BBC’s journalism chief defends network coverage of Scottish stories By Peter John Meiklem Add your own review...THE SENIOR BBC executive responsible for all the corporation's journalism has accepted BBC network news must improve if it is to satisfy Scottish audiences.
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File: Debate: Broadcasting & Democracy
When: 8 May 2008
Where: St Andrew's in the Square, Glasgow
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Mark Byford, the BBC's deputy director-general and chair of its journalism board, told a public meeting in Glasgow last week that improvements could be made to the network news.
He said: "Of course we can do better, we want to do better."
However, he said the number of England and Wales-only stories carried by the network news was not a major issue with viewers. He said he received more complaints about "presenters' style of dress and intonation" than about the choice of stories carried by the main network news shows broadcast on BBC1 at 6pm and 10pm.
Last week the Sunday Herald revealed unpublished new research, commissioned by the watchdog BBC Trust, that claimed Scots were left poorly informed about events in their own country by the failure of the network news to cover events outside England.
Byford, who fielded a series of ill-tempered questions on the number of England-only stories on BBC network news during the debate, said he accepted there were "grievances" and pledged to talk to senior colleagues about how best to address them. He refused to outline any detailed changes the BBC might make.
He said recent coverage of immigration, a subject where there is a notable difference between public attitudes north and south of the Border, was an example of BBC coverage operating effectively. Input from Scottish political editor Brian Taylor had helped inform the network's coverage of the topic, Byford added. "Brian Taylor helped shape the debate on immigration, it was absolutely fantastic and we want more of that," he said.
Asked why stories that happened in England, such as the murder of London schoolboy Damilola Taylor, appeared to get more coverage than similar crimes in Scotland, such as the killing of Glasgow teenager Kriss Donald, Byford said the BBC was there to cover the "whole of the UK".
He added: "The audience value the BBC's output. We provide news that is rooted in excellence. Any suggestion that we don't is simply not true."
Byford was in Glasgow for a public debate on how well broadcasting serves Scottish democracy, organised by the Scottish Broadcasting Commission. Daily Telegraph Scotland editor Alan Cochrane, academic Gerry Hassan, ITV editor-in-chief David Mannion and Sunday Herald columnist Iain Macwhirter made up the rest of the panel.
Mannion said there was a case to made for separate news programmes that looked at the world from the various different perspectives in the UK.
He said: "Every time I come to Scotland it feels more like a different country. That is not a bad thing. But we have to operate commercially, and the question is, who is going to pay for separate news programmes?"
Gerry Hassan accused both Mannion and Byford of not understanding the needs of Scottish viewers. "They simply don't get it," he said.
Making reference to a 19th-century brand of Scottish literature criticised for being overly sentimental and small-minded, Cochrane said any plans for a separate news programme would result only in "kailyard television".
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Posted by: Graham, Kazakhstan on 8:21am Sun 11 May 08
[quote]Byford was in Glasgow for a public debate on how well broadcasting serves Scottish democracy, organised by the Scottish [bold]Broadcasting Commission. Daily Telegraph Scotland editor Alan Cochrane, academic Gerry Hassan, ITV editor-in-chief David Mannion and Sunday Herald columnist Iain Macwhirter made up the rest of the panel.[/bold][/quote]
I wonder how many of the "general public" were invited to attend.
I suspect the audience was made up of "Westie and Hootsman" journalists out on a jolly, with a job/funding axe to also grind agenda.
The "Scottish Telegraph"..eh ! two news sheets inserted into a good English paper.
Aye again, the "usual suspects" driving a self centered, "you'll get what we decide is good enough for you" agenda.
[bold][italic]Watch and see ![/italic] [/bold]
Byford was in Glasgow for a public debate on how well broadcasting serves Scottish democracy, organised by the Scottish Broadcasting Commission. Daily Telegraph Scotland editor Alan Cochrane, academic Gerry Hassan, ITV editor-in-chief David Mannion and Sunday Herald columnist Iain Macwhirter made up the rest of the panel.
I wonder how many of the "general public" were invited to attend.
I suspect the audience was made up of "Westie and Hootsman" journalists out on a jolly, with a job/funding axe to also grind agenda.
The "Scottish Telegraph"..eh ! two news sheets inserted into a good English paper.
Aye again, the "usual suspects" driving a self centered, "you'll get what we decide is good enough for you" agenda.
Watch and see ! Posted by: Jwil, Lanarkshire on 1:40pm Sun 11 May 08
[italic]He said: "Of course we can do better, we want to do better."
However, he said the number of England and Wales-only stories carried by the network news was not a major issue with viewers. He said he received more complaints about "presenters' style of dress and intonation" than about the choice of stories carried by the main network news shows broadcast on BBC1 at 6pm and 10pm.[/italic]
That's right, adopt the ostrich posture and stick your head in the sand.
[italic]Asked why stories that happened in England, such as the murder of London schoolboy Damilola Taylor, appeared to get more coverage than similar crimes in Scotland, such as the killing of Glasgow teenager Kriss Donald,[/italic]
Byford said the BBC was there to cover the "whole of the UK".
He added: "The audience value the BBC's output. We provide news that is rooted in excellence. Any suggestion that we don't is simply not true."[/italic]
Don't answer the question why don't you? Perhaps it's because you won't admit its true!
He said: "Of course we can do better, we want to do better."
However, he said the number of England and Wales-only stories carried by the network news was not a major issue with viewers. He said he received more complaints about "presenters' style of dress and intonation" than about the choice of stories carried by the main network news shows broadcast on BBC1 at 6pm and 10pm.
That's right, adopt the ostrich posture and stick your head in the sand.
Asked why stories that happened in England, such as the murder of London schoolboy Damilola Taylor, appeared to get more coverage than similar crimes in Scotland, such as the killing of Glasgow teenager Kriss Donald,
Byford said the BBC was there to cover the "whole of the UK".
He added: "The audience value the BBC's output. We provide news that is rooted in excellence. Any suggestion that we don't is simply not true."
Don't answer the question why don't you? Perhaps it's because you won't admit its true!
Posted by: Monty Furk, Not John Smith House on 5:57pm Sun 11 May 08
Grim news for 2 of Labour's mouthpieces in Scotland.
Advertising sales and readership plummeting at the Pravda Herald and the Hootsmoan:
tinyurl.com5y5smb
No wonder people are abandoning our national 'quality' newspaper based in Glasgow and the vile Edinburgh morning paper. Scots are sick and tired of the nauseating pro-Labour bias of the 'Scottish media'.
The BBC (the EBC) in particular [bold]is an utter disgrace[/bold] , they are only now appearing to be giving U-Bendy Wendy a less fawning time of it because they have been given orders from London to undermine her as the Labour mafia and their biased journalist pals want her replaced with a new numpty leader.
The EBC is a major part of the problem, their contempt for Scotland is blatant. Their insulting south of England-biased weather map is but one example of how they view Scotland (far far away and totally unimportant). Their increasingly dire and insulting news and poltical coverage of Scotland needs to be addressed once-and-for-all.
Licence fees should be witheld en masse by Scots until they get the message. Once our country finally becomes normal again after restoring independence we can tell them where to shove their licence fee tax and the bullying ways they use to collect it.
Grim news for 2 of Labour's mouthpieces in Scotland.
Advertising sales and readership plummeting at the Pravda Herald and the Hootsmoan:
tinyurl.com5y5smb
No wonder people are abandoning our national 'quality' newspaper based in Glasgow and the vile Edinburgh morning paper. Scots are sick and tired of the nauseating pro-Labour bias of the 'Scottish media'.
The BBC (the EBC) in particular
is an utter disgrace , they are only now appearing to be giving U-Bendy Wendy a less fawning time of it because they have been given orders from London to undermine her as the Labour mafia and their biased journalist pals want her replaced with a new numpty leader.
The EBC is a major part of the problem, their contempt for Scotland is blatant. Their insulting south of England-biased weather map is but one example of how they view Scotland (far far away and totally unimportant). Their increasingly dire and insulting news and poltical coverage of Scotland needs to be addressed once-and-for-all.
Licence fees should be witheld en masse by Scots until they get the message. Once our country finally becomes normal again after restoring independence we can tell them where to shove their licence fee tax and the bullying ways they use to collect it.
Posted by: Ed Scott on 11:11pm Mon 12 May 08
Why should Scotland (Scottish) expect to have even near the same coverage of news as England? Scotland represents only 10% of the so called United Kingdom and enjoys Scottish everything including newspapers and tv studios/programmes. One thing I am sure of is that Scotland gets a whole lot more exposure in all things than does the 5 million of Cumbria and the NE.
Why should Scotland (Scottish) expect to have even near the same coverage of news as England? Scotland represents only 10% of the so called United Kingdom and enjoys Scottish everything including newspapers and tv studios/programmes. One thing I am sure of is that Scotland gets a whole lot more exposure in all things than does the 5 million of Cumbria and the NE.
Posted by: Ed on 11:46pm Mon 12 May 08
Well Monty all I can say is that you obvioulsy do not watch or listen to the same amount of tv and radio as me. 'Contempt for Scotland' - its some contempt with dozens of reporters, presenters, and programmes - not to mention a £188 million state of the art tv centre. The BBC may not be very Scottish in your opinion but despite 90% of licence payers being English there is certainly not a BBC England dimension to the BBC - or even in reality a BBC London (pop. 7m by the way ) to compare with BBC Scotland, or for that matter BBC Wales, or BBC N.I. It seems to me that if anything is blatant it is that Look North, Look East and Look West are the true poor relations. We all want Scotland to be recognised as independent one day, but I would like to suggest that you do not allow your desire for that to cloud your objectivity. By the way what exactly is the Scottish Broadcasting Commission - do we all get one of those?
Well Monty all I can say is that you obvioulsy do not watch or listen to the same amount of tv and radio as me. 'Contempt for Scotland' - its some contempt with dozens of reporters, presenters, and programmes - not to mention a £188 million state of the art tv centre. The BBC may not be very Scottish in your opinion but despite 90% of licence payers being English there is certainly not a BBC England dimension to the BBC - or even in reality a BBC London (pop. 7m by the way ) to compare with BBC Scotland, or for that matter BBC Wales, or BBC N.I. It seems to me that if anything is blatant it is that Look North, Look East and Look West are the true poor relations. We all want Scotland to be recognised as independent one day, but I would like to suggest that you do not allow your desire for that to cloud your objectivity. By the way what exactly is the Scottish Broadcasting Commission - do we all get one of those?
Posted by: dennisjrs3, Madrid, New York on 8:47pm Fri 16 May 08
The BBC has a charter that requires them to provide coverage to all of there regions....
The BBC has a charter that requires them to provide coverage to all of there regions....
Posted by: Monty Furk, Not that other place on 10:38pm Sat 17 May 08
Ed the Englishman thinks he has the knowledge to comment on the anti-Scottish mouthpiece of the British state that is the EBC...
Scots are sick and tired of being treated with utter contempt by the EVC....FACT.
What happens in mere regions of Engerland re. EBC coverage is of no interest to us in Scotland. Fight your own battles.
if you're not happy with the set up in your beloved Little England then do something about it. Set up an English National Party (oops, forgot, you already have that, it's caled the Conservative Party).
Why are you reading Scotland's national Sunday paper anyway, the English papers too boring for you or are you just another unfortunate, anti-Scottish, ignorant Englishman?
Ed the Englishman thinks he has the knowledge to comment on the anti-Scottish mouthpiece of the British state that is the EBC...
Scots are sick and tired of being treated with utter contempt by the EVC....FACT.
What happens in mere regions of Engerland re. EBC coverage is of no interest to us in Scotland. Fight your own battles.
if you're not happy with the set up in your beloved Little England then do something about it. Set up an English National Party (oops, forgot, you already have that, it's caled the Conservative Party).
Why are you reading Scotland's national Sunday paper anyway, the English papers too boring for you or are you just another unfortunate, anti-Scottish, ignorant Englishman?
Posted by: Ed on 7:13pm Thu 22 May 08
Monty -I was speaking from a UK licence payers' point of view. You appear to regard me as some sort of English spy - how dare I read the Herald. Married to a Scot, children and grandchildren living in Scotland, lived and worked in Scotland, made contributions to save Scottish forests, birds and other projects, buying only Scottish salmon, oatcakes and raspberries - sure I take an interest in Scottish affairs. I left the NE for decent employment a long long time ago so also admit to being a champion of the NE, but that does not make me an 'Engerlander' any more than all highlanders must be members of the SNP. I hoped to put a factual and objective licence payers' approach - even raise the tone of the debate. I certainly felt it necessary to challenge the charge that the BBC had contempt for the Scots, on the contrary the Scots get a great deal of consideration and respect. In short my point was the BBC is certainly more Scots-centric than Geordie-centric who surprisingly also have to pay the licence fee. I will continue my spying by watching programmes made or commissioned by BBC Scotland - but I need not worry about you peaking at programmes on the national network from Look North or Look East.
Monty -I was speaking from a UK licence payers' point of view. You appear to regard me as some sort of English spy - how dare I read the Herald. Married to a Scot, children and grandchildren living in Scotland, lived and worked in Scotland, made contributions to save Scottish forests, birds and other projects, buying only Scottish salmon, oatcakes and raspberries - sure I take an interest in Scottish affairs. I left the NE for decent employment a long long time ago so also admit to being a champion of the NE, but that does not make me an 'Engerlander' any more than all highlanders must be members of the SNP. I hoped to put a factual and objective licence payers' approach - even raise the tone of the debate. I certainly felt it necessary to challenge the charge that the BBC had contempt for the Scots, on the contrary the Scots get a great deal of consideration and respect. In short my point was the BBC is certainly more Scots-centric than Geordie-centric who surprisingly also have to pay the licence fee. I will continue my spying by watching programmes made or commissioned by BBC Scotland - but I need not worry about you peaking at programmes on the national network from Look North or Look East.
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