair, TaxPayers Alliance.
Bha an t-Urras a’ moladh aon rud mu dheidhinn seo a tha air nochdadh anns na phàipearan. ’S e sin nach biodh na stèiseanan rèidio aig a’ BhBC a leanas air Freeview nuair a bhiodh BBC Alba air an adhar. Dhèilig Mgr Brocklebank ris an argamaid sin glè mhath. Bha pàipear-naidheachd neo dhà a’ dèanamh ùpraid mhòr a-mach à seo ach chan eil duine sam bith ag ràdh gum biodh na stèiseanan seo a’ dol a mach à bith. Dìreach gum biodh iad a’ craoladh air rèidio traidiseanta, rèidio digiteach agus air-loidhne a-mhàin, seach troimh an telebhisean. Chan eil fianais sam bith ann gu bheil àireamhan mòr ag èisdeachd troimh an telebhisean dha na stèiseanan seo. Bhiodh a’ chuid a bu mhotha ag aontachadh gu bheil Freeview ann airson telebhisean anns a’ chiad àite, seach rèidio. Nam biodh Freeview airson rèidio, cha bhiodh an t-ainm Freeview air.
Taing do Ted Brocklebank airson an deasbaid seo. Meallaibh-a-naidheachd BBC Alba air an dàrna co-latha-breith aige agus tha mi’n dòchas gum bitheamaid gur faicinn a dh’aithghearr air Freeview.
Following is the simultaneous interpretation:
In the first place, I would like to thank Ted Brocklebank for holding the debate. He has a great interest and wide knowledge in Gaelic broadcasting, and that was evident today.
We have an opportunity tonight to say congratulations to BBC Alba after two years of broadcasting. It has performed very well indeed. Looking back to the first programmes of BBC Alba, it is hard to believe that it is two years from that memorable night when it put on that programme about Elvis. If BBC Alba proves one thing, it is that Gaelic is suitable for any subject under the sun, from football to drama—and perhaps Russell Brand. This is an exclusive for Mr Brocklebank: the programme that he mentioned will include me.
Because BBC Alba is not on Freeview yet, it can be seen on only one out of three Scottish TVs. That is a big obstacle for the station but, despite that, many people are watching BBC Alba. A quarter of a million people regularly watch the channel.
However, without a place on Freeview the channel depends on freesat and Sky. As the Gaelic proverb goes, people in Barra have Sky TV, but nobody at all in Sky has Barra TV—something is lost from that in the translation, I admit.
Two years ago, there was great hope that the BBC trust would rule on the Freeview question before the end of 2010. I am willing to believe that the trust has good intentions for BBC Alba, but we are still waiting. I hope that the trust will come to a conclusion shortly about the question, following its consultation on the public benefit of BBC Alba.
I will not run through the cultural and economic arguments in favour of BBC Alba. However, we need quickly to deal with the arguments against Freeview. Calm down, TaxPayers Alliance.
The trust has one piece of advice about that, which has appeared in the papers. That is that the BBC network radio stations should not broadcast on Freeview while BBC Alba is on air. Mr Brocklebank dealt with that argument well. One or two newspapers made quite a big deal out of the issue, but nobody is saying that the radio stations will cease to exist; they are just saying that they will be broadcast only on traditional radio, DAB digital radio and online, instead of through television. There is no evidence that big numbers of people listen to those stations through the television. The majority of people will agree that Freeview is there for television in the first place, not radio. If Freeview was for radio, it would have a different name.
I congratulate BBC Alba on its second birthday and I hope that we will see it shortly on Freeview.
18:14
I thank Ted Brocklebank for keeping the issue live in our minds and I endorse the motion. I also commend Ted Brocklebank for the progress that he is making in Gaelic. He has strong credentials in the field and in broadcasting, so it is right that he has secured another debate on the subject. I offer my congratulations to two-year-old BBC Alba, and I will continue to campaign for its expansion and success.
I listened to the translation of Alasdair Allan’s speech. He is perhaps a bit more famous—he has perhaps made BBC Alba a bit more famous—since yesterday, when he was literally assaulted by comedian Russell Brand in the Parliament lobby, in what can only be described as Russell style. I am sure that Alasdair had to look twice, as everyone else did, to see whether it really was Russell Brand. We all had a good laugh at that.
Operating from its base in Stornoway in the Western Isles, BBC Alba is probably the most significant contribution that has been made so far to sustaining and promoting the Gaelic language. It has become a significant broadcaster and producer of independent productions, which is helping us to reach the target of independent production that we need to achieve in Scottish broadcasting.
BBC Alba is the only general entertainment channel that is wholly managed and broadcast from Scotland, and 95 per cent of its content is provided by Scotland-based companies—a point that Ted Brocklebank made forcefully. A key point for those of us who are interested in broadcasting is that BBC Alba serves not only the purpose of sustaining the Gaelic language, but the important purpose of developing the independent broadcasting sector in Scotland.
We have spoken before in the chamber about the diversity of the channel, which attracts three non-Gaelic speakers for every Gaelic speaker. Its choice of programming has made it a channel that others want to watch. That is significant, and it demonstrates that the important issues in broadcasting are planning and programming. The channel is able to make use of the BBC network, and the BBC should be congratulated on the work that it has done so far.
I turn to the wider issue of Freeview. When the BBC trust agreed to monitor the viewing figures and review the extension of the channel to Freeview, it seemed perverse that those who cannot see the channel were excluded from the monitoring. It is important to establish whether the channel has wider support. We know that there are 150,000 people who would like to see the channel but are not able to, and that must be taken into account.
Putting BBC Alba on Freeview would bring its coverage up to 83 per cent, so we should do that. I hope that the dispute with Virgin Media has now been resolved, because that would mean that a further 15 per cent of viewers would be able to receive the channel.
The MG Alba chairman, Alasdair Morrison, yesterday clarified the issue of the digital stations that are currently on that frequency. As has been said before, the radio stations would not be lost, as they would be available on FM, AM and DAB radio. Perhaps we can debate this point another day, but for that reason we should not progress too quickly to digital radio. We say that listeners would be able to access those stations on FM and AM, but a lot of people would be excluded if we moved too quickly to digital radio.
The diversity and success of the channel make it a winner. We in the Parliament have endorsed that view, and it is one of the issues on which there has been most consensus in the chamber. I hope that the BBC trust is listening to those who support the channel and to the Parliament. We look forward to a positive decision, and I look forward to getting the chance—which I have not yet had—to appear on BBC Alba. I will perhaps visit its headquarters in Stornoway in the better weather.
18:18
Mòran taing, Oifigear-riaghlaidh. Tha mi toilichte dha-rìribh a bhith a’ gabhail pàirt anns an deasbaid. Tha mi a’ toirt taing dha Mgr Brocklebank airson a’ chuspair a chur air beulaibh na Pàrlamaid. Tha seo gu math cudromach, chan eil teagamh ann an sin. Tha sinn a’ cluinntinn a h-uile latha am meas a th’ aig sluagh ann a bhith ag ionnsachadh agus a’ faighinn a-mach mu dheidhinn Gàidhlig agus cultar agus cànan nan Gàidheal.
Chaidh sgrùdadh a dhèanamh le Urras a’ BhBC air cò mheud a bha a’ cumail sùil air na prògraman a bha a’ tighinn a-mach air BBC Alba, an robh barrachd a dhìth orra, no ciamar a bha iad a’ dol a dhèanamh sin. Bha dùil againn o chionn bliadhna air ais a-nis gum biodh sinn a’ faighinn na prògraman thuca air Freeview tron a’ Ghàidhealtachd air fad. Cha do thachar sin fhathast, agus tha daoine a’ fàs caran mì-fhoighidneach nach eil iad a’ faighinn freagairt bho Urras a’ BhBC.
Mar a chluinn sinn, feumaidh airgead ùr a thighinn a-staigh. Chan eil buidseit ionmhais aig BBC Alba prògraman ùra a stèidheachadh agus tha sinn a’ faicinn gu math tric prògraman fo aon sheachdain a’ dol a-staigh do phrògraman air an ath sheachdain. Feumaidh sinn a bhith a’ cur fios gu BBC Alba gu bheil sinn ag iarraidh phrògraman ùr agus ma tha cothrom sin a dhèanamh feumaidh buidseit a bhith aige airson sin.
Tha e neònach gu bheil neart air a’ Ghàidhealtachd ach nach eil am muinntir a’ faighinn na prògraman anns a’ Ghàidhlig. Tha mòran àitean nach eil a’ faighinn prògraman TV idir. Chan eil cothrom aca sin a dhèanamh air mòran de na h-àiteachan anns a’ Ghàidhealtachd, ach tha cothrom aca sin a thogail a-nis air Freeview agus chan eil mi a’ tuigsinn carson nach eil Urras a’ BhBC a’ cur sin air adhart. Dhèanadh sin feum mòr. Tha Urras a’ BhBC a’ cantainn gum feum iad a bhith cinnteach gu bheil na h-àireamhan sluaigh a tha a’ coimhead air BBC Alba àrd gu leòr airson adhartas a dhèanamh air prògraman. A-nis tha fios aig a h-uile duine nach cuireadh iad na prògraman sin a-mach air Freeview gum biodh na mìltean a bharrachd a’ coimhead air na prògraman agus cha bhiodh duilgheadas sam bith aig Urras a’ BhBC na h-àireamhan a tha sin fhaicinn a’ dol suas.
Bidh cothrom againn air an t-seachdain sa tighinn agus air an ath sheachdain. Tha mi-fhìn a’ dol suas gu Gallaibh far a bheil Am Mòd Nàiseanta Rìoghail a’ dol air adhart air an ath sheachdain. Nach biodh e uamhasach math nan tigeadh Urras a’ BhBC ron Mhòd a tha sin ag innse don t-sluagh gu bheil iad a-nis air co-dhùnadh a dhèanamh agus gu bheil iad a’ dol a chur BBC Alba a-mach air Freeview airson a h-uile duine. Biodh cèilidh mòr againn an uairsin shuas ann an Gallaibh is tha mi cinnteach gum biodh Mòd dha-rìribh againn. Bheir mi cuireadh dhan a h-uile ball a thighinn suas gu Gallaibh chun Mhòd sin agus cèilidh dha-rìribh a bhith againn an sin. Is dòcha gun tigeadh a-mach às an sin gum biodh Freeview aig a h-uile duine anns a’ Ghàidhealtachd. Tha mi an dòchas co-dhiù.
Following is the simultaneous interpretation:
Thank you, Presiding Officer—I am delighted to take part in the debate. Before I begin, I thank Ted Brocklebank for bringing the issue before the Parliament. It is very important, and we hear every day how much people enjoy learning about Gaelic and the language of the highlander.
The BBC trust has carried out a survey of how many people watch the programmes on BBC Alba, whether they want more and how that could be done. About a year ago, we thought that the programmes would be available on Freeview throughout the Highlands. That has not yet happened, and people are losing patience with the lack of response from the BBC.
As we heard, BBC Alba needs extra funding. It does not have sufficient budget for new programmes and we often see programmes from one week being repeated the following week. We must find a means of getting new programmes, and the channel needs a specific budget for that.
With so many Gaelic speakers in the Highlands, it is a pity that not everyone can get the programmes on their television. That is just not possible in many parts of the Highlands. Freeview is, however, now available to the Highlands and I cannot understand why the BBC trust does not proceed down that path. It states that the number of people who can view BBC Alba is high enough to justify the channel, but everyone knows that if the programmes were on Freeview thousands more people would watch them. The BBC trust would see that the numbers would increase without difficulty.
This coming week, I am going up to Caithness where the Royal National Mod goes ahead next week. It would be very good indeed if, before the Mod, the BBC trust announced that it had concluded that it would broadcast BBC Alba on Freeview for all to see. We would have a great ceilidh up in Caithness, and I think that it would be a special event for the Mod. I extend a warm welcome to everyone to come and enjoy the Mod. We may hear that positive message about Freeview.
18:23
I am delighted to speak in tonight’s debate, and I congratulate my friend Ted Brocklebank on securing it. It is of particular importance and interest to many of my constituents in the Highlands and Islands, especially in Stornoway and the Western Isles, where I started my political career in 1996. I remember that I had a leaflet printed that said that the Conservatives had put £16 million into Gaelic. I wanted to emphasise that, so I got it translated into Gaelic. Unfortunately, the translator got the word for million wrong, and there was an article in the next Sunday Express that said that the Conservatives were putting £16 billion into Gaelic. I do not know what the TaxPayers Alliance would have thought of that—although it did me no harm.
The Scottish Conservatives have always been supportive of BBC Alba, and I pay tribute to all those who work for the channel and their achievements over the past two years. It really is an interesting channel. We agree with Bòrd na Gàidhlig that support for BBC Alba is essential for Gaelic’s future and that its availability on Freeview is vital. The fact that BBC Alba is watched by many more people than there are Gaelic speakers is a strong demonstration of the quality of its programmes, but it remains a real concern that fewer than one in four television sets can receive it as it is currently available only on satellite and online platforms. That means that many of my constituents in the Highlands and Islands, many of whom are Gaelic speakers, are excluded from BBC Alba. That is surely unacceptable, and it must be addressed by the BBC trust.
All of us are impatient for a statement by the BBC trust, and we expect one before the end of the month. Given that we are going through the changeover from analogue to digital, now seems a good time for BBC Alba to be transmitted on Freeview. Many more viewers would be given access to BBC Alba who cannot get it on the ordinary analogue channels at the moment. When the BBC trust finally makes a decision—we hope that it will be positive—the channel can expect to gain an additional 150,000 to 180,000 viewers. The number of people who might lose their television radio, so to speak, is probably only about 3,000 or 4,000. That would be difficult for them, but they could always tune in somewhere else and it would be marvellous how many more viewers would be able to see BBC Alba.
In preparing for today’s debate, I consulted my friend and constituent Brigadier John MacFarlane, who sings in the Taynuilt Gaelic choir. He rightly emphasised how beneficial BBC Alba had been in furthering youth interest in Gaelic culture, in the development of the language and in increasing people’s vocabulary. He also praised the range and quality of the programmes on BBC Alba, describing “Eòrpa” as one of the best and most authoritative current affairs programmes available.
In a very short time, BBC Alba has established a formidable reputation and is rightly seen as one of the best ways of sustaining and promoting our Gaelic heritage, culture and language. We look to the BBC trust to take account of the consensus of people across Scotland and the political will of all parties in the Parliament by ensuring that more people can enjoy the channel by allowing it to be made available on Freeview.
18:27
Mòran taing, Oifigeir-riaghlaidh.
Meal-a-naidheachd air BBC Alba air an dàrna co-là-breith aige. Is e seo toradh a’ cho-bhanntachd eadar am BBC agus MG Alba a tha air a bhith a’ dol gu dearbh fhèin math bhon bhreith a-mach agus faodaidh na pàrantan pròiseil a bhith gu math toilichte le adhartas a’ phàiste a-nis.
Is e Gàidhlig cànan aosmhor na h-Alba aig a bheil feum air àrdachadh ma tha i airson fhaighinn air ais a seann inbhe mar chànan làitheil a tha air a chleachdadh airson beachdachadh air a h-uile rud bhon aimsir agus slàinte gu saidheans agus feallsanachd. Cho fad is nach eil an cànan ga chluinntinn ach anns na seòmaran-teagaisg agus tallaidhean-ciùil, cha bhi Gàidhlig nas fheumaile na an Laideann nuair a tha daoine òga ri còmhradh mu dheidhinn na beatha aca gu làitheil, an sgioba ball-coise as fhèarr aca no fiù ’s poilitigs.
Is e aon de na h-adhbharan a tha BBC Alba cho cudromach gu bheil e a thoirt do ceudan de mhìltean de dhaoine an cothrom Gàidhlig a chluintinn anns an t-suidheachadh nàdarra. Tha sin gu math cudromach airson luchd-labhairt òga Gàidhlig. Tha e mu dheidhinn àbhaisteachadh na Gàidhlig agus mun t-slighe fhada Gàidhlig a thoirt air ais mar chànan a tha ga cleachdadh gu cumanta.
Tha ceumannan mòra a’ tachairt ann am foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig agus a-nis tha ginealach againn aig a bheil comas ionnsachadh agus smaoineachadh mu dheidhinn matamataigs, saidheans agus innleadaireachd anns a’ Gàidhlig. Co-dhiù, is e foghlam tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig dìreach aon de na rudan a dh’fheumas sinn leasachadh airson misneachd a thoirt don mhuinntir againn, luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig, mar phàirt dhen bheatha làitheil aca.
Is e seo far a bheil BBC Alba a’ fàs suas. Is e an dòigh, is dòcha, as comasaiche far am b’ urrainn sinn Gàidhlig fhaighinn a-mach às na clasaichean agus a-staigh do chridhe ar coimhearsnachdan. Is e BBC Alba àrd-ùrlar ùr airson phrògraman inntinneach ùidheil air cuspairean eadar-dhealaichte a tha dìreach air rannsachadh agus air beachdachadh tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig. Is e sin prògraman le cuspairean a tha a’ tarraing daoine a choimhead oirre agus, nuair a nì iad sin, tha luchd-coimhead a’ faicinn Gàidhlig ann an dòigh thogarrach nuadh a tha freagarrach do choimhearsneachd an latha an-diugh. Is e seo dìreach a tha a dh’ fheum againn ma tha sinn a’ leasachadh agus a’ leudachadh Gàidhlig agus is e seo as adhbhar gu bheil feum aig BBC Alba air Freeview.
Tha mi dealasach don Ghàidhlig. Tha mi fhathast ga h-ionnsachadh agus tha fhios agam dìreach cho prìseil ’s a tha an cothrom Gàidhlig a chluinntinn gu cunbhalach air telebhisean aig uairean ciallach airson an fheadhainn, mar mi-fhìn, a tha a’ feuchainn ri feabhas a chur air na sgìlean cànain aca ann an àrainneachd far a bheil e doirbh Gàidhlig a chluinntinn ann an suidheachadh nàdarra. Gu mi-fhortanach, mar iomadach duine eile, tha mi a’ cleachdadh Freeview agus mar sin cha b’ urrainn dhomh BBC Alba fhaighinn airson a’ Ghàidhlig agam a chur air adhart. Gu fìrinneach, chan fhaca mi BBC Alba a-riamh, ged a dh’ èisd mi ris an rèidio air Freeview bho àm gu àm. Cha bhi e na chall mòr, co-dhìu, mura robh seo comasach agus faodaidh mi-fhìn, mar a h-uile duine eile, èisdeachd ris an rèidio gu math furasta le tòrr dhòighean eile, eadar-dhealaichte. Mar sin, chan eil mi a’ smaoineachadh gum biodh e na chruadal mòr airson àireamh bheag de dhaoine—mar a thuirt Mgr Brocklebank, dìreach ceithir mile—a tha a’ cleachdadh Freeview anns an dòigh seo roghainn eile a lorg.
Tha mi a’ cur taic ris a’ bheachd aig Bòrd na Gàidhlig gu bheil an t-ainm aig Freeview fhèin ga dhèanamh follaiseach gu bheil an sianal airson coimhead air, seach dìreach a bhith ag èisdeachd ris. Nam bheachd, tha na goireasan a’ dol ga mhilleadh a bhith a’ cleachdadh dìreach airson rèidio nuair am b’ urrainn a chleachdadh airson telebhisean agus don bhuannachd mhòr airson luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig, luchd-ionnsachaidh na Gàidhlig agus luchd-taice na Gàidhlig. Is e seo an adhbhar gu bheil mi cho toilichte gu bheil Riaghaltas na h-Alba agus iomadach buidheann culturach air a bhith a’ tighinn ri chèile gus Urras a’ BhBC a bhrosnachadh BBC Alba àite a lorg air Freeview. Tha mi an dòchas gum bitheamaid soirbheachail, a chionn ’s gu bheil mi a’ creidsinn gum biodh buaidh fìor mhath air a’ Ghàidhlig nam biodh àite air Freeview aig BBC Alba, agus gum biodh buaidh mhòr aig seo air Alba cuideachd.
Following is the simultaneous translation:
I congratulate BBC Alba on its second birthday. This child of a partnership between the BBC and MG Alba has progressed well since its birth and the proud parents should be very pleased with the baby’s progress.
Gaelic is an ancient Scottish language that needs to be nurtured if it is to reclaim its former status as an everyday tongue that is used to discuss everything from the weather and health to science and philosophy. As long as the language is heard only in classrooms and concert halls, there can be little hope of Gaelic being more useful than Latin to young people in chatting about the ordinary business of daily life, their favourite football team or even politics.
One of the reasons why BBC Alba is so important is that it gives hundreds of thousands of people the opportunity to hear Gaelic being used in an everyday way. That is particularly important for young Gaelic speakers. It is all about the normalisation of Gaelic, and it will go a long way towards helping to restore it to its rightful place as a language in common use.
Great strides are being made in Gaelic-medium education, and we have a new generation of people growing up who can learn and think about maths, science and engineering in Gaelic. However, Gaelic-medium education is just one of the things that we must develop if we are to encourage our people to regard Gaelic speakers as a normal part of our daily lives.
That is where BBC Alba comes into its own. It is perhaps the most effective way of getting Gaelic out of the classroom and into the heart of our communities. BBC Alba is a new platform for exciting and interesting programming on a wide variety of subjects that just happen to be researched and discussed in Gaelic. They are programmes whose subjects draw people to watch them and, in so doing, expose viewers to Gaelic in a positive and modern way that makes it of relevance to today’s society. That is exactly what we need if we are to develop and expand Gaelic, and that is why BBC Alba must be offered on Freeview.
I am enthusiastic about Gaelic, although I am still learning, and I know how valuable the opportunity to hear Gaelic regularly on television at sensible hours is for people like me who are trying to improve their language skills in an environment in which it is difficult to hear Gaelic in a natural setting. Unfortunately, in the same way as many thousands of others, I use Freeview and cannot get access to BBC Alba to help to improve my Gaelic. In fact, I have never seen BBC Alba although I do occasionally listen to the radio on Freeview. It would be no great loss, however, if that was not possible and I, like everyone else, can listen to the radio very easily using many different, relatively cheap, means. I do not, therefore, believe that it would be a great hardship for the small number of people who use Freeview for the radio to find an alternative.
I support Bòrd na Ghàidhlig’s view that the name of Freeview is a clear indication that it is for watching rather than just listening to. It is a waste to use the facility for radio only when it can be used for television to the great advantage of Gaelic speakers, learners and enthusiasts. That is why I am pleased that the Scottish Government and a host of cultural organisations have joined forces to urge the BBC trust to grant BBC Alba its own slot on Freeview. I hope that we are successful, because I believe that access to Freeview will have a positive effect on Gaelic that will, in turn, have a positive effect on Scotland.
18:32
I will be very brief. I strongly support Ted Brocklebank’s motion. He has been a long-standing and distinguished supporter of Gaelic, and in the broadcasting world he was instrumental in helping to develop the notion that we ought to have much more television coverage in Gaelic.
As Ted Brocklebank rightly said, BBC Alba has been successful in its first two years. It has built on everything that has gone before, whether that be in the world of education, Gaelic-medium education, the development of Sabhal Mór Ostaig, the development of publishing books in Gaelic, or Gaelic arts and, indeed, in many other dimensions of Gaelic life. In a sense, BBC Alba is helping, hopefully through Freeview, to normalise and bring together everything in one place to give people access to the world of Gaelic that they otherwise would not have. That is one of the most important things that BBC Alba has done. It has opened up understanding, appreciation and insight into the language and world of Gaelic for all those who watch it who are not Gaelic speakers.
It was an extremely shrewd move for BBC Alba to get access to the rugby, football and the other events that it covers as part of its programming. That brings in a wider audience, which will help the development of Gaelic in the long term.
BBC Alba provides more opportunities for the independent sector to produce more programmes, as other members have described. That can only be a good thing for Gaelic producers, and for non-Gaelic producers because it will give them opportunities as well.
However, access to that wonderful new channel is limited and that cannot be right, for all the reasons that other members have set out. It is important for BBC Alba to move on to Freeview at the earliest opportunity. I, too, call on the BBC trust to make the right decision about that when it discusses the issue later this month.
One of the great strengths of Gaelic in Scotland is that it enjoys cross-party and all-party support. Despite Ted Brocklebank using the debate to promote Malcolm Rifkind, which he is perfectly entitled to do, it is true that all the political parties support Gaelic. Long may that continue, and I add my voice of support to the debate tonight.
18:34
Feasgar math. I welcome the opportunity to respond to the motion and to conclude the debate today. I pay tribute to Ted Brocklebank for bringing the motion to Parliament and for his consistent and persistent support for BBC Alba. I am intrigued by the new schedule, including the programme on redheads. Alasdair Allan, as interviewed by Russell Brand, now has a ready-made audience. I welcome the themes that are addressed in the motion, which testify to the contribution of BBC Alba to Scottish economic and cultural life. Without doubt, BBC Alba is a significant addition to broadcasting in Scotland. I will offer some clear reasons why I believe that BBC Alba is to be commended for its achievements and deserves to have access to Freeview.
First, we should all welcome the boost that BBC Alba has given to the independent production sector in Scotland. As has been mentioned, last year BBC Alba commissioned more than 50 per cent of all the hours that were commissioned in that sector in Scotland. We should also welcome the jobs that have been created, the skills that have been retained and the artistic excellence that has been encouraged throughout Scotland. In addition, we should be mindful of the fact that much of that has been achieved in areas of low population density where a small number of jobs has an important impact.
BBC Alba should be congratulated on, along with its television services, its enhanced radio provision and its excellent online services for all ages, both of which have played a key role in sustaining the Gaelic language. Earlier this year, the Scottish Government provided MG Alba with £50,000 for a Gaelic learners website. I look forward to its being launched and to hearing more about it later this month.
BBC Alba should also be commended for extending the range of programmes that are available in Scotland. Indeed, I was delighted to see Linlithgow Rose, my home-town football team, win the junior cup when that match was broadcast on BBC Alba. Without doubt, public service broadcasting has been enhanced in Scotland as a result of the additional choice that is provided by BBC Alba in news, current affairs, sport, the arts, heritage and children’s programmes.
We should all welcome the way in which BBC Alba has engaged young people in Scotland. It has developed children’s programmes and educational materials. The innovative and successful film G competition is now in its third year, and MG Alba is supporting training in the media industry, Gaelic writing courses in further education and media courses in schools.
BBC Alba should also be congratulated on the high approval rating that it has received from its viewers, the strong appeal that it has among the Gaelic audience and its ability to attract new viewers and listeners to its programmes.
In addition, we should all welcome the contribution that BBC Alba makes to education generally. BBC Alba supports Gaelic learning at all levels, and the channel can function, in effect, as a new Gaelic presence in the home to support the efforts of parents to pass on the language. There are many initiatives to support and promote Gaelic in Scotland, and I am confident that BBC Alba brings added value to our many other efforts—which Peter Peacock recognised and which have received support from all parties across the chamber—to create a secure future for Gaelic in Scotland.
I believe that BBC Alba has made a positive contribution to public service broadcasting in Scotland by boosting jobs and the economy, by promoting artistic excellence and the creative industries, by supporting education and learning, and by promoting Gaelic. Along with many other people throughout the country, the Scottish Government has been very impressed with the progress and achievements of BBC Alba, and we remain in favour of the proposal—which is supported by the BBC executive and MG Alba—to extend the channel’s reach by securing access to Freeview.
Members will be aware that the Scottish Parliament unanimously endorsed that proposal in its debate on BBC Alba in February 2010. I followed that with a letter to the chair of the BBC trust on the matter. We are aware that the present proposal will have some impact on radio services, but we are persuaded that the gain for BBC Alba would be significant in comparison to the slight counterimpact on radio services. We hope that the trust agrees that the argument for BBC Alba’s access to Freeview is compelling.
The vast majority of people who listen to radio on Freeview in Scotland listen to stations that are already available on FM or AM. Recent research suggests that the number of Freeview radio listeners who are at risk of losing access to their digital radio stations is around 4,000—as could be inferred from the original proposal for BBC Alba’s transmission on Freeview of October 2009. That number compares with the expected 150,000 new viewers that carriage of BBC Alba on Freeview would bring.
We also take the view that Freeview access would be fitting recognition of the success and accomplishments of BBC Alba since its launch in 2008, and of the expectations of actual and potential viewers in Scotland. A compelling case has been made by many people, including Jamie McGrigor, that people are being denied the opportunity to receive BBC Alba. That is already happening; the question is whether the BBC trust will compound the situation or whether it will provide that opportunity.
We have heard impassioned pleas and expressions of support from Pauline McNeill, Alasdair Allan and Dave Thompson, and we remain firmly supportive of the current proposal and hope that any slight reduction in radio service can be addressed by other means. Our hope is that the BBC will be able to find a long-term solution to the question.
I welcome the opportunity to agree with colleagues today on a number of issues, such as the strength of BBC Alba and the contribution that it makes to Scotland and Gaelic. Our consistent message has been that BBC Alba should have access to Freeview, and I assure members that I will write again to the BBC trust to draw its attention to the strength of cross-party support for that position, as expressed here today.
Meanwhile, we have a two-year anniversary to celebrate. I remember the Elvis programme that was mentioned earlier. I did not tune in to it deliberately; I found it by accident, but was drawn into it by its production values and the quality of its content.
Meal ur naidheachd do BBC Alba. Congratulations to BBC Alba.
Meeting closed at 18:41.