BBC Trust Gives Go-Ahead to Gaelic Digital Service

LONDON, January 28: The
BBC has received approval from the BBC Trust to launch a Gaelic Digital Service
(GDS) in partnership with the Gaelic Media Service (GMS).

Following a full Public
Value Test, the Trust has approved the service for initial rollout on cable,
satellite and broadband, but will not be carried on the digital terrestrial
platform Freeview at this time. Without provision on Freeview, the BBC’s new
contribution to the service will be approximately £3.5 million per year. The
service will cost £20.8 million per year in total, of which GMS will contribute
£10.1 million and the BBC £10.7 million. The BBC's total funding of £10.7
million will consist of £7.2 million already allocated to existing Gaelic
services, £2.5 million for new content and related spending and just over £1
million for distribution costs.

The Trust has decided
that the service will be subject to review before digital switchover commences
in central and northern Scotland in 2010, noting that this is necessary “in
order to ensure both value for money for license fee payers, and that the
service meets the needs of the target audience in the best way.” The Trust has
also concluded that the Gaelic Zone on BBC Two will continue for the
foreseeable future.

The BBC Executive had
applied to the Trust in July 2007 to launch a new tri-media Gaelic service in
partnership with GMS. The proposal for the new service included a dedicated
digital TV channel in Gaelic, broadcasting for up to seven hours a day; BBC
Radio nan Gaidheal; and significantly enhanced mixed-genre Gaelic content for
users of bbc.co.uk.

Jeremy Peat, BBC
National Trustee for Scotland, said: "The Trust has given the go ahead for
the GDS to launch, but with conditions and some changes to the original plans,
to ensure the best possible value for license fee payers.”

Continued Peat:
"The Trust believes this service will offer public value and be culturally
significant for both Gaelic speakers and Scotland as a whole. The channel, to
be operated by BBC Scotland and the Gaelic Media Service, must now seek to
improve markedly the quality and quantity of broadcast support for the
language, to extend the current audience for Gaelic programming and provide an
exciting new service for license fee payers across Scotland.

"The Trust
acknowledges the importance for many stakeholders of the issue of carriage of
the service on Freeview. However, the Trust feels it is too early to judge, in
view of the extra cost involved and the needs of the audience, whether carriage
on Freeview would be fully justified by the delivery of sufficient additional
public value. Consequently carriage on Freeview will be one of the options
considered in a performance review to be undertaken before switchover in the
main Gaelic-speaking regions of Scotland in 2010 and 2011. This review will
ensure that the service is providing value for money for license fee payers and
delivering to the intended audience of the service in the best way."

Neil Fraser, the
chairman of Gaelic Media Service, said: "We welcome the Trust's decision.
It is an important step for Gaelic broadcasting and we can now continue, in
collaboration with the BBC, with our preparations for a new Gaelic television
service for the people of Scotland."

Added Ken MacQuarrie,
the controller of BBC Scotland, "I am delighted that the Trust has granted
approval for the proposed new service. BBC Scotland is looking forward to
working with Gaelic Media Service to jointly deliver this innovative service.
The Gaelic Digital Service will offer Gaelic speakers, learners and all who
have an interest in the language, access to a wide variety of programs and
resources. The new service will offer programming which will be attractive and
accessible to non-Gaelic speakers, learners and people who currently do not consume
any Gaelic content."

—By Irene Lew