A NEW funding model should be developed for the BBC in Scotland, the SNP’s depute leader has said, to make sure that money raised here is spent here.
Keith Brown’s remarks came after it was revealed that flagship news programme The Nine on the corporation’s new BBC Scotland channel had seen viewing figures slump to just 1% of the number that watched its launch.
They also came after BBC Scotland director Donalda MacKinnon announced last week she was standing down, three years after taking up the post with a mission to “restore trust” in the broadcaster.
UK ministers have heaped pressure on the BBC, with talk of the licence fee being replaced by a subscription service and some channels sold off.
READ MORE: BBC's The Nine criticised after low viewing figures exposed
Costing £32 million, BBC Scotland was launched just a year ago. The Sunday Times said data from the Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board (Barb) showed that 752,000 people had tuned in for The Nine’s first airing last February 24.
The following night the audience fell to a 10th of that and has averaged around 35,000 since, but it has dropped to 4000 on dates in October and November, and between 5000 and 8000 several times last year.
In December, when General Election campaigning was under way, its audience averaged 8000.
Brown (inset) told the National: “In Scotland, the BBC has strived to regain the levels of public trust which it once enjoyed, and the BBC Scotland channel and programmes like The Nine have done much to achieve that goal.
“However, BBC Scotland is underfunded.
“There should be a new funding model which ensures that money raised in Scotland is spent in Scotland.”
Barb data also showed that BBC Scotland’s answer to Question Time has struggled to attract viewers, averaging 14,000 per episode over the year.
READ MORE: Ranting woman on BBC Question Time linked to National Front
Scottish Tory spokesperson Maurice Golden said: “The BBC Scotland TV channel is supported with a huge budget and a massive and experienced team, but unfortunately their viewing figures have continued to decline to pretty shockingly low levels.
“Licence fee payers would be right to question why so much money is being spent on such a tiny audience.”
A corporation spokesperson said BBC Scotland had performed above expectations and was watched by 825,000 people every week.
They said The Nine had an average weekly reach “of 170,000 individuals”, and added that the programme had only aired for two minutes on its launch night, which rendered “invalid” any comparison with later viewing figures.
The show was “extending the reach of BBC Scotland News and is bringing in new, younger audiences”, said the spokesperson.
They added Debate Night’s weekly reach was 62,000 in 2019 and insisted it “has proved to be a valued addition to our news and current affairs offer”.
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