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Sturgeon seeks BBC Scotland reform

Nicola Sturgeon

Nicola Sturgeon delivering her Alternative MacTaggart speech

GEITF: Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has called for BBC Scotland to have more power and said the nation should expect something “truly radical” from the forthcoming review of the pubcaster’s charter.

The leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), which swept to victory in Scotland in May’s general election, used her Alternative MacTaggart speech at the Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival (GEITF) to argue for a separate BBC board for each home nation in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) under a federal structure.

“My strong belief – which of course goes beyond the scope of the BBC charter review – is that responsibility for broadcasting in Scotland should transfer from Westminster to the Scottish parliament,” she said.

“To those who say this is about the SNP wanting to exert political control over the BBC, I say that is arrant nonsense.

“This is not a question of whether a parliament has responsibility for the broadcasting framework – it’s a question of which parliament has that responsibility. It would be basic common sense for the Scottish parliament, which already has responsibility for culture and for press regulation, to also have responsibility for broadcasting.”

Sturgeon argued that the changes would have “important long-term benefits” that would need to go alongside improvements to programming, “empowering BBC Scotland as never before.”

“It would help to secure the sustainability of the independent production sector in Scotland; it would see more of the licence fee spent in Scotland,” she said.

The politician, who maintained that editorial independence would remain “vital,” said her party had begun consulting broadcasters, independent producers, the creative industry and the public to find out what Scottish viewers want.

Sturgeon also criticised the “old model of public service broadcasting,” claiming that it “no longer reflects the complex, varied and rich political and social realities of the UK.”

On the topic of financing for the BBC, which was discussed by culture secretary John Whittingdale yesterday at GEITF,   Sturgeon called for a “universal” funding model.

Whittingdale said the BBC would continue to be funded by the licence fee over the next few years, adding that the UK is not ready to fund the corporation via a subscription model.

But Sturgeon said: “We agree that people who use the iPlayer should pay the licence fee, and we are quite drawn to the idea of a progressive, income-based levy, rather than a flat-rate licence fee. So we will consider that proposal very carefully – maybe not for immediate implementation, but as a medium-term funding solution.

“However it is raised, there is no doubt that a fairer proportion of the licence fee should be invested here in Scotland.”

The BBC is expected to publish its own proposals in the next fortnight, while a new royal charter will determine how the corporation operates until 2027.

Sturgeon added: “Any BBC charter renewal which does not respond to the different needs of the nations and regions simply won’t be sustainable between now and 2027.

“If we grasp this opportunity, it will benefit all of us, across all of the nations of the UK, for many years to come – whatever our future constitutional relationship may be.”

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