Stimulating Creativity And Cultural Excellence

Our multimedia Scotland’s History project linked television, radio and online events. The first five televised episodes were broadcast on Â鶹Éç One Scotland and, in early 2009, on network Â鶹Éç Two, to widespread public and critical acclaim. In Scotland, a third of the entire audience – around 1.6 million people – tuned in to the programmes, with over half of the population either watching, listening to the numerous radio programmes which supported the project or surfing the website. There were also near-capacity audiences at four related concerts, held across Scotland with the Â鶹Éç Scottish Symphony Orchestra (Â鶹Éç SSO). The second part of the television series will transmit later in 2009.

Overall, Â鶹Éç Scotland’s response to this public purpose was wide and varied throughout the year, with the cultural spirit of Scotland captured in programmes as varied as festival output, (such as T in the Park, The World Pipe Band Championships, the Tattoo and Celtic Connections), River City – now in its sixth year, The Culture Show and the work of the Â鶹Éç SSO, shortly to be under the direction of internationally renowned conductor Donald Runnicles.

The tribute to the Bard on the 250th anniversary of his birth resulted in television, radio and online output, including an audio archive project to collect all 600 plus works of Robert Burns for posterity (picture shows comedy ‘mockumentary’ No Holds Bard).

Representing The UK, Its Nations, Regions And Communities

Improved representation of Scottish issues on network news, the increased frequency of Â鶹Éç Radio Scotland opts and the launch of Â鶹Éç ALBA all helped to ensure that Â鶹Éç Scotland reflected Scotland to itself and to the rest of the UK.

Greater collaboration between network news and Â鶹Éç Scotland reporters/correspondents helped to ensure a richer, more varied range of perspectives on news and current affairs. The partnership with MG Alba resulted in the successful launch of the new Gaelic language service Â鶹Éç ALBA.

Popular and minority sports drew appreciative audiences, for international and Scottish Premier League football, shinty, bowls and Rugby Union, coverage of which included the Melrose Sevens and Scotland’s game against Canada in November, which was watched by 350,000 viewers – a 20% share of the audience – on Â鶹Éç One Scotland.

Programmes such as Scotland’s Clans and The Real Monarch of the Glen, single dramas such as New Town, for Â鶹Éç Four, and Zig Zag Love on Â鶹Éç One and, in their different ways, Landward from Aberdeen, children’s favourite Raven and Â鶹Éç Radio Scotland programmes such as The Radio Café, Out of Doors and much of the content to be found within the Radio Scotland Zones, all helped to reflect both historic and contemporary Scotland.