Hansard

I welcome Patricia Ferguson and Ruth Davidson to their front-bench positions. I look forward to working with them and other MSPs to support culture in Scotland.

This is a crucial time for digital technology and broadcasting in Scotland. Eight days ago, the pilot project to deliver next-generation access broadband to the Highlands and Islands entered its procurement phase. On the same day, BBC Alba was made available on Freeview—the first time ever that a channel featuring primarily Scottish content has been universally available in Scotland. It has already made accessible a major event—the RockNess festival—which other channels would not have been able to find time to cover. We are also in the final week of the digital television switchover. By 22 June, all viewers in Scotland will have entered the age of multichoice viewing, which many people have taken for granted for years.

There could not therefore be a better time to debate broadcasting. In addition to setting out the challenges that we still face, it is fair to reflect on some significant achievements that we have shared during the past four years.

Four years ago, the Scottish Government decided to establish the independent Scottish Broadcasting Commission. Chaired by Blair Jenkins, the commission included leading broadcasting and creative industries experts, such as Elaine C Smith, as well as respected members of major political parties, such as Chris Ballance, Lord Fraser, Henry McLeish and the late Baroness Michie.

The commission’s final report highlighted low and declining levels of commissioning by United Kingdom television networks, a lack of plurality in Scottish public service broadcasting, a strong desire from audiences in Scotland for more Scottish programmes, and concerns about the range and quality of the current radio and television services in Scotland. It also presented 22 recommendations for addressing those issues.

In the past four years, much has changed for the better, often because of the strong parliamentary consensus around the commission’s report. BBC Alba is an obvious example. Parliament consistently and unanimously supported its availability on Freeview. Indeed, the BBC trust explicitly referred to that support when it decided to place BBC Alba on Freeview. Last week marked the culmination of a long process in which the chamber played a full part, and which will benefit viewers throughout Scotland.

Network commissioning is another example. In 2008, 3.7 per cent of BBC network television commissioning came from Scotland. In 2010, the figure was more than 7 per cent. In the same time period, Scotland’s share of Channel 4 television commissions increased from 1.5 per cent to more than 4 per cent, in addition to its digital media and film investment. More can and should be done, but those increases, if they are maintained, will be worth approximately £30 million annually to the Scottish economy.

The Scottish public sector is also now more active in developing and supporting our television production industry. Major investment has been made in skills. Scottish Enterprise account manages 18 television production companies; and during the past year, Creative Scotland has developed partnerships with the BBC, MG Alba, STV and Channel 4. During the past year, the UK Government also took constructive steps on accountability structures in relation to the BBC trust member for Scotland and the board of MG Alba. We expect to see that reflected in the Scotland Bill.

That demonstrates the value of the consensus on broadcasting at Holyrood, which has given added authority to the Scottish Government’s dialogue with broadcasters, the Office of Communications and the UK Government.

However, significantly more can and must be done.

When Jeremy Hunt launched the UK Government’s local media action plan in January, I was struck by his recognition of the “painful truth” that the UK probably has

“one of the most centralised media ecologies of any developed country.”

That truth resonates especially painfully here in Scotland. My view is that the current framework for accountability in broadcasting contributes directly to the centralisation that Jeremy Hunt condemned.

The main evidence for that is the current fate of the Scottish Broadcasting Commission’s key recommendation on the establishment of a Scottish digital network. That recommendation was based on the crucial importance of ensuring sufficient competition with the BBC for Scottish public service broadcasting content. It was also firmly based on the evidence that the commission had taken from viewers, which convincingly demonstrated the appetite for more quality Scottish content.

It was unsurprising, therefore, that the idea of a Scottish digital network was explicitly welcomed when the Parliament unanimously endorsed the commission’s final report in October 2008. In March 2009, Ted Brocklebank went as far as to say that the establishment of such a network was the “settled will” of the Parliament.

Earlier this year, we received the findings of the Scottish digital network panel, a group of experts that I set up to investigate how a network could be established and, more importantly, funded. The panel—which, like the Scottish Broadcasting Commission, was chaired by Blair Jenkins—set out the many benefits that a digital network could bring, including greater opportunities for our creative economy, greater accountability for devolved institutions and, significantly, greater choice for viewers in Scotland. Importantly, the network’s online content would boost digital connectivity in Scotland. As the panel’s report says,

“New and attractive forms of Scottish content could drive take-up just as the Scottish Government is seeking to lead the UK in connectivity.”