BBC director general Tony Hall eyes Scotland restructure with a dedicated online channel
BBC director general Sir Tony Hall has hinted that he corporation may launch a new online channel in Scotland as it addresses how it reaches audiences amid spending cuts.
Speaking during a Scottish parliament committee meeting, Hall said he was reviewing how content is delivered to audiences.
He admitted that terrestrial channels will play an important part of the corporation’s future argued that an online shift (like the recent relocation of BBC Three) will allow the BBC to entice younger viewers.
Lord Hall said he was intent on ensuring more drama and entertainment productions were based in Scotland, suitable for global distribution.
He also discussed the future of broadcasting claiming the broadcaster has a wealth of data on where audiences.
“Building an online channel seemed to us important… in so far as we can prioritise our spending [and] ensure that the audiences of the future, younger audiences particularly can have the content where they want and how they want it.”
He concluded that there would be a greater benefit to invest in online and Scottish productions that “into a linear channel”.
In addition Lord Hall stopped short on commissioning a new BBC Scotland radio channel that was suggested by the panel, chaired by Education Committee convenor Stewart Maxwell that included SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald, SNP MSP Chick Brodie.
Labour MSP Mark Griffin raised the questioned to the panel on a more federal structure to the BBC Scotland and what powers they would have in the case of more autonomy being granted.
In August 2015, first minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon called for there to be a more ‘federal’ structure in order for the BBC to best represent the people of Scotland.