THERE was some confusion last night when BBC Scotland said that Debate Night, its new channel’s version of Question Time, would visit locations across the country – which contradicted BBC Scotland’s director, who said it could not afford to go on tour.
Donalda MacKinnon was speaking to the Financial Times amid controversy over an episode
of Question Time from Motherwell, in which failed Ukip candidate Billy Mitchell made his fourth appearance on the programme, as well as appearing in the audience for the new show’s pilot programme.
“We just can’t afford to do it is the truth of the matter,” she said.
“We’ve always acknowledged that these are relatively challenging sums of money to deliver the kind of range and breadth of content that we have ambitions to deliver.”
However, a BBC Scotland spokesperson last night told The National: “A number of episodes in each run of Debate Night will tour and visit towns and cities across the country.
“The series will be mostly based in Edinburgh which is relatively close to several large centres of population, so it’s within easy reach of many potential audience members.
“The programmes will feature topics that will resonate with all communities in the country.
“Potential audience members apply through the BBC audiences website or by telephone,” they added.
Doubts had been raised about the new channel’s £32 million budget being adequate, with David Hutchison, visiting professor in media policy at Glasgow Caledonian University, among the critics: “Expectations are high and the budget is low. There really needs to be more money put into this.”
The budget pales almost into significance compared with the £87.6m cost of the new EastEnders set and facilities at the corporation’s Elstree centre – which the National Audit Office said was 45% over budget.
Taking programmes such as Debate Night on tour would drive up its costs, from initial technical recces, travel and accommodation and subsistence for presenters, crews and floor staff, to hiring suitable venues and transporting the sets.
Union rates can be in excess of £300 a day for many television staff.
BBC Scotland does not have a studio in Edinburgh big enough to host a show of a similar scale to Question Time and would have to pay for a suitable venue.
Being “within easy reach” of several large centres of population could also raise further questions about the corporation’s perceived central belt bias.
BBC Wales has been running a similar monthly debate programme called The Hour, which is broadcast from locations across the principality, which begs the question, why can’t Scotland do it?
The National interviewed MacKinnon in December 2016, soon after she took up her post as director, when she identified as a priority increasing the amount of money spent in Scotland from its take of the licence fee.
At that time, only 55% of what was raised here was spent here, compared to 74% in Ireland, 95% in Wales and more than 100% in England.
MacKinnon said then: “That’s a figure that concerns me and I think I certainly aim to amend that so there is more of the licence fee collected in Scotland spent in Scotland, and there are a number of ways we can do that.”
She later told Holyrood’s Culture Committee that the BBC could make the then £30m budget for the new channel “work really well” to deliver for audiences.
This was despite the Scottish Broadcasting Commission previously recommending a £75m annual budget.
A BBC Scotland spokesperson added yesterday: “Referring to licence fee spend as a proportion of that collected – in 2015/16 the percentage was 65.9%, in 2017/2018 68.7%.
“It’s expected to rise again this current financial year following the additional investment.”
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