Gary Smith, Head of News and Current Affairs at BBC Scotland, has released the letter that was sent round to staff explaining the changes coming to the broadcaster. The letter has been published in full below:
Throughout the day, at various meetings, I’ve outlined a new strategy for BBC News in Scotland.
It’s centred round creating a digital first newsroom, reaching underserved audiences, and enhancing our core output. Original journalism must be at the heart of our news operation. We should focus on quality, creativity and ambition. And I’m determined to break down any silos, and join up our journalism across all platforms.
Since I started at Pacific Quay in January, I’ve listened to views from many of you – either one to one, in team meetings, or at bigger staff meetings. You’ve told me what works and what doesn't work around the newsrooms across Scotland I’ve also taken on board the feedback from focus groups and the staff survey.
This is an impressive news operation and I’m proud to be part of it. But to meet the challenges we face from new technology, changing audience needs and an increasingly competitive news industry, we need to make some changes - to our programmes, content and leadership structure. We also need to save some money, as do all parts of the BBC.
The first thing I want to make clear is that there are no permanent post closures as part of these changes. Some short term contracts are due to end later this year, but we’ll do everything we can to find ongoing roles for those affected.
I’m proposing some changes to our output, including closing some programmes, and adapting to where our audiences are. We’ve become overstretched, with reductions in staffing over past years, but not in output. It’s time now to live within our means, and focus on our core programmes.
Here are the key changes:
Television
· We’re proposing to close Scotland 2016 and replace it with a weekly current affairs programme. I want to take time to get the editorial proposition for a new programme right, so Scotland 2016 will return after its summer break, and continue until we’re happy that we’re ready to launch a new programme.
· I’ve been discussing with the Reporting Scotland team a few changes to the programme. I’m keen to make it newsier and more analytical, with fewer soft features, and more rigour round the news value of the stories in the sports belt. We’re looking at using more big screen studio analysis, and more lives. As well as moving us in a slightly different direction editorially, this will also help us save money on freelance crewing.
· We intend to continue with the extended hour-long First Minister’s Questions programmes each Thursday, giving us some extra time to analyse what’s been said
Radio
· We’re proposing to close The Big Debate and Business Scotland. I’m announcing this with regret because these are successful programmes produced by dedicated teams for loyal audiences. But I’ve heard from many of you how overstretched the radio news teams are, and it’s become clear to me that we need to redirect staffing and effort into our core programmes.
· The Big Debate has been really successful at travelling around Scotland and connecting with local audiences. We don’t want to lose this connection, so we’ll aim to get GMS, John Beattie and Newsdrive out the studio more often. John Beattie will run five days a week.
· The team on Business Scotland has made the programme work really well over the years. But we’d like in the future to use our business specialists to strengthen the business output on our core programmes across the week.
Online
· The biggest area for potential growth is on our digital platforms – on the website and on mobile, through the BBC app and social media. That’s why I want us to become a digital first newsroom.
· To help focus more effort on social media and video for mobile, we plan to stop producing the daily live page, and move those staff to beef up our social media team.
· We’re also introducing a Scotland edition of the news home page, so that the editorial decisions are made here in Scotland on the mix of international, UK and Scottish stories.
Leadership
I want to create a management structure where editors have the responsibility, authority and time both to lead the editorial decision-making on their output, and to manage their teams. So I intend to make a few changes to the structure.
The key new post is a News Editor. This is a role which will lead our journalism each day, making sure we’re covering all angles on the big stories, that we’re not duplicating in different parts of the newsroom, and that we’re joining up the efforts of all our teams.
I intend to continue the two separate roles of Radio Editor, and Online and Mobile Editor. And I don’t intend to replace the role of Managing Editor.
The editors will be supported by the team of Assistant News Editors, who as well as output editing their programmes, will also help with the line management of their teams.
As we’ve discussed in various meetings, everyone should know who their line manager is and should have a direct relationship with him or her. That includes finding a management solution for the teams in our newsrooms in Edinburgh, Selkirk and Dumfries.
Finally, I’d like to stress that this is the just the beginning of a new look news operation in Scotland. I want to hear from you with your ideas, suggestions and questions about these changes.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here