HALF of all shows aired on the new BBC Scotland channel will be repeats – with the broadcaster insisting that the move will help to boost the quality of its original programmes.
Details of the new station, which will include a new weekday 9pm news and current affairs programme every night, have been released as broadcasting regulator Ofcom opens the proposals to BBC’s new station to public comment.
The BBC says that its plans for the digital channel – to operate on £32 million annual budget – will include 50 per cent repeats, but it will also screen new drama and comedy as well as include music, quiz and sport programming.
Original scheduling for the channel proposed showing less repeats – around 40 per cent – but BBC bosses decided that increasing the money spent on fewer hours of original content would improve its standard.
However, a media expert has claimed that the weight of repeats, in a schedule which will run from 7pm to midnight daily, may be off-putting for audiences.
John Cook, Professor of Media and Journalism at Glasgow Caledonian University, said the blueprint for Scotland’s new channel bears similar hallmarks to that of BBC Four, which – with a comparable budget – is forced to broadcast many repeats.
“There will be a question mark over the number of repeats – BBC 4 had some original content and now it is dominated by repeat programmes,” he said.
“The danger is that will happen again,” he said. “The question will be there be enough of an audience for such as station?
“I think there has always been a political imperative to this station, but whether it will draw an audience – that remains to be seen.”
The new BBC channel which is set to launch late next year.
The BBC’s own governing board has decided the channel, which was announced in February, passes its Public Interest Test.
Ofcom must now rule on “any possible adverse effects on competition”.
The final Ofcom decision on the new channel is expected in June 2018 and it could start broadcasting in the autumn.
In its public interest document, the BBC says the new station will invest £6.8m in “improved news production” and create 80 journalism-related posts.
It adds: “The new channel will provide more choice for audiences in Scotland to consume the BBC’s news coverage in and about Scotland in more depth”.
The channel will occasionally broadcast from 12pm to allow broadcasting of live political and sporting events as well as other special events “when required”.
BBC Scotland would be available on the main terrestrial, satellite and cable platforms in Scotland as well as via satellite and iPlayer in the rest of the UK.
The news programme will cover “international, UK and Scottish stories, told from a Scottish perspective”, with shorter bulletins at the weekend.
The channel will show some programmes previously shown on BBC Two Scotland, but will also include “new programmes that reflect Scottish life including the opportunity to premiere some new comedy and drama.”
BBC Scotland would take the place currently occupied by BBC Four on electronic programme guides in Scotland.
BBC Four would move to a different slot in Scotland, while services in the rest of the UK would be unaffected.
The practice of showing separate programmes on BBC Two only in Scotland would end.
BBC Two viewers in Scotland would instead see the same programmes as viewers in England.
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