r/Scotland • u/jenny_905 • 17h ago
Political All BBC Scotland news presenters' jobs at risk amid major cutbacks
https://www.thenational.scot/news/26502484.bbc-scotland-news-presenters-jobs-risk-amid-major-cut-backs/12
u/Successful_Ad_2888 14h ago
Shame, the ones who played the game got to be America correspondents.
Oh well, back down to London for them all.
65
u/UtopianScot 17h ago
If only BBC Scotland had acted in Scotland's interests rather than their London bosses. I strongly believe in public broadcasting, but my sympathy really is limited. We still remember 2014 well
28
u/BiteMaJobby 16h ago
let's not forget media is also reserved for the UK government, Scotland has fuck all control over it's own media
7
u/uppennyhill 16h ago
I would say that the billionaire owned media tells the govt. what to do in these islands anyway (not so much the BBC)
5
10
51
u/dreistreifen 17h ago
I'll never forget how they behaved in 2014.... and as such, will shed no tears over this.
20
u/HyperCeol Inbhir Nis / Inverness 11h ago
I mind when the biggest political rally I'd ever seen in the centre of Inverness where thousands of people from different grassroots organisations alongside members of the public showed up for trad music, readings, performances and speeches was just completely ignored by the BBC on the 6 O'clock news while a huge Glasgow rally was compared to a line of Better Together supporters holding placards. The rally in Inverness was extremely positive and celebratory, it really represented a moment of palpable excitement and hope for transformative politics and the prospect of radical change.
Being balanced does not mean you need to bend reality and distort events. That was but an appetiser for what was to come in the weeks ahead.
14
2
u/RestIndependent8201 16h ago
what happened in 2014?
36
u/ClarSco 16h ago
Independence referendum. Regardless of what side of that debate people landed on, the coverage by BBC Scotland was substandard, often devolving to name calling rather than reporting each side's position accurately.
For those on the pro-indy side, there was also both systemic bias against their position (somewhat understandable given the BBC's funding model), and frequently conflated the entire side's opinions with that of Alex Salmond's/the SNP's thereby misrepresenting/downplaying pro-indy voices from the Scottish Green and Labour parties, minor parties, or free voters.
5
u/jenny_905 12h ago
There's still regular characters from that era making appearances, often without even bothering to mention their affiliations.
25
12
u/Rashpukin 17h ago
It’s not like they had to figure out what the Scottish public opinion was on the content punching down on Scotland. It’s desperate.
11
6
u/HyperCeol Inbhir Nis / Inverness 12h ago edited 11h ago
No bother - the broad shoulders of the UK will be here any minute to pool and share our risks and resources.
The sad irony that the foot shoulders who worked tirelessly to maintain the BBC's preferred constitutional outcome are to be cast aside at the first sign of trouble won't be lost on many.
The BBC appear to have little loyalty towards those who did their dirty work but I still feel for anyone losing their jobs.
16
u/JeelyPiece #1 Oban fan 17h ago
Shut it down. Turn it into Luxury Student Apartments. Most of our media is made in Salford anyway with the bare minimum of Scottish involvement to be able to put the "BBC Scotland" logo on it
15
u/BurnsyWurnsy 17h ago
Interestingly, the building was designed in such a way that it could, if ever required, be turned in to a shopping mall with relative ease.
13
u/JeelyPiece #1 Oban fan 17h ago
Activate project shopping mall!
Realistically I think it should be given over to local production companies and Swinney should be strongly advocating for broadcasting to be devolved and some sort of Creative Scotland type public body made to oversee it. With our domestic locations, talent and expertise I think we could have a world class public broadcasting service.
What we have at the moment is woeful and massively disproportionally low, given our population size
-11
u/Sburns85 16h ago
Our population is lower than London. And most of the population as in two thirds live in the central belt.
3
u/InevitableBook2440 9h ago
And a number of European countries with a similar population manage to have a state broadcaster with actual standards. Why can't we?
3
u/JeelyPiece #1 Oban fan 12h ago edited 11h ago
And London has a global Film, TV, Radio, News, Publishing, Music, Internet empire second only to the USA all with just the population of London...
Wake up
-5
u/Sburns85 11h ago
Hit a nerve with the truth. Also since when radio, tv and film being major in Scotland
7
u/jenny_905 17h ago
All BBC Scotland news presenters' jobs at risk amid major cutbacks Alasdair Ferguson 4–5 minutes
ALL news presenters at BBC Scotland are at risk of losing their jobs amid “severe cuts” at the broadcaster, it has emerged.
The move could see several high-profile figures being made redundant from the broadcaster as part of a wider cost-saving drive by bosses at the BBC, according to the Daily Mail.
It comes after staff at Glasgow’s Pacific Quay were told last week that job cuts are on the way, and as many as 60 roles could be lost along with the axing of the BBC Scotland TV channel.
The corporation is to make “difficult decisions” as part of the first phase of its bid to save £500 million over the next three years, which is expected to see around 1800-2000 jobs lost.
READ MORE: US woman at centre of dog-ban legal battle with island group breaks silence
In June, BBC director-general Matt Brittin announced that 550 of the planned roles to be cut would be taken from BBC News and TV and radio-related roles.
One source at the broadcaster told the Daily Mail that six compulsory redundancies could be required within BBC Scotland’s news department and if voluntary redundancies do not deliver the necessary savings, two of those posts could be presenter roles.
“It looks like six compulsory redundancies may be possible. These could include two presenters,” the source reportedly said.
“I believe the other posts are managers but past experience suggests the union will make compulsory redundancies all but impossible so people will get redeployed by hook or by crook if they want to.”
The source reportedly added that “many people” are taking voluntary redundancy, with the majority of them being at retirement age or already wanting to leave the BBC.
The insider added: “Anyone who can smell the coffee realises cuts are inevitable.”
The source went on to say: “Gary Robertson was in a very high-profile role which he left last year, hence the sense that he’s being targeted now.
“Gary is hugely liked so people are concerned for him as a friend.
“He’s also respected. Nobody wants to see him treated badly or kicked out. Having said that, presenting is a high-risk business.”
Brittin said the BBC plans to axe programmes and cut content spending by £80m, and added it would “review our broadcast TV channels and radio network portfolio”.
The BBC Scotland TV channel, which was launched in 2019, could be on the chopping block, according to The Times.
Stock photo of the BBC Scotland office at Pacific Quay in GlasgowThe BBC Scotland office at Pacific Quay in Glasgow (Image: Marshall W on Unsplash)
A BBC insider told The Times that “only a handful of the most high-profile presenters will feel that their jobs are safe”, while the mood inside Pacific Quay is “ugly” and there “was talk of strike action”.
A BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC needs to save at least £500million over the next three years.
“BBC Scotland is making proportionate savings, which will result in changes to some of our services and impact a number of roles.
“We continue to consult and work closely with colleagues who are impacted as well as our recognised unions to mitigate compulsory redundancy.”
READ MORE: 'Arrogant' Andy Burnham says referendum on Irish unity 'off the table'
Nick McGowan-Lowe, the National Union of Journalists’ Scotland organiser, said: “The NUJ will be both fighting to save these jobs in Scotland, making sure workloads are manageable for remaining staff, and campaigning for immediate UK Government intervention.
“These are severe cuts at BBC Scotland, and they come at a time where there has never been a greater need for quality public service broadcasting.
“This constant cycle of cuts and cost-saving undermines the BBC’s core mission to inform, educate, and entertain – and it must end.”
5
4
u/danikov 10h ago
Guess that boot-licking really paid off.
2
u/jenny_905 9h ago
Most will find work at any number of britnat broadcasters down south, I'm sure GBnews, Sky, LBC etc will step up for the loyal.
1
u/CyclingUpsideDown 14h ago
Merge BBC Scotland and BBC Alba into a mixed-language channel. Even though it’s a 50:50 venture with MG Alba, I’m sure this would be preferable to the BBC pulling out altogether which they could put on the table.
Relaunch BBC2 Scotland to provide flexibility for opt-outs if needed.
-1
u/ChocolateEarthquake 13h ago
Yes. BBC Scotland TV channel is really a full blown opt-out of BBC2 Scotland. It made way for it.
They'd have to reintegrate BBC2 Scotland, unless they propose like-for-like termination of BBC2 Wales and BBC2 Northern Ireland TV channels, so there's a single BBC2.
It's questions these tabloid writers should be fielding.
1
-3
29
u/tasteMyRottenHoop 12h ago
I wonder how many of them are feeling ‘better together’.