THE new BBC digital channel for Scotland has been given the final green light by broadcasting watchdog Ofcom.

Ofcom has decided BBC Scotland is free to go ahead with its plans for the new channel, which will have a new nightly 9pm news programme.

The channel is due to launch in early 2019 and the corporation has already begun advertising for, and hiring, some of the 80 staff for the channel.

Read more: Launch of new BBC channel pushed back to 2019

In its final judgement on the matter, Ofcom says: "We recognise that there are uncertainties about the take-up of the new channel and the content it will include.

"However, we are satisfied the BBC has shown its proposal will deliver public value by broadening the options available to viewers in Scotland, providing a greater Scottish -focus in its news coverage and delivering more content designed to reflect the lives of people in Scotland."

It says that any adverse impacts on competition are "likely to be fairly limited."

Although it adds: "We acknowledge that some stakeholders, particularly STV, may experience negative effects as a result of the

BBC’s proposal.

"However, taking these impacts on rivals into account, we do not believe that the proposed channel is likely to have a negative impact on citizens and consumers."

Read more: Ofcom's interim judgement on BBC channel