‘DEAR Mr Davie,
We are writing to express our concerns about the BBC. Public broadcasting is important in both Scotland and the UK – this has never been clearer than during the pandemic. Recent actions, however – including your own appointment – have raised issues and caused concern.
There is already significant disquiet in Scotland over editorial balance. From the reporting of the 2014 independence referendum through to more recent news reports and documentaries, there appears to be bias and an agenda relating to many in UK politics, but especially Scotland.
In addition to this, BBC Scotland is unable to adequately deliver programmes, constrained by a small budget, limited broadcast hours and a perception that it is a political sticking plaster rather than a cherished channel in it’s own right. There is no recognition of the distinct viewing public in Scotland, from sport to culture to national and local politics.
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This is despite Scotland having outstanding university media courses and a huge supply of talented individuals currently working and coming up through the training system. The economic, as well as social and cultural loss to Scotland is significant.
Further changes to the governance of the BBC now give the appearance of making the corporation a political arm of the current Westminster Government.
Changes are necessary to maintain faith in the corporation, and to justify the licence fee levied. These changes would protect the integrity of the service and allow for Scottish public service broadcasting to deliver its full potential. To say this would be life changing for Scots is not over-exaggerating.
We believe that broadcasting should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament. It is ridiculous that our Parliament, described by a Conservative Scottish Secretary of State as “one of the most powerful devolved parliaments in the world” does not have jurisdiction over broadcasting. Other devolved legislatures across the world do and so must Scotland.
Maintaining this status quo, coming after the establishment of the BBC Scotland channel, is a political decision which is why we’re copying this letter to the Secretary of State for Digital Culture Media and Sport.
Given significant disquiet over the imposition of a licence fee for a service that is neither as impartial as the Charter demands, nor delivering content as it should; we believe that powers to levy a modest tax for media should also be devolved.
A system such as this operates in Sweden at a cost which is on average less to individual taxpayers than that imposed uniformly and irrespective of income by the current licence fee, and which could bring in more money for a devolved BBC Scotland than is currently spent in Scotland.
There are also actions the BBC could itself take to ensure that improvements are made and, more importantly, to protect balance and integrity: the hallmarks of a public sector broadcaster.
The BBC Scotland board should be appointed by the Scottish Parliament. The BBC Scotland representative on the BBC Board should in turn be appointed by them. That would ensure that those overseeing the organisation are both accountable to and aware of the needs and wants of the Scottish people.
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Given the current and proposed changes to the BBC these steps would help protect the integrity of the organisation, as well as allowing talent to blossom, Scottish Society and Culture to be better reflected, broadcasting in Scotland to be much more localised and allow more economic benefit from broadcasting to accrue to local communities.
We would be happy to meet with both you and the Cabinet Secretary to discuss our proposals in further detail.
However, we should also add that such is the level of concern in Scotland that many have already cancelled their licence fee within the legal rules. We are aware that there are also wider discussions ongoing amongst the Yes Movement for a national campaign to boycott the licence fee. Given the current service and future dangers that is in our view quite understandable.
We therefore look forward to hearing from you and the Minister as a matter of urgency.
Yours sincerely,
Douglas Chapman MP, Neale Hanvey MP, Kenny MacAskill MP, Angus MacNeil MP’
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