When the BBC launched its first Gaelic language channel in Scotland last month, the first night's line-up featured a comedy drama about the disembodied spirit of Elvis Presley on the Isle of Lewis and a performance from a ceilidh band from the Isle of Skye.
It might seem an unorthodox approach to help broaden the appeal of a vanishing language – but it appears to be working. For BBC Alba is proving to be an unexpected success, pulling in more than 600,000 viewers in its first week of broadcasting, more than double the projected audience of 250,000.
Research carried out on behalf of the channel, the result of a partnership between the BBC and the private firm MG Alba, found that 15 per cent of the Scottish population tuned into the station in the week following its launch on 19 September. The figures are particularly encouraging given the channel's modest annual budget of £14m, and the fact that it only broadcasts between 5pm and 11pm each day. Currently, it is only available on Sky, Freesat and Virgin Media, and not on Freeview.
Tuilleadh an seo
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