Let the debate begin

The future of broadcasting in Scotland has long been a contentious subject, politically, culturally and commercially. It was only a matter of time, therefore, before a Nationalist-led executive should question the standing of broadcasting in Scotland and its regulation, which is still a reserved power. Nevertheless, the First Minister's announcement of the setting up of a Scottish Broadcasting Commission under Blair Jenkins, a former head of news and current affairs at BBC Scotland and director of broadcasting at Scottish Television, provides an opportunity to examine the industry's commitment to Scotland and the constant criticism that national news programmes, in particular, are too London-centric.

In announcing the commission, Alex Salmond said he wanted to see more investment in Scottish broadcasting and the opportunity for broadcasters to present a blend of local, national and international news from a Scottish perspective, the so-called "Scottish Six" argument. The view that items relating to health, education, criminal justice and local government from London-based "national" news bulletins were irrelevant to a Scottish audience was a valid argument long before devolution. The persistent call since 1999 for a separate "national" news service from Scotland is a reflection of the increased expectation that devolution would liberate news from its metropolitan bias.

The token response from the BBC, however, was to offer a partial Scottish opt-out of Newsnight, a halfway-house approach which infuriated many and did little to settle the debate. Meanwhile, on the commercial front, Grampian lost its distinct identity when it was subsumed into Scottish Television and both broadcasters have been criticised for reducing their overall spend on Scottish news and current affairs. There is no clear consensus on a way forward, however. The supporters of a Scottish Six appear to be equally balanced with opponents who fear London bias will simply be replaced by central Scotland parochialism. They claim television, in particular, will struggle to present quality national and international news programmes from a Scottish base.

There is also the view that in a multi-media environment, which doesn't recognise geographical boundaries, the argument for a Scottish Six is perhaps redundant. Nevertheless, the tone of Mr Salmond's speech was reassuringly ambitious. He described the phrase "Scottish Six" as "shorthand for the much broader debate we need to have about achieving a more relevant and informing blend of television news and current affairs across the output in Scotland". He may be right, but adding the prospect of devolved legislation on broadcasting to the debate adds a political ingredient which requires particularly thorough and scrupulously objective examination. Regulation cannot usefully operate in different ways north and south of the border.

A consciousness shaped by tales of a grandfather steeped in Scottish history gives Mr Salmond an instinctive empathy for views expressed by so many correspondents to this newspaper. And with an adroitness sadly missing from our political leaders since the death of Donald Dewar, he knows how to articulate it. "This is a nation that loves to express itself it's perhaps not surprising that we couldn't wait for somebody else to invent the telephone or television." Such pride and passion can set the argument alight, but political rhetoric alone is not going to resolve an issue that has exercised the nation since the first flickering black-and-white television pictures were beamed into our front rooms.

The Scottish Broadcasting Commission under the independent chairmanship of Mr Jenkins - who has promised to examine the future of broadcasting in the context of its economic, cultural and democratic importance - should finally provide a proper focus on a debate that must now move beyond the chattering classes.