MSPs are set to debate the renewal of the BBC’s charter amid concern over how much of the licence fee revenue the corporation spends in Scotland, compared to Wales and Northern Ireland.
It comes after Holyrood’s Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations Committee heard that only 55 per cent of revenue from the licence fee generated from Scotland was spent here, compared to at least 95 per cent in Wales, 74 per cent in Northern Ireland and more than 100 per cent in England.
Among those who gave evidence to a session of the committee last week was David Smith, from independent production company Matchlight, who said that of the £320.1 million raised from Scotland in 2016, £143.6m will be spent by the BBC elsewhere in the UK. However, he said it was not about what was spent in Wales or Northern Ireland, but what the BBC does not spend in Scotland.
He told the committee that while the BBC charter was a welcome step forward, it was not the end of the journey by any stretch.
“The service agreement that flows from the charter will be crucial to how the BBC operates around the UK for the next 11 years,” he said. “There is some very useful new wording in the charter on public purpose. Article 6 states, ‘in commissioning and delivering output the BBC should invest in the creative economies of each of the nations and contribute to their development’.
“That is a real win and people in the BBC have echoed that they see it as a win, too. It is a step forward, but it is by no means the end of the journey.”
Smith said there was a genuine imbalance in how the licence fee was raised and spent across the UK.
“It is a staggering imbalance, which was not revealed prior to the [BBC] accounts being provided,” he said. “At best, 55 per cent of what is raised in Scotland is spent in Scotland. At least 95 per cent of what is raised in Wales is spent in Wales, and that excludes some spend on S4C, so it is estimated that 105 or 110 per cent of what is raised in Wales is spent in Wales.
“England is a net beneficiary, in that it draws in funding from across the UK. In Northern Ireland, about 75 per cent of the money that is raised is spent in Northern Ireland.”
He added that we had to ask why Scotland was seen as a net contributor.
“It has often been said in committee rooms such as this one that we also get the network services, so we benefit from BBC Radio 4 and everything else that is pan-UK,” said Smith.
“That is absolutely true, but so does Wales, which seems not to be contributing towards those services.
“We must also ask why all those central services are based in London. There is no longer any reason for that to be the case. Any one of the services could be moved to elsewhere in the UK. Glasgow has a fully functioning broadcasting community, as do Belfast and Cardiff.”
BBC Scotland director Ken MacQuarrie – now the corporation’s director of nations and regions, told the committee the figures changed from year to year, but the BBC had tripled its spending in Scotland in the past seven years.
Alan Dickson, BBC Scotland’s chief operating officer, said last year’s equivalent figure for Scotland was 63 per cent, but expenditure had “dipped” because Waterloo Road and other titles had been decommissioned. He expected this year’s level of spend to return to previous levels.
Committee convener Joan McAlpine said: “When the Waterloo Road storyline moved to Greenock, as someone who went to a comprehensive school in Greenock I regarded that as completely absurd although, unlike many people, I did not say anything at the time because we were told that that would provide a springboard or platform for creative talent in Scotland.
“However absurd the plot, a major drama series was relocated from somewhere in the middle of England to Scotland. Clearly, that springboard effect has not happened.
“We were told that the change was about long-term planning and was to help the growth of the sector in Scotland, but the programme has not been recommissioned.”
The committee will discuss the BBC charter at its meeting on Thursday.
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