ALLOW me to congratulate the new BBC Scotland channel on the quality of its programmes. Those of us who have found ourselves flicking through more than 50 channels without finding anything worth watching, have now the option within our remote controls of viewing TV where real people can be found. The new channel is a pioneer in this regard. Long may it continue to maintain the standard with which it has begun.
Apart from the excellent world news. The Nine, I name three examples of superb entertainment: How Scotland Works, a fascinating insight into the ways of our country; Murder, the real-time investigation of a murder in Glasgow, and Mirror Mirror, an eavesdrop on what people, from every part of Scotland, say to their hairdresser.
Hopefully those involved in the making of these programmes will be able to resist the criticism of them who prefer the fluffy "reality" shows from London. I believe we have real talent in our own country which we should seek to encourage. There will always be those who never want the new and home-grown to succeed, who seek to advance their own opinion of themselves by promoting the distant at the expense of the local. That is a form of snobbery, and should never be taken as sound judgement on what makes for good television
Alex Robertson, Glasgow G12.
I SEE that your readers have been honoured by a reply from Ian Small, the grandly-titled Head of Public Policy & Corporate Affairs of BBC Scotland (Letters, June 15) in relation to the articles you published last week about The Beechgrove Garden, and other aspects of BBC Scotland. Interestingly, although the bulk of your news coverage related to The Beechgrove Garden, he doesn’t actually say anything in relation to the garden, except to confirm in passing that it is now referred to within the higher echelons of the BBC as "Beechgrove".
Perhaps Mr Small didn’t manage to penetrate deeper into the paper to read the three letters you published during the week from disgruntled viewers of The Beechgrove Garden, me included, or he might, as Head of Public Policy and Corporate Affairs, have felt it appropriate to respond to the public concerns raised in these letters. His lack of response is treating your readers with disdain.
I repeat the final question in my letter: "What is going on?” And I add another: "Why in responding to concerns raised in The Herald does the Head of Public Policy and Corporate Affairs ignore the substantive issue?’
Stewart Campbell, Helensburgh.
WHY do we allow the TV show Love Island and why can we not see what this sort of programme is encouraging?
In a world where we are encouraged to not judge a book by its cover this programme does the exact opposite. A programme that makes people judge others by looks alone, that is proving so popular with the younger audience, teaches all the wrong values about relationships, and contains no form of intelligent or meaningful interaction, just a scripted soap opera.
The fact that contestants are paraded in swimsuits and bikinis says it all. It’s time to wake up and take control. There is nothing frivolous about this programme, it’s not just banter, it’s wrong!
It’s no wonder kids grow up feeling less than adequate when programmes like this portray our equivalent of today’s Aryan race as role models, they are far from that.
There would be no sad loss if this show were banned from our screens, and we were encouraged to live our lives in reality and not a fantasy.
Roddy Young, Glasgow G11.
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It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
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That is invaluable.
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