BBC ANNOUNCES £14 MILLION FOR SCOTTISH PRODUCTIONS

THE BBC’s Director-General Greg Dyke has announced the phasing in of up to £14 million a year extra for BBC Scotland.
The increase, part of the recently announced spend by the BBC on Nations and Regions, will start with an additional £7 million in 2001/2, but the full funding increase will not be made available until 2003/4.
Making his announcement in a speech to the Glasgow and West of Scotland Newspaper Press Fund Lunch in Glasgow, Dyke said that decisions on how the additional £14 million would be spent would be made by BBC Scotland, but the emphasis would be on original drama, comedy and entertainment for audiences in Scotland.
Dyke said: “The decision on how that money is spent will not be taken in London but here in Glasgow because that is what devolution is about. Devolution meant we needed to change the relationship between London and Glasgow within the BBC, we needed to give more autonomy to the nations and that is what we are doing.”
As part of the new programme plans, the Director-General said that there were proposals to develop a new Scottish soap which would be broadcast twice a week on BBC One in Scotland.
John McCormick, Controller of BBC Scotland, (pictured) said: “This is the biggest single investment increase in the history of BBC Scotland giving us new opportunities to make many more programmes specifically for audiences in Scotland. This is quite separate from plans to add to the current portfolio of programmes that we make for the UK networks. It is a huge vote of confidence in the rich talent-base here in Scotland.”
The additional funding represents a 21 per cent increase in the budget for investment in Scotland.
(CD)