clearly the biggest most important issue facing Scotland right now, where our state run, manadatory tax supported tv station is based.

Is there anything worth watching on Scottish T.V. or any other T.V station for that matter...So Scotland might loose East Enders...Glasgow's got it's own east end so the switch would hardly be noticable except for the accents and then there's aways Rab.C. Nesbitt...he could be resurrected and brought back to life...and whatever happened to the White Heather Club?

This is the best thing thats ever happened to Broadcasting in Scotland. We have had eight years inder the Labour and Libdems who did absolutely sod all about broadcasting and did nothing to try and improve broadcasting, when it was needed.
We had the specatcle of Cairns spouting on Newsnight Scotland, the same old claptrap about leading to parochial broadcasting, when in fact thats exactly what we get from the current six oclock news!
The commission will include former FM Henry McLeish so it will have political diversity

From the BBC in 1998
'Scottish Six will come - news chief The head of BBC Scotland news has said he believes that a Scottish Six O'Clock news programme will eventually get the go-ahead, despite its rejection by BBC governors.
Ken Cargill spoke at an Edinburgh conference as a poll in a Sunday newspaper suggested strong public support for a separate Six O'Clock News for Scotland.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/223846.stm

Scottish Consumer Council reported in 2004, that a majority of viewers wanted a Scottish Six
http://www.scotconsumer.org.uk/pressinfo/04news_re/nr03gr...

First Minister demands end to remote control of television
---------------------------------------------------------
Salmond and his SNP groupies do not seem to understand that TV broarcasting lives or dies by ratings and audience interest.

Unless its controlled by a totalitarian state, like communist CHINA.

Independent Scottish TV will, whether they like it or not, depend on Hollywood packaged movies to fill 18 hours of every 24 of daily broadcasts.

Unless they do a deal with CHINA and their mandarin language movies . Dragonhead would applaud that.

Salamond and the SNP are grasping at straws. and in panic to show they are doing something,

Anything to help get rid of the English , who have propped up Scotland for 300 years.

Dream on SNP dream on

GC

TV ruled by politicians. Not a good thought.

#6
As you are obviously not Scottish and dont actually watch TV in Scotland (or the rest of the UK for that matter). Your comments are irrelevant as they are purile
Or do you like commenting on subjects you know nothing about!

No.6, what is all this wild talk about state control and China?

The issue is, to what extent should Scotland be able express its own culture and decide on what news is of interest to the Scots? Right now, the cultural decisions and the money for them are filtered through a large city 400 miles to the South.

What would the good folk of Murrieta CA say if their TV programmes were controlled from Washington DC?

modern television could well be described as '57 channels and nothing Scottish on'.

We pay enough taxes for it, it's right we should get a fair share of the programming.

No doubt this is a thread to bring all the self-loathing unionists out though.

I'll be damned if I'll give up my 'remote' for anyone!

#7 Kiwiscot
Must have missed something, there is nothing in Alex Salmonds speech or the setting up of the Broadcasting Commission to suggest that politicians would rule TV
What Alex Salmond was looking foor was to have Scottish broadcasting in general come under the control of Holyrood, moving it from being controled by Westminster. As well as encouraging its development in Scotland

Here's hoping that we might even get the fitba highlights on the same Saturday as we get to watch the English Premiership.

This having to watch at midnight on a Monday with STV or a wee half hour slot at ten on a Wednesday for the BBC2 is absolute mince.

How are the Scottish clubs supposed to introduce new generations of fans to themselves when the kids are a' tucked up in bed by the time they get round to showing the edited highlights?

A Scottish Six is it? and not before time.
The number of times I hear 'in England and Wales' on the UK national news gets right on my wick.

I reckon for most of the time I might as well be listening to the Paris newsdesk for all the relevance that the main UK evening bullletins have for us in Scotland.

6. GalacticCannibal, Murrieta
You say:
""...Independent Scottish TV will, whether they like it or not, depend on Hollywood packaged movies to fill 18 hours of every 24 of daily broadcasts..""

Which is different from the BBC, how exactly?

If TV broadcasting lives or dies by attracting an audience for its output, why would it not make sense to produce programming targeted at its local customers.

How many copies of the Scotsman do we reckon would rush off the newstand if it filled its pages with riveting articles about social housing provision in Tower Hamlets and adverts for local farmers' markets in Swindon?

And now for the Alex Salmond show.

And nothing much else. Why should London get all the best numbers and Scotland, wales, NI, Birmingham, manchester, Liverpool etc etc get second rate low skilled pish.

I agree with Alex on just about all of his proposals, apart from the one where he wants to flood Scotland with illegal immigrants.

Has he been scoffing shrooms with Galactic Cannabis?

Well I was 'home' for a month recently, and I can't help but say I thought STV News was depressing.

Yep, We got England and Wales until it was coming out of our ears on the National News, but that was only because of the Hollyrood Parliament - who, upon voting for around three months holidays before their ar-ses were on the seat, started this parochial debate.

Mr Salmond is an ex Bank Clerk turned politician recognising where there are votes to be won.

He loves power - don't they all? But lets remember fragmentation equals disaster - so lets fight for the UK and none of this EU nonsense about letting illegal immigrants in such as has happened in the USA and a lot of Ebgland.

Scotland is NOT a region, north of England. It is and always has been another country, a nation with a distinct identity. Why shouldn't we have a separately funded TV service, such as in Wales or Northern Ireland. Where else does the iniquitous TV tax gom but to London coffers.

Negotiation is only a fist step. Taking control and pulling the TV companies into line is next!

#20, of course we are a region, BUT, wait till the people are asked to PAY for a seperate TV service, then you will probably find they are happy with their Scottish News.

It is a complex issue, no doubt about that, I hear England over hee instead of Britain, but having Scottish TV with Mr Salmond dictating the whys and wherefores would be to duplicate Fidel Castro and his ilk!!!

Just a thought!!

For those out there that haven't come across # 6 GC before, please allow me to suggest that he's a stiring pain that constantly stalks the threads and reminds you why you detest (and cringe at all the negative,niave and bigoted views that come out of the USA .
Don't take the bait.
Dream on GC, dream on.

Alex will do us proud - give him a chance - nothing could be worse than the past 10 years ( barring of course, David Murray representing anything Scottish )

Lucky White Heather Club................

What was wrong with the old ITV set-up of Grampian and STV each serving different parts of the country? For more local news Scotland is far too big a construct. Just look at the newspaper world - P&J, Courier, Falkirk Herald, etc..

Personally I'd prefer BBC World at 6 and then something like "Reporting Edinburgh", "Reporter Aberdeen" at 6.30.

And what about the folk in Berwick?

It is difficult to understand the stupidity of

Jock MacSprog / 1:11am 9 Aug 2007,

GalacticCannibal, Murrieta, CA Ancesrors Cave men eat shrooms / 1:52am 9 Aug 2007

Kiwiscot / 2:00am 9 Aug 2007

Royster / 2:29am 9 Aug 2007

Crawford, Bauld, Wardhaugh and Urquart., USA / 3:01am 9 Aug 2007

All that FM Salmond is talking about is transfering responsibilities presently exercised by the London regional government, to the Scotish Government.

That's all, nothing else. This so transparent that the views expressed by these very strange people cannot be simple stupidity, it must be a deliberate but to what end ? Promotion of unionism would seem to be an answer, but what kind of unionist would want to be associated with them, other than the labour party of course.

#23 What a Man!!!! Yep, there are a LOT of people in 'No Man's Land', namely the Borders who are betwixt and between!!!

Bottom line is, as usual, you can please some of the people some of the time, but you cannot please ALL of the people ALL of the time!

And #24 exemplifies them all!!!

#21. Crawford, Bauld, Wardhaugh and Urquart., USA ....

WE?????

Since when was USA part of Scotland??? We need NO lessons in nationhood from Ameruicans, real or faux!!!

Yep, WE, I pay my taxes, and there are no lessons in what i posted - unless you need them!!!

I just happen to be here at the minute, but unless you have been to Moscow lately, we still are Scots living in a free Country who are able to express our opinions.

Do you have a problem with that other than we disagree?

I can accept the other side of the arguement, but if you ae so intent on ramming your Scottish Natinalist arguement down everybody's throat, do it with a bit of constructive decorum.

8. Edward

Yep all the time Dude
GC

9. Abel Magwitch / 2:04am 9 Aug 2007

They would change it, if they thought it made a profit ...dude

We Americans are all about money and the Almighty Dollar.

As Pres Jefferson said when asked about America.
"The business of America is business"

All i am saying is, it doesn't matter what country u talk about . The TV systems must be profitable otherwise they fail, The BBC is struggling against the commercial TV in England.

So Scots should think profit and quit squawking about has been history, if they want a viable TV broadcast System.

And without our American Hollywood movie packages included in it . It will fail dudes.

GC

GC

you really are a first class know it all allmighty American diddy

what an embarresment

keep going

14. livilion, livingston /

Nothing dude.

But can't you Scots understand, the Hollywood movie packages dominate the world's TV brroadcasting.

Which ever country you visit u, will see Hollywood movies .

Squawking will not get you a profitable TV broadcasting system in bonnie Scotland .

Start up money £400 to £600 million plus great programming and movies will .

You cam buy all that off-the -shelf. And if you want to include local news like murders , rapes and robberies , that's you Scottish choice and culture.

GC

30. Dougie Douglas, brisbane

Dude the truth hurts for a lot of dudes.

Who run from reality and take low risks behind their nanny aprons.

Why is D Trump going to rip up a piece of Scotland dude to build a golf course resort.

. Because he is profit driven and he will take the Scots to the cleaners .

Why because they keep squawling and doing little.

Why dosen't your Royal Bank of Scotland who made £9 billion in profit last year. put money into a project like Trump wants too.

If they are so patriotic,

Instead they put thier money into CHINA a communist country which crushes its peoples most basic rights of free expression and VOTE.

Happy Kangaroo day Dude

GC

GC

32. Dougie Douglas,
Hey Dude only foold get embarrased, because they have forgotten they are going to die

GC

Whenever I'm back home in Edinburgh I find the cultural bias of the TV programmes striking. I think having separate TV companies for Scotland is an excellent idea. I love this SNP government.

I don't care who runs the TV so long as we can get 'Dr. Finlay's Casebook', 'Dads' Army' and 'Bill & Ben the Flowerpot Men' every day.

Probably too late for any response, but Scotland will eventually get its total independense , and get away from being just a province in the British Isles, but i woinder if anyone would think of asking Mr Brown , would he do away with the T.V Licence when he gets independense , and switch to commercial ads paying for the veiwing

Why doesn't he just ask his mate Souter to fund an SNP channel?

No one should control television and the media in general especially not the policitans.

If there is a demand & market for different programmes the media will cater for that demand. The market natually supplies what is demanded as it searches for increased profit.

If they do not cater to a demand, no one watches their programmes and their profits decrease. Thus the market provides what is required. At least by the advertising media and is why the license fee should be abolished.

GC, good comment mate, Business is business, can you imagine a Mickey Mouse country like Scotland having to pay for its own TV, God can you just imagine the squawking if we got independence and our proud noble generous people are FORCED to pay for it, we would probably have to rename the country squawkland

While on the subject I am up to my eyebrows on this constant independence rubbish,” we are a country ” “Freedom” blah blah blah, get real people, we cannot and we never will be able to afford a fraction of what that lunacy would cost. Just go home and watch your personalised copy of braveheart. You are giving the British people a clouded view of my country with your monotonous vision (or should I say “blindness”) of “we want independence” No we don’t! stop spouting this rubbish (unless you are going to pay for it of course, I’m not!!!)

Gaffer, No we won't get our independence, just like I won,t get a nice wee castle in Lichtenstein, I ain’t got the money pal

Oh and Salmond, your latest nonsense “a commission,” (nice work if you can get it eh!) whose goona pay for it? Why don’t you just immigrate and geez piece

#6&#35
Hope you are practising your Spanish so that you can understand all those Spanish movies on California TV. What are you going to do when the Hispanic majority in 16 years time votes to make Spanish the premium language compulsorily used in sunny California and American English relegated to a secondary position? Quote the second amendment to the constitution? Better make your complaint in Spanish. After all the US constitution is now on US Gov websites in Spanish. Even your tax forms are available in Spanish. Filled in your 1040 recently in Spanish or do you use the increasingly unused English form.
Have a nice day. Hasta la Vista bebe

The iniquitous television tax is yet another of the many examples of the Scots subsidising England.

The EBC does not cater for Scotland or the Scottish people, and control of broadcasting, in general in Scotland, should be by the Scottish government.

The ones who disagree on this are the usual mixture of people who don't live in this country, and who can be exemplified by the likes of Glactic Cornball; foreigners who live in Scotland but are not really part of it; and self loathing unionist numpties that are too scared to let go of mother's apron strings. In other words, the usual mob of malcontents who would deny the Scottish people having any say in their own destiny.

The unionist numpties are well aware, of course, that control of broadcasting gives them a superb propaganda machine. This is why, among other things, they also try and control the print media, e.g. the Hootsmon, and will put up a bitter fight to keep control. Their political objective is to keep Scotland as a subservient colony, and one which will continue to subsidise the neighbours from hell.

Mood music to garner support from the ';chattering classes'. Just what creative broadcasting is envisaged? More Taggart, regional cooking shows or ball sports?

44. Guga II, Rockall

"exemplified by the likes of Glactic Cornball; "
----------------------------------------------------
Hey Dude u are going too far .

U are not the Pope so U can't excommunicate GC

Happy Scottish Squawkers Day

GC

'Reporting Scotland' and 'Scotland Today' are interchangeable----half an hour of:

1) Possible interesting 'newsworthy' Scottish item (5 mins)

2) Various bits of trivia gathered from around Scotland i.e. a seagull running into a shop and stealing crisps, or a runaway sheep in the Highlands, or a whale in a harbour. (15 mins)

3) The national obssession of Football (10 mins)

.......all delivered in broad Weegie accents.

God, the thought of an hour of this drivel.

Those who want it, should subscribe to it, and leave the rest of us in peace.

Personally, I prefer Radio 4.

I think the leader of another so called nationalist group tried controlling his own countries media! It was adolf hitler, look how that turned out...

#44. Please improve your maths. England's population is 10 times that of Scotland so, assuming most people have a TV, it pays 10 times more. How then is Scotland subsidizing England with regard to BBC TV?

Re Guga II (#44) : that's pretty much right. The case against change is invariably made in terms of insults, ridicule, lies, or distortions of the issue such as #47 above. It seems there are a great many people who can't or won't comprehend the difference between a news programme made in Scotland, and a programme of Scottish news. bc_krfc's Nazi smear (#48) is based on another huge distortion of what's being proposed.

If there is any positive case at all for keeping the status quo, I've yet to see it made.

All that aside it's wonderful to see a Scottish leader who, whatever flaws he may have, is prepared to stand up to the UK.

#48. Well behind all the smoke and mirrors, it's quite obvious that the Dear Leader wants his own evangelical TV station.

It is good that the First Minister has started this very important debate. I know a lot of Scots travel to London to pursue a career in television, but many must nonetheless be effectively thwarted from pursuing such a career because of the lack of opportunities available in our own country.

With a Gaelic TV Channel proposed for next year, this at least could help provide a decent and reliable news service for the whole of the country. The bilingual staff employed by this channel could easily be used to provide much needed and valuable material for our own Scottish news.

Why should we Scots continue paying so much in TV licence fees and get so little in return? I for one have no wish to hear about mayoral elections in London, the Royal family and other assorted irrelevancies.

#52. That's a red herring. The same applies for other regions of the UK and how much Scottish news is actually relevant to you when you watch it? If there is a gap in the market for purely Scottish news, I'm surprised no one has filled it.

Nice to see our beloved leader focussing on the important things. How long does he think we are not going to notice that he is not doing the job for which he was elected.These diversions of oil funds, flagpoles and the Scotland Six show he has no interest in improving the day to day lives of the Scots, just in achieving his personal agenda.

And before his attack squad start, I was a supporter of the SNP until that two faced rat returned. Don't forget he ran out on this nation when things weren't going his way and scurried back to Westminster - if a true crisis hits this country what's the odds he won't do it again.

Scottish TV programming and how high the Saltire flies. Good to see the SNP are asking the big questions. Never mind that our roads are falling to bits, with growing queues at our infected hospitals, and falling standards at our schools - we can have an extra half-hour of Jackie Bird every day, and more 'drama' in the mould of River City. Can't wait.

"There will be scare stories about a devolved BBC Scotland - the end of EastEnders, for example - but that is rubbish."...

Where do I sign up?

#53 Royster can, of course be expected to come up with his usual red herrings and distortions, especially when his pal AM Squared is in absentia.

The idea, my deliberately misleading friend, behind a "Scottish Six" is not to have an hour long programme of Scottish news, but to have a programme which gives local, national and international news from a Scottish persepective.

We have, for example, little or no interest in 10 minutes of cricket, news of the ravings of Red Ken, the antics of the Church of England and many other purely English news stories, including changes in English laws which do not even mention that such changes apply only in England.

It is, and I repeat, the news from a Scottish persepective that is the reason for the call for a "Scottish Six".

You, obviously, have your own axe to grind, for whatever reason, but try not to grind it in the form of misleading distortions of fact.

I agree we should have a 'Scottish Six'. And when we get fed up hearing about the adventures of Mrs McShuggle's cat, we can watch the real news on digital.

23 - "what was wrong with the old ITV set-up of Grampian and STV each serving different parts of the country?"

Its not profitable. Freelance industries like the media need centres where everyone can meet and work, it saves money and helps the industry prosper. One hollywood in LA is more successful than lots of little hollywoods spread across the usa would be. A country the size of the UK is lucky to have such a big media industry and diluting the BBC's spending evenly around the country is not going to help it, although the BBC will probably have to up its spending to please Salmond

What a joy to look forward to ..... lots of West coast biased news and sports programming, River City prime time viewing...with Galic subtitles and live coverage of the MOD and Church of Scotland Gen Assembly just to finish us off!
Time to invest in Sky i think.

Time to scrap licence.If Eastenders is the cream of BBc ,Its dull.Coming form Edinburgh .Glasgow is doing a fine job.if it was over here,We would have the Broons reading the news ,Stop the Glasgow bashing its amusing but petty.

I note that on the news (also newspapers eg The Sun) reference is made to a story concerning a blue on blue caused by the negligence of a British Officer. The UK media did not specify that the officer is Scottish and the killed English. However, the Scottish newspapers did specify.

Whinging Scots often complain about not getting credit for Scottish actions for positive stories. If the UK media had followed this line consistently then the angle of this sad story would have been unfortunate.

In Norway the regions have the same complaint about TV programming being focussed on the Oslo area. Same in France about Paris. We do not need countries making up the UK only regions. I agree regionally balanced programming is important.

#49 - Improve YOUR maths, you numpty! Scotland contributes 9% of the BBC's revenue, but receives only 3% of funding - thus, Scotland is subsidising England with regard to the BBC.

GC - Before preaching to the rest of the world with regard to how WONDERFUL the good ol' US of A is, perhaps you need to have a brief reality check. A president reviled and ridiculed for his lack of intelligence, education, common sense (& despised for his empire-building on the back of a gerrymandered cheating election victory), millions of Americans disenfranchised by the political system, Guantanamo Bay (enopugh said), and of course Hollywood, from where nothing of any intellectual or artistic merit has emerged for decades.

If the rampant capatalism and free-market economics of the last 2 decades has taught us anything, it is that the market is NOT king, and that it should be the servant of man, not the master. So not everything should be dictated by the bottom line on a chart of accounts.

The lack of Scottish content in supposedly National current affairs programmes in the UK is an absolute disgrace, and is the broadcasting equivalent of ethnic cleansing. Constantly, we see England & Wales only issues being promoted as "National" stories, yet Scottish issues are "Regional" and relegated to local news. Bigoted, racist and offensive attitudes from the little englanders in charge of our broadcast media (take a bow Mark Thompson). Subsititute the word "Scottish" for "Black" or "Asian" and you will see how ridiculous his assertions are.

#63 Herman - Scotland is a country, not a region. Buy a map & a history book, you ignoramus.

A ken

65 Please read following:
Don't swear, be offensive or post comments that break the law.

I simply expressed my personal opinion that the counties making up the UK should be designated “regions within one country, Britain. That is no reason for your ill mannered and ignorant response. I will not stoop to respond likewise.

I can't get over the number of people who have no faith in Scotland, their own country, but do in another, England, who fails repeatedly to respect Scotland. The brainwashing is mindnumbing. Also do we really have to have David Cairns pretending to speak up for Scotland when we have a perfectly inspirational First Minister, Alex Salmond. The Scottish Office is beginning to look like a huge waste of money as they just seem to spout the Westminster line always. And I think it was great news yesterday to up the game for broadcasting in Scotland, I could see that journalists and broadcasters in Scotland were genuinely pleased and grateful that this debate now has such a high profile.

I will listen and read reasoned debate from whatever political standpoint it emerges--but --when I see the header --jock mc sprog, royster, am2 gc etc, I just pass on , suggest other posters do the same and don't respond to the saddos-perhaps then they will either go away ,or start talking sense

STV is crap already and will get wrose if Scottish based, underfunded organisations who will probably force Scottishness and gaelic languages down our throats.

"It is good to have a London-led current affairs programme, "

Really? Why is it good to have our current affairs coverage filtered through a London polariser? Would it not be far better to have our current affairs coverage organised within Scotland. Incidentally, I see the unionist stance is that anything controlled from scotland is "parochial". Why? Is it not possible for a Scottish producer or journalist to report on, say, the USA elections without mentioning tartan, shortbread etc? What they really mean is that Scottish coverage of world events might make uncomfortable viewing for unionists as people become aware of how we have had our views distorted over many years by a Londocentric agenda.

#70 me150
Sorry to rain on your parade, but STV is already based in Scotland, its part of the Glasgow based Scottish Media Group. No one forces you to watch it, if you think its crap.

Royster & Hermann, are you one and the same?

Honestly, I've been totally overwhelmed by the amount of ignorant piffle you spout! I presume you mean countries, Hermann and not counties, or have I missed something in my history classes all those years ago?

And Royster, just what are you on? You're becoming another Vidkun GC!

Maybe you're both just trolls, sent to try my patience in the morning with a display of sheer, bloody ignorance?

#68. Alex Salmond? Inspirational? To the brainwashed, maybe.

#64. It also gets UK and world content but of course you wouldn't deem that relevant. Not sure if the 9% you mention would be sufficient to fund the BBC's worldwide news gathering network and bureaux around the world.

#47 'Reporting Scotland' and 'Scotland Today' are interchangeable----half an hour of:.....

.....God, the thought of an hour of this drivel."

Whyever do you think that we're asking for an hour of "drivel" ? We're asking for a quality news programme, with Scottish news, relevant RoUK news and key international reports.

We're allowed that on radio (there's no networked news on Radio Scotland): why not on TV.

The small sample of respondents to the Scotsgait poll shows almost 88% in favour of a Scottish Six. Let's have it.

#61 Eric.
You're right. It's time to scrap the licence. It is a silly and vexatious form of taxation that falls heaviest on the poor and requires a silly bureaucracy to collect. Every time you buy a TV set or a freview box (now only £20) the retailer has to get your name and address and tell the TV licence office in Bristol, while goons wander around the UK persecuting broke single mothers who haven't paid the licence and elderly eccentrics who don't have a TV anyway.
And now we can have 60 or 70 digital terrestial channels plus satellite and cable and soon an unlimited number over the internet. Every organisation including the Scottish Executive should be free to have its own TV service and broadcast whatever it wants. The market will decide whether it wants the channel or not.

I did not vote SNP but as thi is a democracy am quite happy to let AS prove to me and the majority of Scottish voters he is the man for the job.
The pushing for a Scottish based Tv set up comes a bit soon for me given the state of our health service, education and transport .
This coupled with the "U" turn on Edinburgh trams does not really impress me .
Time will tell !!!!!!

for all those detractors on this thread have a read of the transcript of Salmond's speech.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/This-Week/Speeches/broadc...

Apart from being inspiring, the speech outlines how important the creative arts are in helping to build a successful economy in Scotland.

I find it hard to believe that anyone would seriously argue against that.

The other important "Nationalist dividend" of this policy will be the increased profile for Scotland, globally, not to mention the boost to national self-confidence.

Also, if Holyrood gets control over broadcasting will the BBC then be able to sell its non-Scottish programmes to Scotland? If so this would be very expensive and lead to endless repetitions of 'Come Dancing' from Stornaway.

It seems that this paper is being thin with facts, but then whats new!.
The speech yesterday by the First Minister was actually about devolving broadcasting from Westminster to Holyrood. He was puting forward a case for this. It was not specifically about the Six O'Clock news. The 'Scottish Six' was held up as an example of what was needed. Historically there has always been a demand in Scotland for a Scottish Six ever since 1998. This demand was prooved by the Scottish Consumer Council in a survey some time ago. But the former Director General John Birt went out of his way to politicise and persuaded the likes of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown that it wasnt needed. Back to Alex Salmonds speech ; 'Broadcasting has a crucial and central role in our democracy, but also in obtaining the full cultural and economic benefits of our creative industries. That's why my government supports the devolution of broadcasting powers to the Scottish Parliament. We see the policy as a means to an end, not just as an end in itself. We want to ensure the principle of editorial and creative control being exercised in Scotland on behalf of Scottish audiences. And we want to create thriving production businesses taking Scottish talent onto an international stage. We want proper public service broadcasting for this exciting and energised nation. That includes television news and current affairs, which seems to have been shrinking to an alarming degree in Scotland if the industry regulator, Ofcom, is to be believed' - Well theres nothing wrong with that!
The only mention of the Scottish Six was this ; 'The debate around the 'Scottish Six' for example - which has been discussed for a full decade now - is really just a shorthand for the much broader debate we need to have in Scotland about achieving a more relevant and informing blend of television news and current affairs across the output in Scotland' You can find the whole speech at Report Unsuitable

#80. Dr Who. Quick, switch your TV on now; the Scottish version of Teletubbies is on.

69 - Seumas

Exactly!

#24 Maclan

With all due respect, when you say:

"All that FM Salmond is talking about is transfering responsibilities presently exercised by the London regional government, to the Scotish Government.

That's all, nothing else."

That could not be further from the truth. His speech went far wider than just television:

"the "interconnectedness" of the four key areas of Theatre, Radio, Television and Film. And what he says is:

"Every section of theatre and radio and TV and film feed each other. Each depends upon the other - without four strong industries, the others would suffer dramatically."

He mentioned this on more than one occasion and I think his vision goes way beyond just the BBC and ITV.

I'm just back from Stornoway, the weather was fine thanks.

I would be intruiged to visit the Stornaway mentioned by #83, is that somewhere in England?

Dear Alex,

Stop repaying election debts and fix the

1) Health Services
2) Education
3) Transport

Then worry about where the news is made.

This will put the country to rights - Mr Salmond really has gone after the big issue of the day here.

Connaghtboy - your dedication to the cause is admirable in its slavish support of Mr Salmond - well done. Did you know 127% of the Scottish population voted SNP at the last election but the English only counted 27% of the votes to make it look like hardly anyone wanted independence?

Scotland already has its own national BBC Scotland news programmes at 6.30 every evening - made and produced in Scotland. They cover everything of note which happens here - which is usually 'not a lot'.

The London based BBC teams - which are stuffed with Scots producers, directors and presenters - cover world news - as well as happenings in England, Wales and Scotland which are of national importance.

How would a Scots Six improve anything? Is it merely having Sally Magnusson report on George Bush's latest drivel rather than Kirsty Wark from London?

Would a Scottish Six employ English, Welsh or Northern Irish people to present the news or edit the content? A universal ethnic cleansing appeared to take place at BBC Scotland - you never see or hear an English reporter or interviewee - ever. Is this not already racist, bigoted nationalism?

Would you rather listen to the world news from BBC Radio news, read by Eddy Mair, James Naughty and Susan Hill (all Scots) on Radio 4 each morning - as most people do - or would you turn to Fred Macaulay on BBC Scotland with whatever Glasgow wifie he has on that day - spouting rubbish about 'oor wullie', Iron brew - liberally sprinkled with comments about 'tadgers', 'arses' and the like. A glowing example of how BBC Scotland lives up to the ideals of John Reith's BBC ethic (also a Scot).

The sad truth is that this is all more 'divide and rule' nationalist bigotry - which of it ever succeeds will condemn 'people who live in Scotland' (not just Scots) to a tartan, iron brew, 'whaes like us' media ghetto and endless, endless whingeing about anything English. That is the universe which the 'nats' inhabit already and it is a narrow, bigoted, blinkered view of the world - seen through the bottom of an Iron Brew bottle. Two examples of the utter incompetence of BBC Scotland's creative flair.
Two world-class examples of the BBC's genius were the classic series: Dr Finlay's Casebook and The Vital Sp

Nice to Salmond focusing on the real issues of scotland

TV control
Flag waving
cancelling tolls and getting hit with unforseen costs
Picking fights with westminster over nothing
etc

At least he's not wasting time on the unimportant issues such as poverty, crime, education

Keep it up Alec doing 3 full time jobs isn't affecting your sense of priorities

As Edward says above, the Scottish Six merited about a sentence in AS' speech. The real issue is far more important - an economic one about the broadcasting industry in Scotland. Look at Wales! Over the past few years, the TV industry in Cardiff has mushroomed - mainly because of Dr Who and its spinoffs. So a Welsh city produces shows which are not seen as parochial. Similarly, Manchester has grown as a production base, creating shows with a broad appeal. By contrast, BBC Scotland shows which get sold to the UK are usually "tartan and shortbread" numbers like Monarch of the Glen, or couthy sitcoms like Still Game. Scotland's output needs to grow, not just in volume but appeal. Salmond is setting up a commission to look into it and try to create jobs,facilities etc. Some paranoid unionist types immediately think this is a Bad Thing! Rarely do you see the Cringe displayed so openly.

Good for Alex Salmond, standing up for a fair share for Scotland's broadcasting media.

I heard this morning on radio Scotland that we pay £200 million into the BBC, yet only get £100 million spent back in Scotland?

Once again the BeeB fatcats sit in London, laughing their arses off as the Scottish people bleet about how it's not fair.

They don't care as "long as you keep paying your Licence fee"

#55 - well said.

Galactic Cannibal: Tell me dude, why do you insist on posting comments about scottish issues that do not concern you?

Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, and has the right to voice that opinion, but why are you so interested in Scottish affairs?

Alex Salmond is playing a blinder!! Scotland will become independent and we won't even notice!!!

It's hard to understand why the unionists knock Wee Eck's far-sighted proposals!! Are they ashamed to be Scottish?

#55...Excellent point, in the grand scheme of things Scottish broadcasting isn't that important
#64...another good point

Re Tweedmouth (#94) : "The London based BBC teams - which are stuffed with Scots..." ; "Is it merely having Sally Magnusson report on George Bush's latest drivel rather than Kirsty Wark ..."

This is missing the point. The provenance of specific individuals is irrelevant. What *is* relevant is the brief they're working to in their coverage of the news.

"A universal ethnic cleansing appeared to take place at BBC Scotland - you never see or hear an English reporter or interviewee - ever." That isn't missing the point: it's just a lie.

What it mean sreally is more Weegie crap on tv.

#98 Agreed Venom 217 but my understanding is that the Beeb actually spend about £20+ million in Scotland (mostly probably on consultants bought in from England) and they rake in - let's see - 2.5M households * £120 = £300M or so. These are huge numbers and its all WASTED on Jonathon Ross and a bunch of bimbos.

That would pay for 10,000 jobs in Scotland!!!
Reversing it would be a turnaround of £600M to the Scottish economy EVERY YEAR. Are we not crazy paying this License Fee?

## 94 ##

You could not have put it more succinctly.

Agree with every word.

Your mention of 'tartan' reminds me of the 'White Heather Club', Andy Stewart et al. Shudder.

I eagerly await a docu-drama all the way from Drumnadrochit (surely a good, marketable name?) about 'The adventures of Nessie'.

#23 I am with you ther cragman - the service for the North of Scotland has been p***-poor since STV decided to get rid of Grampian - all we get is even more Glasgow-centric pish.

Looking at the article on the BBC Website in its 'Scotland' section under 'Commission looks at broadcasting' It includes high up in the article 'The UK government warned that creating a "Scottish Broadcasting Corporation" was a backward-looking proposal' It doesnt state who this UK Government person is, but can guess its David Cairns. The point is to anyone who heard or read the speech, that it was not about creating a 'Scottish Broadcasting Corporation', so can take it that Labour are once again trying to put as much negative spin on the story as they can, without actually taking the time to read what was actually said. Its interesting that the BBC go on to quote more from David Cairns, but nothing actually from any Labour MSP.
The Conservative MSP Ted Brocklebank , again not quite understanding what it was all about, so spouted 'Influencing editorial policy is precisely the ultimate goal of the separatists', obviously he had not heard or read the speech in full. The LibDem Cultural spokesman, didnt fair any better either, as he welcomed the prospect of a serious debate about the future of broadcasting in Scotland, but warned 'It is, however, important to recognise the considerable advantages that Scotland has from access to the BBC and other UK-wide broadcasters'. Sorry what advantage is that then?

#94 absolutely spot on.

It is just a recipe for the Weegie intelligentsia to waste more money on crap like River S*****.

Does anyone remember the farcical coverage of the Scottish elections? Everyone scouring radio channels and the internet to find out results because they weren't being covered on tv.
Scandalous that even our elections weren't important enough to prompt programme rescheduling.
It shouldn't matter your politics, these changes are badly needed in Scotland.

This time he has gone too far.

Can you imagine an hour long Reporting Scotland, more River City, and because every Scots TV presenter seems to have to be gay to land the job, more Craig Hill and Colin & Justin. I wouldnt be surprised to see Weirs Way make a massive comeback

Thank f*@k for Broadband is all I can say.

#94 Tweedmouth
'The London based BBC teams - which are stuffed with Scots producers, directors and presenters - cover world news - as well as happenings in England, Wales and Scotland which are of national importance'
You must be watching a different 6 o'clock news, the one I watch on the BBC, only covers World news, whats happening in England (mostly in the South) Example being that on the day the Foot & mouth restrictions were lifted in Scotland, there was nothing, yet the following day when restrictions were lifted in England, there was only a breif mention attached to the main story.
Kirtsy Wark doesnt present the 6 o'clock news
I think your a bit out of touch

If you want to continue adding comments - or read the full text of Salmond's speech - then visit today's www.allmediascotland.com

If you want international coverage in Scotland, who are you going to get it from? The BBC obviously unless Scotland wants to fork out millions more and set up a series of Bureaux world-wide. Salmond is just trying to demolish a well-loved British institution. He doesn't care that lots of Scottish people enjoy the BBC, he just wants to further his own ends and control everything.

The influenceof American TV directly or by way of cloned material, is likely to continue in the UK. A distinct Scottish industry could not resist the deluge. The EU does recognise the need to subsidise film and documentary work as part of an historical and cultural strand of programming. A season of Bergman or Antonioni would not necessarily need both"FIN" as an hommage.BBC2 or 4, sadly would show them as such. The First Minister's enquiry should explore the extent to which the EU is able to support Scottish TV production.The drastic drop in independent Scottish BBC commissions from the likes of Murial Gray Warks/Clemments and channel 4s regional commisioner requires explanation beyond the all too cosy west end of Glasgows media scheeme. In other words where is the money now being spent. Furth of Scotland?

It isn't really surprising to see the usual suspects from the Unionist side pouring scorn on the idea of Scottish broadcasting, talking down the kind of programming that would be produced, in such crass, infantile terms. These individuals are broadcasting more about themselves, and their own inadequacies, than giving a fair and reasoned assessment of the true worth, and potential of a Scottish broadcaster.
Any country, that has in recent years achieved independence, has made good use of radio and television stations. Think of the number of times we have seen images of radio and TV stations being taken over by supporters of independence in countries previously under external control or having lived under dictatorship.
TV and Radio really are the eyes and ears of democracy, an important and
fundamental part of an open and free society.
I would prefer that Scotland has its' own broadcaster, not a part of the BBC, and not subject to Westminster. A level of control to be minimal, certainly politically. No interference from Holyrood regards content, or pushing political agendas. An open and balanced viewpoint allowing for frank and fair discussion of all political points of view. The opposite of what we have right now.
Hopefully the News programmes would show more international news as well as domestic footage, and perhaps get away from the more formulaic presentations we get at present. Something new, a fresh approach to how News is presented.
Scotland needs to break away from the propaganda and control of Union biased broadcasting, in order to get a balanced view of the pros and cons of important issues like independence.
That is something our Unionist contributors are really afraid of.

#104 Ethnic cleansing at BBC Scotland was widely reported in the late 90s. Several 'English' presenters actually took them to court on grounds of discrimination but settled out of court. One prominent one was rugby commentator John Beatty - who had been doing an excellent job for several years - but was replaced by a Scottish-voiced comemntator (all you need is adenoids and a limited vocabulary).

Scots represent just one-eleventh of the population of the UK but are massively over-represented in BBC UK media: Kirsty Wark, Jim Naughty, Eddie Mair, Susan Hill, Hazel Irvine etc etc.

But in Scotland, where English-born residents make up around 20% of the population you never see an English person on television or hear one on radio.
So this seems to show that the rule is: BBC UK represents all the nations so the PC recruitment is rigged to over-represent Scots in the national UK media. But in Scotland, there are apparently no English residents - so they are not represented in BBC Scotland's presentation or production staff.

Is this racist, nationalist bigotry - or just 'clannishness'?

#119 - Zoom - the only problem is you are vastly in the minority. Most Scots don't want independence so what are you going to do, declare UDI?

#94 excellent post

Why don't the SNP use some of the money from the high profile backers they are always boasting about and buy a cable channel. SNP TV. That would be great for the few hundred diehards - some of whom camp out on this board. They could revel in their own propaganda morning noon and night.

Programmes made in Wales are booming, because they are well made and entertaining. Scottish TV should look to producing some quality with what they have - without asking for more - to produce more poor quality drivel. Why on earth should we want another 30 mins of murder and footbah (old firm only) in a 'Scottish six'. Alex Salmond show - no thanks. Get on with your job!!

Tweedmouth,

I think you're forgetting about the word 'talent'!!!! In every walk of life, Scots have gone down south and cleaned up!! It's nothing to do with over representation, it's about making use of outstanding talent. Scots have it in adundance it would seem!!

Salmond and the SNP are playing a blinder.

Scottish BBC licence-payers are subsidising English jobs in the creative industries - why so? The TV they produce is absolute crap in any event.

And how strange is it to have a government in Scotland that actually promotes Scotland - and is prepared to do so explicitly at the (inevitable) expense of London?

It isn't difficult to get to like this.

G.

European Scot, a misnomer or what!!! Go back to Brussels you numpty

On a more serious note in Radio we have a full range of local and national stations. It appears that half the population listen to national programs such as Talk Sport or BBC1 and half to local programs such as Real Radio. Even on Real Radio I would guess about 60% of news output is national and only 40% Scottish. This is the reality of what the listeners want.

We already have Gaelic Radio and I am sure it does have a listener but I have not met him. Can you imagine this guy also getting his own TV channel!!

In the Borders CFM Radio is probably the best option which comes from Carlisle. The fact is, that local is not always Scottish, and most people in the Borders do not care what happens in the Highlands.

I do agree with Salmond that the BBC is too White City and the big move to Manchester is at least is a step in the right direction. Scotland should be pushing to get some of the national output produced here. Why not have Radio 3 based in Scotland or BBC history output for example?

More parrochial crap, no thanks First Minister. We're already being force fed too much Scottish biased s*** (ie River City and the like).

For those interested you can get BBC1 England on Sky 974 and BBC2 England on Sky 989.

I'm Scottish but fed up with being told I want more Scottish programmes and independance. I DON'T !!!

Del 129

If you had bothered to read the article or engage your brain you will have noted that what is proposed in world news from a Scottish perspective not a half hour of Scotland only news whilst ignoring the rest of the planet.

If you are happy receiving a "national" news full of english health and education stories then then good for you. Enjoy the 5 mins of cricket for your sport headlines and the national headine that the English captain has a new haircut.

#122 Tweedmouth

You have touched a nerve with the more rabid SNP contributors to this forum. They will never admit that there is a scrap of bigotry about their view of 'Scotland for the Scots'. They don't see anything wrong with 'non-Scots' (not enough scottish accent) being airbrushed out of the existing Scottish news business, whilst Scots are well represented in the UK BBC. It's their achilles heel and should be probed at every opportunity.

Fantastic news. The SNP are doing it for us Scots and I for one am liking what I hear and see them doing. Alex and his team are a breath of fresh air and this new initiative is another great moment in the de anglicisation of our great nation.

Er... no they don't the majority of Scots voted for the pro Union parties. Anyway, don't let fact worry you. I'm certainly not bitter or twisted and the biggest idiot on here appears to be you.

Re Tweedmouth (#122) : "Scots... are massively over-represented in BBC UK media: Kirsty Wark, Jim Naughty, Eddie Mair, Susan Hill, Hazel Irvine etc etc."

Giving a list of names is not itself evidence of "over-representation", unless of course one regards any representation at all as over-representation.

"in Scotland, you never see an English person on television or hear one on radio"

Simply not true.

""...was replaced by a Scottish-voiced comemntator (all you need is adenoids and a limited vocabulary)."

And that unfortunate remark shows us what light we should see Tweedmouth's other comments in.

105. Dr Who

Typical mindless drivel from an SNP drone, who assumes anyone critical of the SNP is a labour supporter.

As I have never been First Minister for Scotland I can't state what my achievements were but if I was First Minister my actions would be

Resign as a MP
Stop picking fights with west minister
Stop going for easy headlines to stir up racism against the English
Work with Westminster to maximise the impact Scotland has on the world stage

By the way why do you call yourself after a great British Sci-fi hero and not after something Scotish like McGonagle

#94 Tweedmouth - excellent points.
#108 you seem to be forgetting the money the BBC spends on programmes for the whole of the UK.....

My view on this is that it would in effect make sod all difference. There is only three channels it could realistically effect BBC1, BBC2 and ITV all of which already show Scottish programs, half of which are pish (River City being the main culprit) the others whilst they may be good no one watches (Landward for example).

Has someone invented the Galactic Canabal?? That guy gets more tedious by the day. Not even the worst pot/mushroom head from California would come out with his drivel.

As for this story, it seems, understandably at this time of year, that journalists are making alot out of very little. So Salmond wants the BBC in Scotland to have more editorial control, and the ability to make more of their own programmes. There is nothing wrong, or sinister about it. My concern is about quality and choice.

I do like to hear about news stories about England and hearing things from the English angle; I get that from the current 6O'Clock news. Hmm, ok, I'm logically arguing myself out here...I guess I could always just watch ITV or C4 News. I like things like newsnight (the Paxman version), and getting a tartan version of them takes a fair bit to get used to (with Newsnight its near impossible). Frankly, I could see myself switching off. I just don't see this as a great priority that is on any kind of critical path to independence.

I see the old unionist myth about most Scots not wanting independence is doing the rounds again. Because most Scots don't vote SNP, it doesn't mean most Scots don't want independence, clearly the Nationalist movement has to be more radical to inspire people & I believe that will come. The fact that the pathetic political system (London centric) has disillusioned the masses very much suits the status quo they don't want everyone to vote otherwise they would have made it mandatory that you turned up a the booth, even if it was just to register. A Scottish Six is much needed irrespective of the perfidious & Vichy complicit Scottish elements that run around with their union Y-fronts & of course the snidie elements from south of the border with their sneering school kid comment's. Alex Salmond is doing his best to raise & inspire all the peoples of Scotland to aim high & good on him, I'm only surprised that the British Sates murder squad's like Special Branch haven't arranged an accident for him. The same kind of incident that had prominent Scottish Nationalist Dr. Willie MacCrae murdered by these coward's in Wester Ross 1988.

Dennis#132,

Your insinuation is insulting and flawed!! That is YOUR achilles heel, sunshine!!!

More and more unionists, like Dennis and Tweedmouth, use references implying racist policies existing within the SNP!!!

Talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel!!!

127 Camster

Now you know that there are many Scots all over the World, being in Europe isn't so far away. Hopefully, politically, Scotland the nation will be here soon !

As for going back to 'brussels', that could have serious effects on air pollution !

The point is to get away from the BBC, aside of continuing to watch some of their excellent documentaries etc. Let's have a Scottish broadcaster.
It is a national broadcaster that I'm looking at, and that is where we might part company, for me Scotland is the nation, and it should have radio and television stations that truly represent it.

Well at least we may see less plots ruined by a Scot entering stage right (or is that left?). It seems that nine times out of ten, when a Scottish character (who always seem to sound like a version of Neil Oliver on steroids) is played on television these days we can be sure that (s)he will probably be a criminal, almost certainly have a drugs problem and perhaps a drink problem too for good measure. Hardly the type of representation one wants to see on television.

Perhaps we can also see the end of practices such as that exercised for Dr Who. Filmed in Cardiff and portrayed as London, or a Scottish actor who has to hide his accent (strangely whatever reason they had to hide his accent wasn't deemed necessary for the American actor).

Parochial? Pot and kettle spring to mind.

The SNP supporters are blindly following Salmond in his quest to control Scotland under a one party state government.

Far fetched? Not at all. The other frightening sign is that the stereotypical SNP supporter is viscious in their attack of Scots who are not SNP supporters. Its as if you must be a Salmond supporter or you dont love Scotland. You must be anti English or you dont love Scotland. Off-course, many SNP supporters will jump to defeng their position by claiming that they are merely interested in Scotland gaining independence and the SNP appear to the party that will bring that independence. At what cost is irrelivant. I am not against independence if that is what the majority want, I will vote against it but I will respect independence if that is what the majority vote for. The SNP crew will NEVER accept a NO vote to independence, and that could be potentially dangerous.

So far the SNP have been focussing on trivial matters like the height of flags, TV channels, Six Oclock news channels, world tours to spread the word of Scotland and so on. None of it means anything, all it serves to do is create anger in SCOTLAND in the hope that the end result will be absolute negation of Westminster. Following that, will there be an opposition to the SNP in Scotland? And if there is, would you be safe to announce your alliance in public?

OFF-COURSE the reaction to these comments is that I am being a paranoid. Perhaps I am to a degree, but with good reason. I dont hear anything positive from the SNP, all I hear is anti this and anti that, all I hear from them is how much Scotland has been down trodden and its sickening because that just isnt true. Scotland is a GREAT country with a tremendous historty, we are affluent, we are advanced and we are part of the 5th largest economy in the world. I am sorry, but I see Scotland in a very positive light, I dont share the SNP philosophy that we are nothing.

I see the old unionist myth about most Scots not wanting independence is doing the rounds again. Because most Scots don't vote SNP, it doesn't mean most Scots don't want independence, clearly the Nationalist movement has to be more radical to inspire people & I believe that will come. The fact that the pathetic political system (London centric) has disillusioned the masses very much suits the status quo they don't want everyone to vote otherwise they would have made it mandatory that you turned up at the booth as they do in Australia, even if it was just to register. People died for that right & its only once every four or five years. 50% turnout at General election's is a piggin disgrace!!
A Scottish Six is much needed irrespective of the perfidious & Vichy complicit Scottish elements that run around with their union Y-fronts & of course the snide elements from south of the border with their sneering school kid comment's. Alex Salmond is doing his best to raise & inspire all the peoples of Scotland to aim high & good on him, I'm only surprised that the British States murder squad's like Special Branch haven't arranged an accident for him. The same kind of incident that had prominent Scottish Nationalist Dr. Willie MacCrae murdered by these coward's in Wester Ross 1988.

Tim (Blairgowrie) I see you've got your lunch already; ketchup with your chips?

Before they start banging on about what they want to do in the future, they should sort out what they have already pledged to do and not done yet.

The scrapping of the trams comes to mind here

Tim, thats the Welsh for you - hiding a Scots accent for an English one but made by BBCWales. Anyway - have you ever seen a Scot on Galafray ?

See what I mean Tweedmouth.

AJ and Zoom are nothing if not predictable. According to the definition of bigotry the cap fits very well.
"a person who has strong, unreasonable beliefs and who thinks that anyone who does not have the same beliefs is wrong"

Yet another Braveheart subject of utter trivia - but this will no doubt keep all the SNP apologists and activists happy.
Wee Eck once again selects one of the bonds which keep the UK together and tries to unpick it! He knows that he won't win an independence referendum so he is systematically picking away at UK institutions as a sort of back door way of trying to circumvent a referendum. I wish we could get on with a referendum and get this nonsense out of the way so that REAL government can get underway here.
Yesterday flags, today the BBC - what will tomorrow bring I wonder??

Get something into year head Media 1 We are not anti-English & that is a fact OK big mouth!! We don't blindly follow anyone and that is also a fact. We nationalists have many unionist friends however that is completely different to the years of slavish obedience unionist trumpets like yourself given. It is quite clear we are heading to wards major conflict with your ilk-well so be it! The wretched British state & it's Scottish lackeys will not get away with their murdering squad's as they did in the aftermath of Culloden this time, So come ahead we welcome the chase!!

Media 1 - your argument is good, in so far as it makes use of the 'double bind'. If anyone attacks you, then you are proven right. If they don't attack you, you can assume you are right (because no-one challenged you!).

When you state that SNP supporters will never accept a 'No' vote for independence, well, by the same token a Unionist will never accept a 'Yes'. If that is your political viewpoint, you probably hold onto it through time. I don't see any sheep being set fire to because we are still in the Union though - do you? So, most SNP supporters, whilst not agreeing with the Union, will 'live with' the status quo - they have no choice. That is why we don't currently have civil war. I'm sure if we went independent, that the Unionists will behave the same way, and use democracy to get back to their desired position.

Zoom - why dio they call it BBC Scotland when in all reality it is BBC Glasgow?

#149 'Hezza

Is that a suggestion I have a chip on my shoulder? Don't be ridiculous and try to understand that a discussion involves input from all sides. Those points of view that you disagree with are not always born out of hatred or vendettas.

#151 eddylongshanks

Perhaps you're right, though it seems strange they wouldn't want to take the opportunity to portray Cardiff as Cardiff and bring visitors to their own city too.

#155 ALBA: Youre aggression says it all.

Next time England play Argentina, you will be supporting Argentina then? Aye right, yank the other chain.

As I said, there is nothing wrong with a move for independence, but prior to that happening, please respect the 300 year old union until it is no longer.

Its called diplomacy. The SNP are being very disrespectful of Scotland's past and I for one will not tolerate that.

End of story.

Dennis,

Last time I looked, we lived in a democracy and are part of the UK!! Although I don't care for the latter situation, I live with it and aim to work hard in order to bring about independence!!!

Luckily, Scotland is a sophisticated and civilised country and change can be made without violence, ethnic cleansing etc!! We prefer the ballot box!!!

However, you 'unionists' like to try and paint a picture of a militant SNP support that in reality, doesn't exist!!! Scotland's strength is it's ability to include all, no matter their colour or religion!!! Right wingers, like yourself, tend to buck that trend though!!!

Does anyone posting here NOT understand that in the end, the English Administration (Westminster, and all it controls, which leaves damn-all) has TOTAL say,as it wishes, over EVERYTHING broadcast, that it requires.

This includes BBC and Commercial TV and Radio any where in England, Northern Island and Wales.

And of course Scotland.

This control is covert and overt, and you wont know its happening.

Is this the Control the unionistas claim Alex Salmond wants for Scotland, the same control as in;
USA
CANADA
RUSSIA
AUSTRALIA
CHINA
UK

Most governments could care less what crap the population watch, but they carefully guard their right to have their view put.

This is called editing, program companies do it (even the BBC (;-) ) government does it , but it is then called "sexing up".

The unionistas are really on about honesty in broadcasting, that depends on the overall way it is setup, but we are not seeing too much in any media at the moment.

What the media does not report is often much more important than what it does, called "lying by ommission" Something Westminster is good at.

Banana Heid #160,

Those boys are something else eh?

#158 Not A Unionist or Nationalist

Wouldn't the equivalent be that every criminal is an Englishman with a stereotyped cockney accent and is a member of the London mob? Mind you, at least it would add some variation to the p*sh they've tried to pass off as drama!

165# Your noe wrang. I actually work with Des. He very rarely falls out of standup mode. Some of those youtube sketches are priceless...

#86 I think you mistaken. It's time for the TV licence to go. Here are the reasons:
(1) It is an intrusive state that needs to know whether you have a TV set. It should no more know whether you have a TV than an electric iron or a toaster.
(2) The licence is supposed to protect the independence of the BBC. It doesn't. The government appoints - and sacks - the brass at the BBC. Remember the Kelly affair. The government forced the entire top tier of the BBC - chairman, deputy chairman, director general - to resign because they had the details of how the government sexed up a dossier wrong. There were no weapons of mass destruction and the government lied about them
(3) The licence is supposed to encourage arts and TV exports. It doesn't. It provides grotesquely high salaries for vulgar light entertainers like Jonathan Ross. If Ross is worth that much why hasn't been hired by ITV or SkY?
(4) BBC news is locked into culture of Guardian/Islington/Oxford University - pro EU, politically correct and obsessed by health and education. It doesn't even represent the values of most English, let alone Scots.
(5) There are now lots of ways distributing TV so other countries like France have already abolished the licence fee. The US, the most successful creator of TV programmes, has never had a licence fee.

#147 - Media 1. You are absolutely spot on in your post.
It's long past time for the SNP to get on with its pledge to run Scotland - including improvement of our economy (no doubt they will say they can't do this because they "don't have enough powers" - this will be the perennial excuse for inaction), imrpovement of our schools, NHS, criminal justice etc (all the areas where they do have powers - but simply won't admit it - they'd rather do nothing and use the "powers" issue as an excuse to hide their ineptitude!).
Surely even the most hardened SNP supporters can see through this smokescreen of paralysis!!??

Tim- stereotypes appear in most of our dramas - gritty Northerners; dodgy barrow-boy Londoners; yokels from the South-West and so on. Not to mention the racial stereotypes such the Asian shopkeeper or the gangsta Afro-Caribbean.

But they would never appear in a Scottish drama . . would they?

. . .erm . . .

#170 Have to agree to some pint - a lot of what is being talked up is symbolic in reality and does not deal with hard-core realities. I wish the SNP would get back to the real policies that they seemed to be dealing with a few months back. A little less posturing and a bit more action please.

#169 Publius

I suspect in the future we'll see the licence fee replaced with a subscription fee or government funded. Television advertising revenues are falling everywhere and have long been surpassed by internet advertising.

#171 Not A Unionist or Nationalist

Oh I agree that stereotypes are everywhere and they aren't going to disappear. It just gets a bit much when every time a Scottish character is cast you can be almost certain of the characteristics I outlined. A little variation in the imagination of the writers would be welcome.

Tim (blairgowrie), you state,

"Don't be ridiculous and try to understand that a discussion involves input from all sides. Those points of view that you disagree with are not always born out of hatred or vendettas"

I would suggest that if you are only able to see 9 out of 10 Scots on tv dramas in negative terms (criminal, druggie, alcoholic etc) then yes, you have a chip on your shoulder, because that is certainly not the case.

And I'd take your own advice. A discussion involves input from all sides. I've seen your side and I think you are 1. Wrong and 2. Have a chip on your shoulder. That is my input. Have you tried mayo with them? Its very good. Now I'm hungry!

#175 'Hezza

A chip on my shoulder for what 'Hezza? Let's see how much you think you know about me.

European Scot; you are right, your vision of Scottish TV as a mix of Gaelic news and French soaps is as far away from me as a Celtic supporter. You are probably one of those sad individuals with Ecosse on your bumper.

#170 Geomac

"It's long past time for the SNP to get on with its pledge to run Scotland - including improvement of our economy (no doubt they will say they can't do this because they "don't have enough powers"

You seem to not have been following events since the election.

The SNP have established a group of world-reknowned economic advisors to improve Scotland's economic performance. This group includes economists (surprise, surprise), which is something that the previous Scottish Govenrment never thought about, given their decision to appoint a non-economist as their sole economic advisor.

"imrpovement of our schools, NHS, criminal justice etc (all the areas where they do have powers - but simply won't admit it - they'd rather do nothing and use the "powers" issue as an excuse to hide their ineptitude!)."

Again, you seem to have missed much of the news since the election; the first steps towards reducing class sizes, moves to include the public in NHS decision making (and saving hospitals from closure), reform of various criminal justice measures, all having been enacted.

"Surely even the most hardened SNP supporters can see through this smokescreen of paralysis!!??"

The smokecreen that does exist is the one created by Labour supporters to protect themselves from having their party's inactivity exposed. To pretend, against all objective opinion, that the SNP Government have not been doing much.

The SNP have been working in all of these areas, and more, but they've only been in place for 3 months.

Just wait until they've been in power for a year.

Tim, is this not clear to you? Oh, I'm not sure I can be bothered conversing with the slow of wit. OK - one last time:

You stated that, "It seems that nine times out of ten, when a Scottish character (who always seem to sound like a version of Neil Oliver on steroids) is played on television these days we can be sure that (s)he will probably be a criminal, almost certainly have a drugs problem and perhaps a drink problem too for good measure"

I think that is absurd and extreme, and that you have a real Scottish cringe and chip on your shoulder about this, because it is not the case.

I'm off for food - too much chip chat. I'll probably get more sense from a chip.

BBC Scotland's best current affair's programme is the excellent "Eorpa" - a good mix of local and European news, etc..

As for Radio Scotland, it's a last resort for me. I prefer Radio 4 any day of the week

#182 'Hezza

I'm slow of wit? So far your argument can be summed up as:
1. You have a chip on your shoulder, you're wrong;
2. Because you have, and you're still wrong; and
3. Not fair, you're still wrong.

Put some real argument up and I may listen. I've always been one to listen and am always willing to have my mind changed. Without that, you're nothing more than a waste of scrollbar.

#178 Talorthane
I've been watching the news T but it would appear that we have differing interpretations.
I've seen the announcements - reviews, strategy development, commissions - all jam tomorrow (apparently) but nothing for today.
As for schools class sizes which you cite - yet another wish list item - no mention of how they're going to do this (more teachers, more classrooms etc.). Nice wish though!
You mention stopping hospital closures (A&E I assume you mean). This was a populist, knee jerk action to thank their voters in the West without a thought about the potential consequences (about which we are only now starting to learn!). At least Labour (of which I am NOT a supporter) had learned to listen to the medical profession and to end the "politicians know best" approach - a strategy for the future of the NHS had been agreed after a long study and now SNP politicians are back to the "we know better" attitude - WRONG!
As for them only been in office for 3 months - what were they doing during all the time they were in opposition? Feeble excuse! They seem to have plenty of ideas but they're of the Braveheart type - flags, world presence, no nuclear, ever more windmills. Nothing substantive at all.
I'm not sure we can all take a year of this!!

Perhaps he just wants to take control of BBC Scotland so we can get rid of the the awful River City, Reporting Scotland, Eorpa and the rest of the cr@p the chanel churns out.

#185 and repeated in #187 <yawn> Melathions - simple solution - don't read my posts!!

Wee Eck
SNP apologists and activists
Here's a new word to describe them - banal!

As if your posts were the most erudite and informative - snicker!!

#162 'ZOOM'

<<"You, pal, have nothing NO THING to say. You turn up and stick your tongue up the backside of Tweedmouth (whose mouth happens to be right where you've put your tongue).

You've got nothing to argue - you don't have the brain for it.

All you can do is latch on to something (bigots! bigots!) that you'd like to be a rallying cry." >>

Intemperate language is also a common trademark. They are adherents to the SNP and are zealots. The problem is, though they are somewhat of an embarassment to the party, Salmond has to pander to them. Hence all his posturing of late - plus his natural tendency to grandstand.

In the end Salmond's administration will be judged on the bread and butter things that it does or (most likely) does not do for Scotland. It had better make a start - the clock is ticking.

#191 AM2 says "If you're gonna post, at leat try not to post downright and such transparent lies."
The study on which the closures were based was carried our by Prof Kerr (not Andy!!) and he's a medical practitioner.
The medical profession agrees that we need centres of excellence for most serious ailments including A&&E where the staff can maintain a skill level. We simply don't have the medical staff to support and A&E facility in every town. These centres would be supported by better local medical services for less serious health issues.
This sort of structure is not cheap and we continue to spend ever more money on the NHS - but surely it's better to get the most for our money (if that's what you mean by "pen-pushing financial managers")

#180Methalions

"While visiting my brother in Kent,"

Now! I know who the guy was in a kilt pushing his PC station in front of him. While shopping around Bluewater .

http://www.bluewater.co.uk/

The Unionists on these forums are blindingly stupid creatures.

I could never have imagined so many people who are so ashamed to be Scottish before the Hootsman blogs appeared.

Look at some of the brilliant output that comes from BBC Scotland. Film 2007, Shoebox Zoo, Still Game, All hits and shown all over the UK.

I don't want to watch the so called "National" news where a virtual 100% of related statistics concern England and Wales - When was the last time there was a story about Crime or Education with simply Scottish statistics?

What grates me most: Do you think the people of England and Wales would accept watching a "National" news which was produced in Scotland and quoted only Scottish fact and figures?

NOT ON YOUR LIFE!

-AM2

You don't fool anybody.
The real AM2 can spell, and can put forward well thought out arguments.

#198

Quite.

And one would have thought that, with that largest Arts festival on planet Earth, a showcase for the best of Scottish, this would be an IDEAL time to decry the neglect and injustice within the "B"BC!

But the stuffy old Unionists may disagree ? :-P

#189 Geomac

Your view about the inactivity of the SNP Government is clearly at odds with most objective observers who frequently compare (favourably) the performance of the current administration with the previous ruling executives.

It has only been 3 months, I know it must seem longer. But you can't expect policies to have been enacted so rapidly when the Parliament has been in recess for so much of that time.

There may be a number of issues that have been announced that have yet to be put into place. It would be reasonable, given the short time, to trust them at their word and give a reasonable period to have this put into place.

With schools, they have said there will be more teachers. Again it is unreasonable to expect the government to produce these fully trained teachers instantly, like rabbits out of a hat. Measures such as these, you need to measure on a year by year basis.

With the hospitals, you seem to be a bit confused. You say they have adopted a "populist" approach, but then say they have a "we know best" approach.
While it is important to clarify that being "populist" doesn't make it wrong, it is completely different from "we know best".

My comment about the 3 months, was not an excuse. So far, I can see nothing that the SNP has done that requires an excuse. I was only saying that national policies and their implementation requires time to be consulted on, have partnership approaches established, be put into place, and then measured.

I have every confidence that, with time, the performance of the SNP Government itself will continue to impress, and give confidence to even more of the Scottish public.

the blether club has control of the news. Buy sky shares now

177 Camster

As far as I remember I made no mention of Gaelic news or French soaps. You appear to be making something up to fit an image.
I would like to see a modern professional Scottish broadcaster providing local and international news as you would expect in any European country.
As regards Ecosse on my bumper, sorry to disappoint you, the car is French registered and carries a French plate.
Your comment about sad individuals, well that let's you down, not me.
A carefully considered debate just flew out of the window, along with your credibility.

#197 Actually were pretty tolerant - we put up with a Scottish Government at Westminster, a Scottish media in London and Scottish MP's voting on English only affairs, yep I'd call that pretty tolerant.

So far there has not been a single possitive or constructive posting from any Labour/Unionist supporter. Which probably says a lot about how they think, or rather dont think!
All we have heard from them is negative attitudes to broadcasting in Scotland, sneering and insulting Alex Salmond and the SNP, for what? - for trying to reform how broadcasting is handled in Scotland, for trying to devolve broadcasting from Westminster to Holyrood! Its doubful that they have taken the time to actually listen to , or read the speech that was given, which covered a broad spectrum of Broadcasting media and Film. Its obvious, because they keep harping on about the 'Scottish Six' which was only mentioned breifly in 2 lines of the speech.
The other aspect that Ive noticed is the amount of misleading talk about the Scottish Government only focusing on Broadcasting and ignoring other matters such as Health, Education and TRansport. Again this is wholy selective , either that or they have not been watching or listening to whats been happening since the SNP became the Scottish Government, unlike some of those Unionist/Labour supporters the Scottish Government does multi task
There was one comment about why havent the SNP Government not scrapped the Trams? Again obviously someone isnt paying attention or is broladcasting in Scotland that bad? For your information the SNP Government did try to scrap the Trams, but they lost the vote in parliament and as this is a democracy they had to go along with what parliament wanted, so any blame about not scrapping the trams should be leveled at Labour and the Libdems!
Its about time many of the pro-unionist and Labour supporters grew up and started to contribute to the debate instead of continually snipping, perhaps we will have a better debate that way!

Re an earlier post about the demography of Scotland. 12.1% of the population of Edinburgh in 2001 was English.

Sun 4 Jul 2004

The English are coming as Scots flee homeland
KEVIN HURLEY

REMARKABLE new research on where people choose to live has identified the places south of the Border that attract most Scots, and those parts of Scotland that will be forever a little part of England.

New analysis of the 2001 census, the biggest survey carried out in Britain, confirmed that Edinburgh is the "least Scottish" town in Scotland. Its Scots-born residents have fallen 6.4% to make up 77.8% of its 448,624 population, but English people living in the city are up by 2.7% to 12.1%.

At the same time, a little enclave of Scotland was created at the Catterick Army barracks in Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, as well as in the tractional magnet city of London.

Overall, the figures show in many parts of Scotland including Moray and Argyll and Bute, twice as many Scots are heading south of the Border as English people are heading north.

The new diaspora could be adding to Scotland’s demographic time-bomb, as those who are leaving tend to be young, dynamic and educated people, while more of those heading north are at retirement age.

Critics warned that the Executive must act quickly to halt the decline before it impacts on health and social services north of the Border.

The survey by Sheffield University found that English middle-aged and elderly people took up more housing than the Scots people they replaced during those years, even though their numbers were significantly less.

This burgeoning English diaspora also included large numbers of students who took places at Scottish universities and high-flying professionals drawn to Scotland’s financial sector in Edinburgh.

Daniel Dorling, Professor of Human Geography at Sheffield University, who published his research in the repo

194

Agreed that we do not have to keep every A&E open and the SNP government is not going to.

They have reversed 2 closure decisions.

The Lanarkshire scenario was reversed because the decision was based on financial, not health, grounds because the health board have got themselves into a mess with over enthusiastic use of PFI.

The Ayr decision was reversed because there was no guarantee that the community casualty units proposed to replace A&E would a) actually deliver the same level of service or b) be in place before A&E services were closed.

Everyone with opinions about this - whatever their poliitical affiliation - should welcome Nicola Sturgeon's commitment to ensure that all health board proposals to redesign services are indeoendently scrutinised from now on and that replacement services are in place before existing services are withdrawn.

The past behaviour of certain health board members over these issues has been a disgrace. Consultation has been a total sham and the public treated with contempt. This is the way they used to behave in Communist countries for heaven's sake and it has caused stress and anxiety to many people, quite unnecessarily.

Shame, I thought this might be about banning remote controls. Encourage the fatties to take some exercise.
I think people should have as much Scottish telly as they like and pay for.

108 - art100

I never really understood how it became illegal to not pay the licence fee?

Where else in the world are you forced because you happen to buy a TV, to pay for a subscription national TV company (BBC)?

When you buy a TV in the UK your details are sent to the TV Licencing Stasi in London, who then send you extortionist letters. (no getting out of this service)

Personally I can't wait for the switch off of the analogue signal as I am not going to buy a digital box. This finally means that I can legitimately argue that I don't have to pay as I don't receive their services. I always knew the BBC didn't encrypt their programs because people would choose not to watch crap and not pay. All the fatcats and Luvvies in London would be out of their jobs.

The only reason the Government supports the BBC is that it needs a National Mouthpiece to espouse its propaganda and get its version of the truth into everyones homes.

I wonder if there is a case for everyone to stop paying the license in Scotland and put it into a national Scottish Broadcasting fund - we can then pay for the programmes we want from the BBC and leave all the English dross on the rack down in London.

We could then commission our own programming and sell it all around the world.

Anyone else think that this could be a viable option?

Any proposed new Scottish sports news programme shall still be dominated by Old Firm football news rather than the diverse number of sports that take place within this country. What is the point

One hundred and ninety-eight comments (replies to this delicate subject are pouring in so rapidly that as I wrote the number it became outdated before I finished writing it) so probably all that requires to be said has been said and my ha'pence worth won't be noticed but nonetheless, for what it is worth, well done Alex! Previously I never voted SNP but you are rapidly winning over my interest. Next election it will be Tommy Sheridan then SNP and no one else! Hail Caledonia!

What is the relevance of bringing in the % of English people living in Scotland?

What a total and utter irrelevance to the argument.

#207 The Maltese Falcon

One small problem i have about that report you copied and pasted there matey...this paragraph

"New analysis of the 2001 census, the biggest survey carried out in Britain, confirmed that Edinburgh is the "least Scottish" town in Scotland. Its Scots-born residents have fallen 6.4% to make up 77.8% of its 448,624 population, but English people living in the city are up by 2.7% to 12.1%"

a) It was 6 if not maybe 7 years ago.....thats almost a decade...inacurracies???

b) I would believe it more if Edinburgh was recognised as a "City" rather than a "Town" it just goes to show how much they might actually know

c) I wonder what the same statistics for London would be???

Please I beg you whingeing bigots just demand your referendum and bog off.

How many of you are there??? 3 odd million downtrodden poor little luv's. that way I may be spared from all your kirsty's and dougles in my space cos I'm sure they are all going to leave England when you are independent and flushed with money and return to their beloved homeland,, yeah I don't think so. haven't spoke to one of them that is interested in returning, you see such a betrayal, they have intermarried with the creatures beyond the wall yes the final insult they have married English. We are doomed we are all doomed, will Alex exile them so they may not return to visit or grant them a pardon for such an act of treason.. you can't even debate about broadcasting without your bigotry showing, gawd you really should get a life...

#219

lol, funniest post of the day.

What is your opinion?

http://poll.pollcode.com/RQ4

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189

You are really incredible

You say 'As for schools class sizes which you cite - yet another wish list item - no mention of how they're going to do this (more teachers, more classrooms etc.). '

So the extra cash to improve school buildings announced last month was just made up was it?

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2007/07/17083532

And the extra teachers and teacher training places announced the month before that was also just made up?

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2007/06/20093631

You know, no government can just wave a magic wand and deliver smaller class sizes just like that.
It is going to take time but the ball has been set rolling.

219

Thank you for your constructive and helpful contribution.

"First Minister demands" "control of television"

Using the case of Serbia from 1988 to 1999, this study will focus on HOW elites persuade, specifically concentrating on elite (manipulation of ethnic nationalism) through an examination of political speeches, government documents, and media sources. (Culture is a tool elites use to gain power.) It will be shown that elites do in fact make appeals to a (common history and culture at certain key points). In this case study, this was at the point when leaders were (gaining power). Key speeches increased power by (mobilizing mass support.) (Once elites gained power, explicit appeals to a shared history decreased, )and they( maintained power through control of the media.)

Frederick Douglass:

Those who profess to favor freedom and yet depreciate agitation, are people who want crops without ploughing the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning; they want the ocean without the roar of its many waters. The struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, or it may be both. But it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand; it never has and it never will.

#219 Sile

Your post is a sham. We dont care if the scots who are still in England come back or not. Its their life, if they have married English then fair enough we are happy for them.

As for your "bigotry" comment do you fancy giving us a few examples??? if not i suggest you think what you write first.

Oh and another thing....does Sile stand for Senile??? or am i just being paranoid????

If you only want to see scottish news, just turn on the telly at 6.30 instead of 6.

Wohoo! There you go, saved some investigation and three months of political discussion.

The only thing I want to have sorted is the bloody sports section, which just seems to be a load of rumour and intrigue about our crappy footbal league and its teams "BBC Scotland understands" etc. Only Radio Scotlands sports weekly seems to understand that there is sport beyond the world of numpty fitba players.

227 - Cartouche

Oh you have finally realised that the SNP are Elites?

Looks like you are finally seeing the light.

#186 Richard.

I can't find the exact quote - and I may be mistaken to some degree but many areas of Scotland have an English-born population of between 12% - 17%. It is a good place to retire to - \away from the crowded south.

Look at Scotland on Sunday:
http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=767242004

ABSTRACT
Edinburgh is the "least Scottish" town in Scotland. Its Scots-born residents have fallen 6.4% to make up 77.8% of its 448,624 population, but English people living in the city are up by 2.7% to 12.1%.

All areas of Scotland experienced declines in numbers of Scots-born residents while the English came north to retire, study and work.

Argyll and Bute saw a 3% rise in its English migrants, 17% of the 15,889 people living there. It witnessed a 1.4% drop in number of Scots-born people to bring their numbers to 78.1% of its entire population.

Moray saw its English population rise 2.8% to 16.2% and witnessed a significant Scottish decline of 4.1%, leaving a Scots-born population of 78.5%.

The areas of Perth and Kinross, Stirling, Highland, the Orkney Islands, Dundee, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian and Aberdeen, saw rises between 1% to 1.8% in their English populations and a decline in Scots-born of between 2% and 3.2%.

END ABSTRACT

My point however is that Scots in England make upa tiny percentage of the population - but still dominate media and government - 'the Scottish Raj' (Blair, Brown, Cook, Alexander, Darling, Mc Shane, Des Brown - of that's not a clan mafia I don't know what is. English people just shrug and say well they are UK citizens and its a UK parliament - so thats it.
Not so in Scotland however. Here - with an English population between 12 and 17% you would be hard placed to name any English born politician or media person, TV presenter. Not only that, you'd be hard pla

Re #122 Tweedmouth

The reason English people don't feature in Scottish programming as presenters even though they make up almost 20% (ha ha ha sure thing!) of the population of Scotland is because the majority of English who live in/move to Scotland are retirees and not of working age.

#227 Cartouche

I'm not sure what point you are making.

Are you suggesting that the SNP are using and abusing culture as a tool to pursue their own ends?

Or are you saying that the SNP's actions are a reflex to the fact that the Westminster establishment has already used and abused culture to achieve its ends at the expense of "lesser cultures" that if empowered would destabilise the interests of the United Kingdom?

Are you saying that all cultures have no meaning except when they are used to promote political objectives?

Or are you saying that culture is important, and that sometimes there is the risk that larger cultural influences can threaten the existence of less powerful cultures?

Constitutional Opinion Poll
(Slightly different from the one at 222. Added 4th option.)
Thanks for letting me know what you think.

http://poll.pollcode.com/5hSV

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#198 Melathions says ".....regarding the SNP getting back to REAL POLICIES...It's hard to do this when parliament is on holiday."
What are you talking about - they are not in controol of parliament with 47 of 129 seats - they are the elected government so GET ON WITH IT!!!

Tweedmooth#232,

Remember pal - the word TALENT!!!!!!

AJ of Fife....how do??? Been fishing lately?? :D

#208 MissH
Thank you for your considered response.

I just have the big concern that we're back to the situation in the NHS where "politicians know best" and we all know that cannot possibly be so.

I just hope that this precipitate SNP action does not jeopardise the long term strategy for the NHS in Scotland - by populist politicians

This actually makes me quite angry.

The Scottish Six and other news programming is one thing, but the idea that breaking off completely from the BBC, whether pre or post independence, would increase the quality of programming in Scotland is ludicrously optimistic.

The Beeb is, by general acclaim, the world's best public service broadcaster. No one else even comes close, and there is no reason to believe that a SBC would be any different.

Getting rid of the BBC is nakedly about getting rid of something which is British for political ends, regardless of the consequences for the viewer-who would inevitably suffer.

Magic Hoops,

Do you have yer fishing rod?

#237 Geomac

Having said that the SNP are adopting a "populist" approach AND a "we know best" approach, you seem to be getting confused again.

On the one hand you say they are not in control of Parliament, but on the other you say they are the elected government so they should "Get on with it".

On the one hand, it has been pointed out to you that Parliament is on holiday, but on the other you again say they should "Get on with it".

AJ

Of course. Just started setting up i see from your post #238?? Any tactics or particular bait your using today??

Magic Hoops,

Michty me, what aboot that? On the same wave length or whit?!!!

There's a couple o' haddies called Tweedmouth and Dennis, that seem tae flouder aboot, drowning in their ain bullsh*t!!!!

AJ

What do ye expect fae a pair o Fifers!! Yeah i noticed they Haddies leaping oot the water and attracting a bit of attention. Wouldnt mind watching them squirm a bit and fight for a bit of dignity!!

#216 Zoom

Its not that you want independence that bothers me. Its the baggage you cart around with it - which is intemperate language borne of your complete lack of respect for any other point of view. You and your ilk think that the way to independence lies in trying to intimidate and insult fellow Scots who do not want independence.

As for independence being good for the Northern Isles - forget it. We like our Government far away. Westminster is 800 miles away - Edinburgh is 300. We have as much in common with the central belt as we do with London.
In the last election Orkney and Shetland swung 12% overall AWAY from the SNP which were minor players anyway.

Magic Hoops,

Throw in a reference tae wee jack mcconell and his lassie-like legs, and these boys will be biting, like pubic lice!!!

Dennis,

You seem to have a problem with the concept of democracy!! Alex Salmond IS your leader....get over it!!!

AJ

Your slip's showing.

Now over 90% now in favour of a Scottish Six on the Scotsgait poll.

Small numbers, but a significant majority nonetheless.

Magic Hoops,

Ha! The unionist puberty issues again eh!! Maybe if wee jack displayed himself as a real man in NYC, instead of presenting himself as a wee lassie, he wouldn't be getting pelters left right and center today!!!

216 Dennis

"In the last election Orkney and Shetland swung 12% overall AWAY from the SNP which were minor players anyway."

I don't know how you calculated your figures from as the BBC Election 2005 website says differently.

According to this source, the swing from SNP to Lib Dems was only 7.3%. ANd, remember that wasn't a particularly good election for the SNP, while it was a particularly good night for the Lib Dems.

The most recent opinion poll suggests that support for the Lib Dems in Scotland for the Westminster election has slumped to only 4%, while the SNP is up to nearly 29%.

Who knows what might happen at the next election?

243 Richard
The entire historical basis of Scottish nationalism has always been hatred of English people - these columns fairly drip with racist, anglophobic bile on any day you care to look. The Nats often try to camouflage it by constant appeals to 'culture', 'nationhood' and so on, but the basic, bedrock essence of ALL nationalisms is that 'we' are different from 'them'. 'Our' culture is superior to 'theirs'.

If you go back and look in the history books there were nationalist (not SNP) rallies in Edinburgh in the early 1900s against Irish catholic immigrants 'polluting the gene pool' of Scottish protestantism.

All natioanalisms are atavistic - they want to revert to a mythical golden age when only 'we' lived here, only 'we' governed ourselves, only 'our' culture was present here. The Serbs in Kosovo used exactly this kind of nationalism when they murdered 5,000 boys and men at Srebrenica - because they were Muslim - ergo not Serbian Christians.

English nationalism has not been a force in politics since the 1930s because people saw that Mosley was essentially a clone of German nationalsim. The word NAZI stands for National Socialist Party. The Nazis were German nationalists who beleived that all Slavs were 'untermenschen' - less than human, as were all Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals and so on. I am not comparing the SNP to the Nazis directly, but the basic emotional root of all nationalist movements is the same. 'We' are the chosen people - 'they' are the hated outsiders.

The vast majority of Scots, English and Welsh people have rejected nationalist movements for over a century and they will continue to do so. We live in a complex, multicultural society where paradoxically, the Scots have been running the entire government of the UK since 1997, overwhelmingly. But that's not enough for the Nats - they want just 'oor ain folk' in charge of everything in this region of the UK. And you KNOW that hatred of English people is the tool t

#244 Talorthane says
"Having said that the SNP are adopting a "populist" approach AND a "we know best" approach, you seem to be getting confused again.

On the one hand you say they are not in control of Parliament, but on the other you say they are the elected government so they should "Get on with it".

On the one hand, it has been pointed out to you that Parliament is on holiday, but on the other you again say they should "Get on with it".
You are either being obtuse or not understanding the concept of parliamentray democracy!
The SNP had more seats than any other party (by 1) but are in the minority in parliament so they CANNOT control parliament - OK so far?
Having the most seats, they set about forming a minority government - this they did and this was agreed by parliament - hence they are the "government". It is the duty of "government" to govern the country - and this CAN be done when the parliament is in recess - otherwise all would stop for massive periods of time - juts like the Westminster government does when their parly is in recess.
SO! Get on with it!!!!!

Why is Westminster in charge of Scottish Broadcasting? Westminster has enough to do running the wider UK and England. It shouldn't be spending valuable time on micro managing Scotland. That's why we gave you a parliament in the first place, in the hope that you would finally take some responsibilty for your own affairs.

After all this time it looks like you've finally elected someone who's equipped to take more responsibility and free up Westminster time for more pressing English matters.

259

<< "remember that wasn't a particularly good election for the SNP, while it was a particularly good night for the Lib Dems." >>

???

#211 Venom217

To get shot of the license fee there is only one way I can think of. We have to vote for parties that want rid of it.

The SNP have nothing to lose - its a propaganda organ for the unionist parties at the moment - and everything to gain (votes from those like us that hate paying it) are the most likely to support this.

My guess is Alex will have to have this in his threat locker when talking to the BBC. NuLab will be frightened because they know there is a bucket load of votes for the SNP if they choose to do this - hence they may be prepared to negotiate to preempt it appearing in the SNP manifesto for the next general election.

#260 Zoom

Of course I'm not calling all those who want independence, bigots - but I do think that you fit into that category by the standards of your posts. If I could be bothered to scroll up and down and to go back to past posts I could cite scores of examples of your intemperate language and worse.

Go for it chaps you deserve it.

#262 Geomac

The fact that we are all here (including you) discussing their latest initiative suggests that they are getting on with it.

#261

Well said. Its unpalatable but needs to be aired. There is a dark side to Nationalism - any Nationalism.

AJ #258

Exactly.....oh how i wish he was gettin peltit by rotten fruit and veg by the Americans.

Salmond just wants to destroy the BBC because it is a great British institution like the NHS - which I suppose will be the next target on his list. What does he care if the vast majority of Scots love the BBC? The only thing that matters to him is that the BBC stands in his way by proving that Britain works. Of course, once the BBC has changed, there'll be no going back and he'll be able to blame somebody else for its failures and lack of content. All this cloaked in pseudo-patriotism.

#264 Dennis

"<< "remember that wasn't a particularly good election for the SNP, while it was a particularly good night for the Lib Dems." >>

???"

In raising the swing away from SNP, I presumed you were referring to the Lib Dem performance, as they won that constituency.

It was a good night for the Lib Dems as the gained the 2nd highest number of seats and second highest number of votes in Scotland. They declared (perhaps legitimately at that time) that they were now the 2nd party in Scotland.

It was not a good night for the SNP as they fell back from 2nd place in Scotland.

This has all turned around of course, so the SNP may well do much better in Orkney and Shetland the next time around.

Tweedmouth #261,

Don't be such a fool and grow up!!! There is no hatred towards English people within the SNP movement, only animosity towards Westminster!!!

Indeed the SNP boasts many English members, who are valued contributers to the various election campaigns the party fight!!!

You seem to be stirring a pot which has no content!!! How about getting a life and becoming a more honest person?

#277

"There is no hatred towards English people within the SNP movement"

You are having a laugh.....

273 Dennis

"Well said. Its unpalatable but needs to be aired. There is a dark side to Nationalism - any Nationalism."

It's blindingly obvious to any objective individual, but there are great dangers in generalisations - any generalisations.

However, to be more specific, your post, and the one you referred to, show a great deal of ignorance about the different types of nationalism that exist, and the history and purpose of Scottish nationalism.

ahhhh Dougie1980

How nice of you to drop by. Still "straining" for more i see. I take it our therapy session had an adverse effect. Now....if AJ is well hung he certainly made a good job of hanging you out to dry. If my fishing references are a code for cottaging then im sure you have an oh so guilty conscience.

As for rubbering up....i have my wet suit on im just about to go for a dip. Dont try and follow me i think you should stay in the shallow end like a good little boy or you may drown...unless you have your swimming aids on i guess. Then again.....maybe you just might like to dip your toe into the adults pool.

Aha, the eejit Doggie1980 rears it's incredibly ugly heid again!!!!

You've got a few pals on here today Doggie!!!! I must say, they seem a bit better than you, compared to your incoherant ramblings and insults!!!

Re Tweedmouth (#261) : "The entire historical basis of Scottish nationalism has always been hatred of English people - these columns fairly drip with racist, anglophobic bile on any day you care to look. The Nats often try to camouflage it by constant appeals to 'culture'..."

The basic misunderstanding here is the idea that the SNP is a nationalist party, which it isn't, although of course that isn't to deny that there are some people of a nationalistic outlook in the SNP.

There's nothing in the slightest bit nationalistic in wanting your country to throw off rule by the corrupt, belicose and exploitative United Kingdom. Country after country, around the world, has done exactly that in the last sixty years.

234 -AM2,
you burger I nearly choked on ma peice ! is that really you ? have you seen the light ? a road to Dumbarton thing or what ?

Any party that contains, within their ranks, the likes of Ann Moffat, or that has supporters who compare Scottish nationalism with examples of imperial nationalism, need to take a good look at themselves, their own ignorance or their own lack of objectivity.

Liz,

I'm sure you like to think there's evil nazi's lurking in the SNP background, but it's your nasty imagination playing tricks!!!

You're another who can't thole the rise of Alex Salmond and his government!!! Get used to it, they're here for the duration!!!

Dougie1980.....unlike you we are not careless enough to solicit ourselves or our whereabouts on an internet forum. Why the interest??? Is there something you arent telling us??? Are you in denial about anything???

Please tell us Dougie we will be more than glad to help :-)

#241 Frere Jacques, Glasgow
Nobody is proposing to get rid of the BBC
its actually about devolving Broadcasting away from Westminster to Holyrood and encouraging more programming in Scotland
Or did you not understand that?

#286 Dougie1980

What's the price of fish today?

A more concilliatory approach might have gone down better.

Doggie1980,

There's a rumour going around, that you were so ugly as a baby....your mither had to feed you with a catapult!!!!

Is that true Doggie?

#292 Talorthane

I think he is feeling a little "gutted" from yesterday

#275 Royster
Appreciate that your in Hull and perhaps not aware of what was devolved in Scotland
But Health was devolved, so why would Alex Salmond want to devolve something thats already devolved??

'We live in interesting times'

This applies more than ever in Scotland as uncertainty over how the nation should go about affairs having wrested some control from Westminster and the the majority of people living here hoping for some more.
However reading some of the posts there seems to be a depressing amount of navel gazing and moaning by Scots wanting independence (as I do incidentally), and bring the English into every debate, be it TV rights or lobster fishing.
Scots can have nobody to blame for the union as we know it. A Scotsman and clan chief cronies are responsible for that. The fervent nationalistic Saltire waving these days at every event from T in the park to a bloody flower show is starting to get on my tits. We are all just people the same the world over.

#294 Magic Hoops 2

The Scales of Justice?

#276

I was talking about the last election and that was May this year if my memory serves my right!

#297 Talorthane

Possibly!! dont think it will work though

Everyone,

Leave Dougie alone. Didnt you know he gets his facts from a UNI thesis and everyfink!

#261

Oh what utter dross you speak.

re the Balerno Murder.

If the rest of your blogging is as factually incorrect as your rant about the Balerno murder then the reasonable minded people on these bloggs can rest easy.

Mark Ayton was kicked and death, 1 of the 3 attackers who served 3 years for Capable Homicide was themselves English (and resides in England now), 1 a die hard Rangers fan (of the Unionist variety).

After they had "seen Braveheart"... what a load of complete and utter tripe, following along with the rest of the gibberish that you come out with.

285

see my post 199

-AM2 is trying it on.

The other issue that Salmond touched upon is raising the quality of Scottish journalism. It is precisely the kind of 'parochial' Scots journalism typified by Reporting Scotland that is the problem.

And let's not forget: the Scottish 'fourth estate' failed abysmally to hold the judiciary and government to account over Lockerbie, allowing (what very much appears to be) a grave miscarriage of justice to occur on their watch, apparently in the interests of saving American face and for the expediency of US foreign policy.

The hapless Gordon Brewer on Newsnight Scotland is not - I might add - any kind of recompense for the lack of incisive, solid journalism so sorely lacking on Scottish TV output.

(As an aside, I have often sat through Newsnight when their second item concentrates solely on the English NHS or education - issues that are simply not very relevant in devolved Scotland. Then, we switch to Newsnight Scotland and miss the third item on the English/British Newsnight that might well be of relevance north of the border. London Newsnight cares so little about its Scottish viewers that they clearly MAKE THE POINT of refusing to rearrange even their running order to take account of the new political reality - a reality that the Scots overwhelmingly backed in a referendum).

Carry on Alex - Scotland supports the principle of a strong, native creative industry.

G.

#274 Melathions
Back to oyur normal standard of debate I see?

#298 Dennis

Sorry, my mistake. When you mentioned "Orkney and Shetland" I thought you were referring to a single constituency.

However, while there was a 12% swing from the SNP to the Lib Dems in Shetland (Tavish Scott may not do so well the next time), the swing in Orkney was nearly 4% to the SNP from the Lib Dems.

#279 Melathions says
"Geomac and his confused state

1. The SNP "are not in control of Parliament"

2. They are the elected government so GET ON WITH IT!!!

Which is it?

Sorry Melathions, if you don't know the difference between the parliament and the "government/Executive", then you've got no hope of understanding this debate.
However, being the nice chap that I am let me try to explain - again
!. The parliament is elected by the PEOPLE
2. The "government" is elected by the PARLIAMENT. In this case the parliament has elected a minority "government" (SNP)
3 The government has day to day responsibility to run the country - subject to overview and check by PARLIAMENT
So what exactly do you NOT understand??

Methalions....congrats on 300 -)

#6, 31, 35, etc, etc, etc. You're a real funny guy, dude. And not just because you call everyone dude, dude.

Seems a bit superfluous to reply 250 odd comments later, but as GC seems utterly convinced that all the TV networks of the entire world are 75% comprised of Hollywood output, it might be worth pointing out that on the BBC listings for today the figure is about 10% - with nothing at all in prime-time viewing. And that's a fairly typical day. If we had independent Scottish broadcasters, much of the output would be bought in from outside, but it would almost certainly continue to be more from England than from anywhere else - as far as I can see that's the practice of RTE in Ireland.

Incidentally, I was in a couple of continental European countries a few months ago, and I saw more British and Australian programmes than US. It's extraordinary that America dominates the world in so many ways, and yet Americans still somehow manage to overestimate their own influence! Dream on, dude!

The article states; "This harks back to the dark ages of centralisation in London, when, if a royal figure or a prime minister died, BBC Scotland would immediately hand total control to London".

Having worked for the BBC for 17 years, (but no longer), I can assure you that for obituaries, this is still very much the case.

Poor old Tweedmouth just loves that famous Scottish dish "yer erse oan a plate".

He just keeps coming back form more and more.

Don't worry tweedmouth with feeble arguments like yours there will always be second helpings.

I'm fed up of these nationalists. Could they not all go off and form their own country somewhere and leave the rest of us in peace.

#310 Geomac

"!. The parliament is elected by the PEOPLE
2. The "government" is elected by the PARLIAMENT. In this case the parliament has elected a minority "government" (SNP)
3 The government has day to day responsibility to run the country - subject to overview and check by PARLIAMENT"

I'm quite happy with that assessment.

From that, I take it that you agree that the budget is a part of the government's responsibilities and that you would disagree with the likes of Arthur Midwinter, and his view that the Government should not have control of the budget.

#315....that has to be the most ironic statement ever !!!

Astonishing photograph, "Scotsman".
Is it a trailer for the first new Scottish programme they'll be making, "Holyrood X Files"?

Or was Wee Alex speaking live from Bonnybridge?

#316 Talorthane

Of course the government should have control of the day to day budget BUT subject to an annual budget debate in parliament to agree the annual budget - nothing unusual about that surely? If the government makes significant changes to the budget or overspend or whatever, they have to justify to parliament. This is similar to the structure of a company where the CEO develops his/her budget for approval or modification by the company board to whom he/she is responsible for implementation!
This is consistent with my previous post saying that parliament acts as a check on the government on behalf of the PEOPLE who elected them

#320 Melathions says
"Have you ever backed up your trite responses with facts?"
I have to ask what is your definition of a fact? I suspect that to your way of thinking, a fact is something uttered by Wee Eck or his fellow SNP MSPs? Or is it something written in some SNP literature or what?

#322 melathions
Hmmm - I see that you've resorted to the technique adopted by those with weak arguments, namely, name calling and personal attacks.
Sad!

321

The Scottish Parliament operates on a 3 year budget cycle.

The budget is debated, it is voted on and monitored annually.

That is the way it has worked before, that is the way it will continue to work.

What is your point?

64. Exiled Highlander

Dude all I am saying is the HOLLYWOOD rules the world in movie production. That is a fact.. Ever heard of the OSCARs dude.

As for my country I was not preaching how good it was .

But there has never been in the history of a country , a single country that in the space of 250 years came from nothing to the No1 military and economic power on the planet. Present population 300 million. These are facts dude. You have every right to be jealous if u wish.

China 1.3 billion India 1.2 billion, those two pits of slavery have a long way to go.
Both countreis in 5000 years with their caste cultural system, and their totalitarian system crushing of fee speech, are still pits of slavery.

People many people don't like truth dude try not to be oneof those

GC

The Antifascist is, quite simply, mad.

328

You mean apart from

Greece

Rome

Turkey

Germany

Britain

Russia

328

And its also a fact that the whack of your massive debt is now controlled by China and Russia. If they call in the debts you, dude, are screwed!!

Latest OECD projections place China ahead of USA by 2100 incidentally Enjoy it will you can. We had it for a century, passed it to you and slowly but surely you guys are passing over as well.

SNP performance to date -
-------------------------

Ordering a financial review of a tram scheme no-one wants that even in consultation phase has cost £100m, then

making sure that if there are cost over-runs, the folks who want it (i.e. City of Edinburgh Labour Councillors) will pay for it.

Removing tolls from the Forth and Tay bridges (passed by vote May 2007)

Releasing suppressed Labour executive reports that identify a potential of £1bn savings

Proposing freezing council tax payments for 2 years

Carrying out an investigation into why a proposed clean power plant scheme creating 1000 jobs was stalled by Labour

Proposing upgrading the A9 to dual carriageway along its length

Discussing the possibility of reviving Scottish deep coal mining

Refusing permission for new nuclear power stations to be built in Scotland

Opposing the introduction of blanket stop and question powers for the police in Scotland

Requesting Scotland represent its own (and the UK's as a whole) fishing interests in Europe

Plans to nationalise Scotland's only private jail

Putting forward plans to Prevent ship-to-ship transfers in the Forth estuary - this plan came to fruition on 28th

June 2007 when powers to veto such transfers were passed.

Engaging positively with the Royal family

Highlighting the Blair administration's contempt for the scottish judicial system and devolved government

Scrapping the £2,000 graduate tax (succesful 13th June 2007)

Saving accident and emergency care based on patient need.

THOUSANDS of chronically-ill patients are to have their prescription charges scrapped

Refuse to enter discussions on the burial of nuclear waste in Scotland.

Appoint a team of 11 of the finest economic minds in the country (including 2 Nobel laureates in economics) to advise on economic matters. This received cross party support. Only 2 of the 11 are recognised SNP su

Labour performance to date -
----------------------------

Agreeing with SNP policy

Infighting

Name Calling

Tony, Gordy and Joke Macdonald all going in the huff with the new First Minister

Riding roughshod over the scottish judicial system and devolved government by making more 'oil deals' overseas.

Golden girl Kirsty "where's ma holiday Jack"? Wark throwing a hissy-fit on newsnight

New report (FSB) shows that Scotland is the worst performing small country in western europe - it lies 10th in the table of 10 small countries (page 13 of report). Quote from page 8 - "However, Scotland now scores well below all other small countries."

Undermine the budget setting role in the Executive simply for political gain rather than any notion of it being better for Scotland.

Attempting to scrap accident and emergency care based on a centralisation model that takes no account of patient need, rather simply a budget saving exercise.

Relying on political editors from various bias media journals to do their job for them.

Getting suckered into another political and financial own goal with the Edinburgh trams 'cost amendment' making sure the residents of Edinburgh alone will pay for any cost over-runs.

Relying on a biased, and clearly huffy, Professor A Midwinter to alone challenge the concept of the new council of 11 economic advisors to Scotland - more sour grapes than Kirsty Wark can choke on.

Refusing to applaud the First Ministers speech at the opening of parliament because he 'dared' mention independence.

Labour transport spokesman Ricky Henderson quoted that the Forth Bridge Toll Plaza should not be demolished "In case

a future administration might want to reintroduce tolls"... nice votewinning policy from Labour there.

Criticising the SNP for having the temerity to even talk about introducing a white paper on a referendum for independence - so mu

Dougie1980

Shouldnt you be away looking for a dug somewhere. Your name is Dugless after all isnt it???

Sorry folks old joke i know but could not resist the temptation!!

Hey,

Hoops shouldn't you answer my question?

#328. You're right dude, many dudes don't like the truth, dude, but don't be one of them, dude. Because actually, India is not a "pit of slavery", but a democracy. The USA is not the largest democracy in the world. India is. Feel free to be jealous if U wish, dude.

I was going to say "ever heard of PUNCTUATION and SPELLING, dude?" - but that would be unkind.

Nice to see AM2 has come around to the SNP cause after months of pasting the board with unionist nonsense.

oooo cant wait to see whats coming to Dougie1980 after his post at #339

*rubs hands together with glee*

#325 Geomac

"#322 melathions
Hmmm - I see that you've resorted to the technique adopted by those with weak arguments, namely, name calling and personal attacks.
Sad!"

I couldn't resist this.

#153 Geomac - "Yet another Braveheart subject of utter trivia - but this will no doubt keep all the SNP apologists and activists happy."

#192 Geomac - "Wee Eck
SNP apologists and activists
Here's a new word to describe them - banal!

As if your posts were the most erudite and informative - snicker!!"

#340 Dougie

no i thought you liked answering your own questions as we observed yesterday....good luck with that!!

# 328 read your history, if you spent more time reading than staring at the blog to be fiorst poster you may have read about Gengis Khan ...............

GM

is that really AM2????

Doggie1980,

Chill oot son, yer gettin' yer ladies knickers in a twist again!!!

As a Scout master, you're no stranger to skewered meat, are ye now?

#340 Dougie1980

You seem to have adopted a particularly hostile and offensive approach since the fishing discussion.

An approach that is the antithesis of rational discussion.

19 and 21 CRAWFORD ETC: You have obviously not read the article or listened to Alex Salmond's speech. You are so ill-informed I take it that is why your comments are of such poor quality and have nothing whatever to contribute to this debate. Scotland may be a region in your opinion which, again, only serves to demonstrate how ignorant you are and how completely insulting your remarks are to the Scottish people.

229 # lololol what a hoot. Quhen ane ydiot, distitute of knaulage,

surely you know the gaelic Sile =Sheila as I said get a life....

101. mossparkman, dumfries, scotland

Hey Dude,
I am seeking knowledge about weird behaviour in small states like Scotland that exist inside a larger union.
You guys are interesting and fit that mold.

-You guys speak English.
-You fight like cats amongst each other.
-You appear to detest England, who has propped you up for 300 years.
-You are extreme in patriotism and fanaticism
-Obsessed about a flag the Saltire
-Never stop squawking , all talk no bite.
-Obsessed with independence but without a plan to keep the country from collapse .
Ur leader Alamond is a clever politician with great bark but little bit . Excellent at complaining but his SNP has no power. because they have no money

Happy shroomy cloud Day
GC

#353.....stay off the buckie!!!

229#
your name amuses me those magic hoops are they the ones you jump through after your plate of mushrooms????

#354 Galactic Gobstopper

So tell us......how superior is your government to ours??? Not very i would imagine. In fact id say the Bush administration had a worse reputation than the SNP administraion so i wouldnt spout your bile so soon before you reflected upon your own country which (haw haw) im sure you have done many times

Happy "scotsman in your face" day

MH

Skewered meat?

Is that some kind of come-on? I though you Hoops were together? You are a maneater! How many have you got on the go?

Talorthane

I'm afraid you are guilty of the same. Poor form.

40 ROYSTER: Why not try another tack? You've flogged your "Soutar" mantra to death.

#356....Yes now if you will excuse me im off to eat some more if they keep me more sane than you.

#354. "You are extreme in patriotism and fanaticism"
"Obsessed about a flag"
"Never stop squawking"

Darnit, dude, where does that remind me of? OH SAY CAN YOU SEEEEEE...

#358

You seem to have a profound interest in us??? Are you our stalker??? oh man ive been waiting a while to meet you. Answer me one question......how are you so good at stealing my underwear??? -)

Doggie1980,

Keep nibbling on the bait.....there.......gotcha...hook, line and sinker!!!!

What a fud!!!!

:DD

347 HOOPS,
I had to do a double take on that too! answer I think not, but lets hold out hope for him

Losing Eastenders... that gets my vote! ... if only that could happen ... That really is the most useless waste of time program ever to have been aired. Get it off my screen now!

A miserable program about miserable people, living in a miserable city... Why do people watch it?

Stuart

AJ

That SNP spinner sure comes in handy :D

Pehman

I have my fingers crossed i miss the poor blighter!!

Magic,

It lands 'em, everytime neebur!!! :D

339

Homophobic, ageist and not even funny.

Dear me.

AJ

Right hold up your catch so we can get a photo of you and Dougie.....there thats good. Now squeeze his cheeks so his mouth is open and he looks like hes just been meat skewered by the SNP.......braw neebs just braw....hold it theeeeeeeere

*click*

Noo that photo is going on Bebo!!!

Magic,

Should we slice it open and see what it's been munchin'?

369

No.

Your paranoid delusions are just that - delusions.

The SNP is not proposing to have any more 'control' of the BBC or any other broadcaster than Westminster does at present.

The SNP is setting up a commission under the control of Blair Jenkins - not an SNP member. If you listen to GMS you will have heard the head of STV saying that he thinks this is a positive move.

Only a total loony would think this was about trying to take over the media.

UUUUUrgh, how disgusting!!! It would seem Doggie1980 has a penchant for snotters!!!!

AJ

Aye go for it. Mind wear those gloves. There might be alot of bile expelled fae that. Looks like its oozin in it fae where am staundin!!!

*squints a look at the gurgling belly of the beast"

ooyah...here take the knife al hold him down

367 Hoops,
whoa hold on don't get carried away, he's only been gone a week

You two are of in your own little fantasy.

No you're together on a fishing trip. Did you give each other flowers also?

Magic,

Slightly oot o' sinc there but never mind!!!! At least that's the last we'll see o' Doggie1980!!!!

You should write for Viz or the Daily Mail.

#295. Still within the NHS which is a UK institution.

Is that the ghost of Doggie1980 - the Caped Snotter Eater of Old London Town?

203, European Scot, I dont who you are as I have never meet anyone like you. I live in a Loyalist area, work for a Loyalist firm and have always been proud of who and what I am. On the whole we hated McConnell, distrust Salmond and like Brown. While I think some of Salmond's ideas are good for Scotland there seems to be a mist of hatred of the concept of Britain by SNP supporters which clouds any discussion. As such we cannot tell the difference between them and Celtic fans. Reading comments such as Tog elicit only one response "No Surrender".

Now you can see each other exclusively. Are you going to put each other as your other halfs on Bebo with your fishing trip snaps? Keep the risque ones off the site please.

What a team. It's cute.

#334. The SNP 'dog t*rd' logo is quite fascist looking (as was the Tory torch logo of the Thatcher years).

#373. Don't be naive Miss H, Alex isn't going to spell it out but controlling the media his game plan. You lemmings will follow him anywhere.

#383,384

Who wrote that? All I can detect is a half eaten bogey!!!!!!

#382 Camster

"I live in a Loyalist area, work for a Loyalist firm and have always been proud of who and what I am.

On the whole we hated McConnell, distrust Salmond and like Brown."

I take it from this that you're not sure what school Salmond went to.

This is a completely different argument. It's not about religion, it's about where the decisions for our country are made. And whether we want our country to have the powers that every other, normal country has.

#85. Royster: Aye, you wish!!!!!!!

Love the Idea of come danceing in Stonway (sorry about spelling it wrang) though!!!!

Yer get ahead of yer self though!!!

New first, then docramentrys & newsy typer programmes, then weans programmes, bla, bla, bla (other types of programmes) and lastly Scottish soaps and reality TV programmes.

#389

That half eaten bogey was his brain!!

Magic,

You could be right, the poor boy wasn't blessed in that department either!!

Salmons attempts to control the media smack of the actions of the Dark Lord in Harry Potter! I thought old Alex the trawlerman was nicer than that - does he really aspire to be Master of the Dark Arts?

Richard,

It's a funny looking joaby and it's no pointy like a swastika!!! Whatever could the boy be meaning?

I'm sure that if the SNP happened to use a red rose as its emblem, the likes of Royster would manage to find some connection with nazis.

Royster only proves one thing, that if you look hard enough for something you will find something. But the idea comes from him, not what he looks at.

400 ya beauty!!!!

get in thair!!

Is there a competition on in the Scotsman and SOS to see who can produce the worst picture of Alex Salmond?

Are their photographers so crass, so stupid, so incompetent that they can't produce a simple honest reproduction of the man?

I for one am thoroughly sick of this anti Salmond anti SNP propaganda. It would appear that The Life and Times of Dr Joseph Goebbles is standard reading in the Scotsman/SOS these days.

Some of youz talk worse than half of the politicians!

St.Andrew's Day as a full public holiday - that's the ticket!

Just looking at his wee wishlist there it seems he has a well-though out plan.

#395 Sue

Slamond is not wanting to control the media.

He wants broadcasting to be devolved, so that the Holyrood Parliament is responsible for Scottish braodcasting rather than for Westminster to be in control.

So, why do you think it is dark and sinister to wish to have the Scottish Parliament in control of Scottish broadcasting, but that it is not dark and sinister to want to have the UK Parliament in control of Scotland's broadcasting?

Something i havent understood and this is just out of morbid curiosity......why the big fascination about hitting the ton??? -)

Excellent final paragraph Talorthane 403.

#326 Miss H

My point is that I was responding to #316 but your input was welcome despite your tone!

#405 Dougie

Those hormone replacement pills your taking sure give you the breasts like her. Did they do the same for your voice??

#335 - GM

Lots of proposals, plans etc - you seem to have simply regurgitated the SNP manifesto.
Nice to be reminded of what's ahead!

Why is he wanting to ban remote controls? Is this part of the healthy living agenda? I like my remote and i am going to keep it. So there.

Once again Salmond leading from the front, Scotland has and always been treated as a second class country by the EBC, it's time!
Unionsts tossers, keep up with your bile it makes good reading.

#344 Talorthane
Dang - I've been rumbled. Guess I'll need to find a new lexicon of words to describe the bellicose and emotional rubbish being expounded in the name of the SNP.

Methalions

Good afternoon. Thanks for that. Not sure im quite with it still tho -)....bit of a brunette moment here :D

#387. The Antifascist: Welldone in producing the most difficult comment to read on this page!!!

You just couldney have a comment more squuished up!!!!

#380
You just dont get it do you
NHS Scotland comes directly under the Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon

#403. Sorry Talorthane but I don't want it "So, why do you think it is dark and sinister to wish to have the Scottish Parliament in control of Scottish broadcasting, but that it is not dark and sinister to want to have the UK Parliament in control of Scotland's broadcasting?"
Just look at Iran and Russia where politicians are in control of the media.
Now if you mean that Scotland should be responsible for Scottish media or that Scottish media ought to be "made in Scotland", that's more worthy of a discussion, even though I don't agree with you. But please let's not have parliament / politicians in control!! Yoicks!

Methalions

Thanks mate ;-)

#395. Sue (granddaughter of a Glaswegian engineer): I dinna ken what yer on about!

Why does a fiction story fit it to Scotland News rooms reporting the News.

Surely the News is factal about whats going on!!!

Please don't refer to anything that goes on in Scotland to a fiction story.

It makes no sence & also is anoying cause we're real people and the people in the story are NOT.

#414 MacShimmey

I think that it's also interesting that they have decided on the strategy of trying to portray the SNP's ideas as parochial. As presumably they can find no response as to why Scottish braodcasting should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

Given the subject matter, broadcasting, I think they're in trouble.

Surely the parochial approach to broadcasting would be to have nothing to do with it, to only focus on your own area, or to leave it to others.

But what is proposed is almost the complete opposite. The aim is for Scotland to be involved in the decisions made about broadcasting in Scotland (and how it operates in the wider wolrd), to reflect the news from the world, the UK and Scotland in a way that is relevant to Scotland's veiwers, and to be responsible for this industry in Scotland.

Still can't answer the question Magic?

What about you AJ? Have you got the gall to answer or will it be more of the fishing trip?

:-D

Are you serious ;)

#421 Geomac

Apologies for the loose language.

Clearly neither I nor the SNP are proposing that they or the Scottish Parliament are "in control" of broadcasting in the sense that they would make decisions about the content.

They wish the Scottish Parliament to be "in control" in the same way that Westminster is currently "in control" of broadcasting in Scotland and the rest of the UK.

But you knew that.

Still no answer on the hot new couple? How come so coy? Are you both in other relationships... outside first and second cousins.

#410. Help Ma Boab: ye can have yer remote control as long as you buy one of the following and use it while waching the telly:

A wee trampoline
An exersise bike
2 cans of beans (to use as weights)
A pair of skiping ropes
Wan of those big balls (they use in arbics, palaties & yoga, I think)
Or any thing else thats a wee bit like the above!!!!!

#430 Talorthane says "But you knew that." Of course T but it's a lot more fun when you pretend otherwise!!!

Happy days - time for my medicine (G&T beckons!)

Dougie1980

Are you still here with your bawbag rhetoric???

#432 Methalions

Thats fine i can play on my own thanks ;-)

So Scotland will spend its current contribution of 9 % of the total funding on Scottish TV? Or will the licence fee in Scotalnd rise?

England will continute to spend the other 91% hmmm glad I'll be somewhere where I can watch both.

Oh no. Now I'm nervous. It was an easy one and they both know what it said. I think they are seeing each other. Love you all xxx :-DDDDD

#428 Melathions - who said I hated you - not one bit. I enjoy our tussles - ex name calling, that is <smile>. ()()=====D

oh well thats me off....cant believe my post #253 got moderated tut :-(...nothing wrong with that!!!

#429. Dougie1980: What are you on?

What are you on about PAL? I've no got a clue what yer on aboot if yer refering to!!!! If it's a telly programme please Note I've not seen much telly other the past 4 years so I'm NOT too sure whats going on in River City at the moment!!!

Is this person Dyslexic too?

#439. Soph: What about Walse & Northen Ireland or have they just became part of England?

#445 Eve

There's certainly something fishy about him.

I can't quite plaice what it is.

But he definately seems to have fallen off his perch.

#444. Methalions: Is there no a pot of some kind in it?

Oh by the way, luv the number 444!!!!

#442 Melathion says "Did you not previously post as Geomac, Kinross?"
Kinross is in Scotland last time I looked - I don't want Wee Eck or SNP activists looking for me!! Oh Dang, I've done it again - sorry Melathions!! <smile> :-)

First Minister demands end to remote control of television
-------------------------------------------------------
Salmond the barking Scot without teeth..

Careful dude, G. Brown may give you what you want, but don't need.

SNP has no money
No money, no TV system
Ask The Royal bank Scotland for loan dude
Stop sucking off G. Brown and Westminster
Ask Donald Trump for loan dude, he will really rip you off.

Hey Alamond dude, 2/3 of Scottish voters did not vote for the SNP in last election.

So don't get carried away in your dreamland of independent everything.

Dude in business which controls all, its about merger not independence.

They have the money SNP has none . SNP will have less if they con the Scots into independence.

Independence is just a word Dude, it ain't going to get you a seat in the local Opera House. You need money for that.

Happy SNP Dreaming Day

GC

Well as a Geordie boy I'm fed up with watching Scottish news so I got sky and now I never need to watch Newsnight Scotland or the Scottish news or wierd gaelic telly ever again. Magic !

#448. Talorthane: Ah a parrot thats eaten too many sardens!!!!!!

Wait a minute this is Scotland trying to get folk to eat oily fish is really difficult, must be cod!!!!

#451: Oh!!!!

Yer still talking Mince!!!!!

Get this Muppet out of power NOW!

Who gives a F$%K what is on television when we need hospitals and schools - so good to see Salmond has his priorites right!

#453. guru: Thats yer choice & yer dessision!

Most Scots want proper News coming from BBC Scotland, and ye can carry on doing what yer doing if ye dislike it!

382 camster

The loyalty I feel is to my country, probably old fashioned, even corny, whatever else cynics might label that, just old fashioned loyalty.
Although living at the moment in Europe, my country is Scotland.
Britain in it's day was doubtless a powerful state, and particularly so during the Victorian era, a World force to reckon with, and truth to tell there was a lot that one can look back on with pride.
However times have moved on, and many of the countries that were part of that Empire have since become independent.
You know all of this, so moving forward to the current situation. Here we have yet another country aiming to get it's independence, but this one is much closer to home. For some reason, the same rules don't seem to apply.
There are a group of people who want to hang on to Britain and Britishness, and who don't want this particular country to have it's independence.
For me, the Union to belong to is European.
As a member, Scotland would be a country, with a voice, with an identity. It would also be eligible to be a member of the UN.
In World terms Scotland would get back it's' rightful status as a country.
It's very basic to me, remain in the UK, and remain a region of Britain with no status or recognition as a country or nation.
Gain independence, get a seat at the European table, along with a voice, and become recognised as a country / nation in Europe, and throughout the rest of the World.
There is no hatred or anger involved here, just a belief in my country standing on it's own two feet again.
It's all about identity and recognition.
Having it's own Television and Radio broadcasts is
just a part of that.

Albanoch (Kyoto) No. 2, please note that 'no longer to have possession of something' is "to lose". "To loose" is 'to set something free'. Also, the possessive pronoun is "its" not "it's". "Noticeable" has an 'e' in the middle, and "resurrected" means 'brought back to life', so one of your terms is redundant.

291, yes, being able to read, I do know that the commission is primarily aimed at devolution of broadcasting. However, many of your fellow posters seem quite prepared to get rid of the BBC in Scotland-and you can't deny that's the eventual aim of the SNP.

Such as 254, for example, who accuses the BBC of "resting on its laurels" for the past 20 years. Off the top of my head: Our Friends in the North, Pride and Prejudice, House of Cards, Martin Chuzzlewit, Bleak House, Doctor Who, State of Play...yes, shockingly bad stuff-we'd be better off without it.

What is proposed is local national and international news coverage from a distinctly Scottish perspective.It would also presumably demand that spending of the BBC and IBA networks match our 9% population,and that could manifest itself in a number of ways .For instance,instead of a Radio Station called BBC Radio Scotland (part time) we could have something approaching the network of regional and city stations funded by our licence fees which are all over England yet not a single one exists in Scotland (all local stations here are IBA advertising funded)

Anybody who suggests that this is not seriously out of balance cant count!

There would be more coverage of sport and drama produced here no doubt.
I would also like to see a realisation from BBC Glasgow that they serve Scotland,not Strathclyde only.At least SMG have gone some way toward this by splitting the news from Edinburgh and Glasgow (but you need to be on Craigkelly transmitter near Burntlisland ) or on cable TV to get the Edinburgh version .People in the vicinity of the shadow of Corstorphine Hill will possibly not receive a signal which is free of ghosts ,and consequently use the Glasgow (Black Hill near Shotts) service instead and West Lothian can probably forget it.
What is proposed is that Scottish broadcasters broadcast in Scotland to Scotland,and with only a 5 million population the bulk of input will always come from the network ie status quo.WE could not possibly produce any more programming than our fair share because we don't have the population or income to do so.
Labour says the SNP has a hidden agenda .
Well if they have its well hidden and its more than Labour have got with their non agenda.
Roll on Reporting World from Glasgow Edinburgh Dundee Aberdeen Inverness etc.

Every nation has a separate news coverage.
Theres no reason why we should not do so also,apart from it might be seen as the opposite of what Labour have been telling you,ie a

Nothing short of a SBC funded by Scots licence payers will do.

The news staion Scotland already has just needs publicised

http://www.wido.co.uk/html/index.php

Great
Instead of the EBC (English Broadcasting Corporation) it is going to be the SNBC.
Seem to remember Gobells took over all the media in Germany.....

Richard ###########
Richard, west lothian / 6:40pm 8 Aug 2007
‘History.
I see the monarch as a figurehead and living embodiment of that long line of history and tradition.
After all she/he reigns with the Scottish people’s forbearance because unlike in England, we the people of Scotland are sovereign.’

Richard, history is hardly the best justification for the continuation of the monarchy, when you consider we are in a country which has had to play second fiddle to its larger neighbour for as long as the crowns have been joined. Furthermore, to add insult to injury, this figurehead monarch of yours, who is rarely, if ever, identified as representing Scotland abroad, but Britain, is informally referred to as the King or Queen of England, not Scotland.
Finally Richard, as you most eloquently put it, ‘we the people of Scotland are sovereign’ not the monarch, and therefore the monarch doesn’t actually reign over us, not even symbolically as they do in England.

#451. Can't stand opera, dude, so if that's the main drawback with independence, I think may survive.

By the way, what you said earlier about "happy shroomy cloud day" - don't tell me you guys have dropped the atom bomb again...

This country is going to the pits.

Sooner SNP are out the better - hopefully before they've done too much damage.

Memyself&I., #470.

Surely the very reason the SNP got its chance, is because the country had already gone to the pits.

#457. Methalions : It's the same folk that are here!!!!

McLesh is looking really auld this weather!!!!

educational snob., #461.
Have you a point educational snob, or has your snobbery taken over from any good sense you may have been born with.

#462
Which one was made in Scotland either by an Independent production company or by BBC Scotland?
I think youll find none is the answer, but by all means check.
The point that I and many others are making is simply this, that we want to see more production in Scotland, both for the home market as well as network, the spin off from that would be a help also to the Film industry in Scotland, with more technicians, cameramen etc being employed
Yes as far as broadcasting in Scotland is concerned, the BBC has been resting, which doesnt help the industry as a whole

#458. Yonthing: Holyrood is in rease for summer!!

Any thing the SNP are doing now for Scotland is a lot more than what the Labour party did durring the summers.

I think you'll find they have did things in thoes areas too. Truely amsing they got the ability to do more than wan thing at a time.

Oh, just need to mention. I'd like to thank the SNP lead Exectutive and Parlement for putting a stop to the graduates endowenment. I feel honnered to be wan of the first to have that £2,200 debt lefted away from me. If it wasn't for the SNP I'd have that debt add to the money I allready owe the students loan company.

467

The 5 million population of Scotland guarantees that we will be heavily dependent upon network and USA broadcasting (even more than we already are)and its financially impossible for anything else to happen. The Labour Party s so called SNP hidden agenda is once again designed for anybody daft enough to believe it!
The SNP struggles to fund itself,how could it possibly fund a seperate Scottish Broadcasting Corporation. The only money it has in any sense of the word ,is that part of our taxes which we get back from London and they can only be spent with opposition approval and scrutiny. What this has got to do with Nazi Germany I cannot even begin to contemplate.-unless you mean everything controlled from a neighbouring country,which is what we currently have,and will for the bulk of content definitely continue, but its certainly NOT what is being proposed!

#470. Memyself&I: What ye on?

What country are ye talking about?

Are ye actualy in Scotland?
Here Pal have awee read of the articles on that sight:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Home

#474. Methalions: Aye, I made a comment on Tueday I think!!!

I need to think more before I write on that sight as my dad reads it while he eats his lunch and sometime after work. (He'd reconsise my spelling & writting style)

#451.GalacticCannibal, Murrieta, CA Ancestors Cave men eat shrooms / 5:02pm 9 Aug 2007.

GalacticCannibal, I have got a message for you, you are but a brain in a jar, which my colleagues and I are controlling. All knowledge you possess has been down loaded from our super computer and all nutrients you need to survive by tube. Just one problem for you, you can never ever prove overwise.

Heres a link to wach Samlon and co make there case:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2007/08/08084607...

Lisen, Watch and enjoy (or don't be to down and out about if yer a unionist)

Comment #1

The same mishmash of weak arguments from Scots unionists and non Scots unionists trying to tell the rest of us how bigoted the rest of us are for daring to change things and wanting (now demanding) more control of our own affairs.

Broadcasting may not be the most important subject that the Scottish government needs to tackle but it is certainly an emotive subject and well worth comment and change, hence the large number of posts in the past few days.

Methalions - I think I have heard the English on Coronation Street saying 'wee Eck' quite often, as in, "Do we 'Eck as like!".

Mr Salmond our First Minister is doing very well thank you..

Vote SNP...

#467.ThePeter, Glasgae / 5:36pm 9 Aug 2007
‘Great
Instead of the EBC (English Broadcasting Corporation) it is going to be the SNBC.
Seem to remember Gobells took over all the media in Germany.....’

Yes, and I remember reading about the second half of the nineteenth century, when the establishment were so sh** scared nationalism was on the rise, and Scotland would push for independents, that they manipulated events in a country which believed in equality to create sectarianism in our land, believing the people would be too stupid to realize. Mainly in Glasgow I think.

Antifascist, I believe name change to fascist would be appropriate for you after reading many of your posts..

No arguement, no debate, game over. How gawling you have picked such a name...

Comment #2

Most people in the industry seem to think this is long overdue and have voiced strong support ans anyone watching newsnight (Scotland) last night will have seen.

The BBC have promised more Scottish content since over a decade and have not delivered it is so bad that unfortunately politicians need to do something about it.

Some commentors here say Keep the Executive out of Broadcasting..... err...what the funk do you think Westminster does now? And what a great service we have been getting..NOT.

Broadcasting is a microcosm of everything that is unbalanced in the our unequal union. Put more of our fair share in and get p*** all in return.

The manipulation by the Bliar Nulabour party with the BBC was appalling. This seems to have been forgotten by many posters on this thread.

#484.The Antifascist, Edinburgh / 6:29pm 9 Aug 2007
‘the Antifascist knows that devolution was eventually meant to kill nationalism stone dead, but it hasn’t quite yet.’

I’m sure those in the Labour party wanted as many voter as possible to vote for them, and to calm a degree of nationalism created by the stupid Tories behaviour towards our country. Though I believe it was arrogance to believe it was the easy way out.

I think it is a very bad Idea having any government whos ever it is controlling the broadcasting net works its the first leg up to a state dictatorship
the SNP are already planning to scrapp local government and centralise all the services in parliament. they have been talking about scrapping all opposition parties to have a one party parliament
there you go onwards to a robert mcgabe style country because those who are relying on oil forget it the wells are nearly dry thats why the major oil companies are beginning to pull out. its costing more to extract it than it can be sold for.

#492. daveserviceman: Where do you get yer information from?