Alba an Aigh? The BBC's bastard station that could cost more

[Gràisg]

Fear ris an canar Iain Hepburn

'Amidst all the BBC 6 Music, Asian Network and website cuts rows kicking about over the last few days, there's been a smaller story up here which has gathered far less attention, yet is potentially as big - if not bigger - a drain on resources and vanity project for the BBC than its DAB music offering.

And it's also sparked a little sense of deja vu in me. Since it also proves there's nothing new in news...

I first wrote about the BBC Alba situation in 2008, and returned to it again last September - long before the Sunday Mail's 'exclusive' follow-up last week (and Edinburgh agency Deadline's follow-up of that). Indeed it was one of the stories which helped me win the multimedia journalist of the year award at last year's Scottish Press Awards, so it's been fascinating to see how it's been returned to by the news industry in the light of the BBC cuts row.

The row, if you missed it, revolves around BARB - the national viewing figures board which measures the number of people watching British TV channels. Or rather, TV channels except for ALBA - the only BBC network not accounted for by conventional means. Instead, polling is done to gauge the reach of the channel among the Gaelic community and beyond.

It is a channel paid for by taxpayers with no way of accurately measuring delivery and value for money. Now, the BBC and MG Alba argue that by providing a Gaelic-only service, it's delivering to an audience not currently properly served on Scottish TV. And to an extent, that's spot on. But it is also a channel which is shored up by buying in live music, football and other sporting rights. And it's a channel viewable by only a small proportion of the available audience.'

tuilleadh an seo:

http://www.iainmhepburn.com/blog/2010/3 ... ore-t.html

[Níall Beag]

It also risks ghettoising the Gaelic language in Scotland - with STV and the BBC already producing content for it, how long before we see ALL Gaelic broadcasting shovelled off onto ALBA, and ending public service commitments on the mainstream broadcasters north of the border to air local language programming?

Sin an aon dragh a th' oirmsa.

S ann anns a' lìnn doidseatach a tha sinn, agus tha cothrom ann airson stuth mar "The Blue Planet" agus "Planet Earth" a chuir air le taghadh cànain fon a' pheatain dearg. Biodh "voiceovers" gu math nas saoire na programan gu tur eadar-dhealaichte, agus có ann nach bhiodh toilichte gobagan móra a' sealgadh na sroin le guth Alex Valtos no Ioan Gryffudd?

Có-dhiubh, thuirt Iain

Now, ALBA's response to the viewing figures situation is, to be fair to them, also correct. They point out that BARB's measuring system only covers mainland Britain - and by not covering the Islands, excludes a substantial part of the potential viewerbase.

Tha na paipearan a' dol gun seo a radh, 's sin cho cudromach ma tha thu airson an t-siostam a thuigsinn....

[Seonaidh]

Elbhios Preaslaidh - "Anns a' Ghàilto"...

Cuin a bhios BBC Alba air Freeview? Bhiodh inntinneach fhaicinn na nì iad.

[Neas Olc]

Co dhiu nuair a bhios e ri fhaighinn air freeview am bith e ri fhaighinn cuideachd taobh a muigh bhon dhùthaich? (Gu mi fhortunach tha an t-eagal orm nach eil rudan ag obrachadh mar sin, ach bu choir dhomh a bhith dochasach)

[GunChleoc]

Cha chreid mi gum bi. Tha iPlayer glaiste taobh a-muigh Bhreatainn air sàilleabh chòirichean

[faoileag]

Feumaidh gu bheil frithealadair (sp.?) proxy no VPN agad.