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| Reluctant Hero |
Salmond - Let there be footballQuite agree with Salmond's sentimentshttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7267706.stm Salmond hits out over TV football Alex Salmond has criticised broadcasters such as BBC Scotland and STV for not showing Scotland's international football matches live. In a hard-hitting speech, the first minister said Scotland's qualifying campaign for the 2010 World Cup would not be shown on terrestrial channels. He told the Royal Television Society in Glasgow that England's home matches would be shown on the BBC in Scotland. He said this was an "extraordinary and frankly unacceptable" position. National events Mr Salmond said: "Let me simply say that when it comes to getting the national team back onto the screens of all our citizens - it can be done and it must be done." He did not specify what action he had in mind but aides said the comments were aimed at broadcasters and the Westminster Government. "At UK level some national sporting events like Wimbledon and the Grand National are protected," said an aide. "If the Scottish Government had legislative competence over broadcasting, we would be able to protect Scotland's qualifying games and allow millions of Scots football fans to watch the game." Mr Salmond's call came when he delivered the Campbell Swinton memorial lecture. Even in Scotland, the only games shown on terrestrial television will be England's home matches Alex Salmond First minister Scotland's games in the Euro 2008 qualifiers were only broadcast live on subscription channel Sky Sports after a deal was done with the SFA. None of Scotland's World Cup qualifiers for the 2010 tournament, which begins in September, will be shown live on terrestrial TV. The home games will only be screened on Sky, with the away matches on Setanta. Ewan Angus, head of sport at BBC Scotland, said: "BBC Scotland attempts to secure live rights for Scotland games where possible. "During the European Championship campaign, for instance, we were successful in securing the rights for several of the away fixtures from individual football authorities. "These included the matches in Italy, the Ukraine and Georgia. "However it is an open market which is becoming ever more competitive and we have to be mindful, as a public service broadcaster with a finite amount of money to spend on sports rights, of using the licence fee to serve all of our audiences." 'Not surprised' In his speech, Mr Salmond praised Scotland's "impressive" performance in the European qualifiers. He said: "However, even in Scotland, the only games shown on terrestrial television will be England's home matches. "It is an extraordinary, and frankly unacceptable position. "And it reveals a carelessness in the attitudes of some broadcasters to their wider responsibilities." Elsewhere in the lecture, Mr Salmond said his administration was "angered but not surprised" at figures last October which showed Scotland's share of total UK network production falling from 6% in 2004 to 3% in 2006. This had prompted the decision to set up a Scottish Broadcasting Commission, whose interim report he welcomed. |
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| Calman |
It’s a breath of fresh air to have someone in office actually fighting Scotland’s corner. I for one would like to see control of broadcasting transferred to Holyrood. At least then some pressure could be put on the terrestrial broadcasters to show Scotland games, and we do pay a licence fee to the BBC so it’s not an unreasonable request.
When he was at it, he should have tackled the BBC on coverage of Scottish domestic football. Tonight for example there is a full SPL card and what are the BBC broadcasting in Scotland - Middlesbrough vs Sheffield Unitied. |
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| Aventinian |
Ah, some good old fashioned parochialism.
Who really gives a toss? Are we really too lazy to go down to the pub and watch the football, and perhaps rekindle some of our lost sense of community in the process? I don't think the BBC should be paying anything to secure coverage of sporting events. |
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| George |
Some good old fashioned bitterness from you.
Many people give a toss. No, we aren't too lazy, we don't want to go down the pub. Go down to the pub to rekindle lost sense of community? Aye right, I'll hide the kids under my jacket!!
I quite agree there, no sport at all or an even hand with all contributors within the U.K. |
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| Aventinian |
Yes, I am bitter about living in a place governed by idiots.
What? You can take children into pubs, you realise... Don't like it? Well, you can pay for a subscription to it, rather than having the money taken from the licence free. Either way, this is not something to be funded out of taxation. |
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| Lewis |
Personally I think it's a good idea to promote people being able to see our games. Some of us can't get down to the pub 
It's not that they always choose england, it's that sometimes they don't even bother showing Scotland and instead show Coronation street. It's really annoying. But I suppose it's all about money nowadays, so I'll just watch rugby. |
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| Morph |
one of the problems is that the SFA sell the rights to Sky, they should be made to sell at least one game to the BBC under 'national interest' like thegrand national or the tennis | ||||||||
| Lewis |
Yes, but modern society revolves around money. it is in the best interests of the SFA to get lots of dosh. and I suppose in a way we are better off as our team does better. | ||||||||
| George |
I'll ignore the rest of your post, however you appear to have missed the last paragraph of mine where I actually agreed with you on the BBC paying for sport. Now, do you agree that if they at least pay to show games for one part of the U.K. then they should pay to show games for all parts? |
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| kingkev |
Aye! your allowed kids in pubs, longs they`re accompanied with an adult and over 14 years of age what about the ones under 14 ? |
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| Aventinian |
No, they should show whatever is popular if that is the avenue which they wish to go down. Just because the BBC decides to air a rock concert doesn't mean they should feel obliged to show Mad Jim Fae Peebles playing the spoons when the demand for it is limited and he is, in fact, only popular in Peebles (and also a bit crap, really).
Well they can either find an adult to go with them or find somewhere else to watch. If neither of these options are available, then hard cheese I'm afraid. No different from me: I didn't have a television in my house for most of my childhood. Incidentally, a child doesn't need to be 14 to enter a pub. There are a number of restrictions on younger people, but it is certainly not a total exclusion. My local is full of f***ing kids come the village beer festival. |
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| Reluctant Hero |
So you basically advocate Scottish people being spoon fed English rubbish as the demand for English rubbish, 50m, will always outway Scotland's wishes, 5m? |
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| Reluctant Hero |
Just watched Question Time from Stirling and the same thing applied. There was no mention of any political question that was specific to Scotland (No we can't do that , the rest of the UK is watching ).
The first question was about Harry and his ten minutes of action in the "war zone". Then followed a serious of questions that related mainly to the House of Commons or International events. What was the point in coming to Scotland? |
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| Aventinian |
I think the question is as ridiculous as to suggest that Black Britons will always be spoon-fed 'White rubbish', or that upper class Britons will always be spoon-fed 'Middle class rubbish'. Or how about male Britons always being spoon-fed 'bloody wummin's rubbish!' (52% of the population, after all). Perhaps you should reflect on the fact that Rangers or Celtic matches are far more likely to be televised than those of Kirkintilloch Rob Roy FC for precisely the same reason - the former have more supporters.
And quite rightly so. When Question Time does come to Scotland (I haven't seen this one, but I saw what I believe was the last one) they devote entirely too much time to local affairs in a way that would never be granted to, say, issues relating exclusively to the West Country or East Anglia. It is a national programme with a national audience, the appeal should be widely relevant. Anyway, exactly what pressing political matters are there in Scotland? Football on the television, Wendy Alexander ignoring a few hundred quid going through her books? About the only point worth mentioning is the graduate endowment, which could prompt an interesting discussion on the arrangements for higher education and funding across the UK.
To give local people the ability to ask questions to their leaders about pertinent issues of the day.
That's a very cheap shot indeed. |
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| Holebender |
Perhaps you'd better define the meaning of "national" for us, given your very public distaste of all things "national". |
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| voiceofourown |
Seems to me Ave, that your contributions are, more and more, simply reflex responses.
Ave wrote
Mmm....last time I looked Black Britons and upper class Britons didn't have international football teams. Nor indeed a representative Parliament. In a footballing context at least, there is no UK. So why thrust upon us the games of a competing nation? Are the Dutch continually invited to share the triumphs and tragedies of the German national football team to the exclusion of their own? Like it or not Ave, most people in Scotland who identify with/ support a national football team, do so with Scotland. There is always talk of how much these games cost but surely a Scotland game will cost commensurately less than an England game. If the Beeb can outbid Sky for England games, why can they not outbid them for Scotland games? Or are they trying to tell us that hard-headed Rupe Murdoch is paying over the odds for Scotland internationals? - I think not. Anyway, it seems to me that it's just another manifestation of the desire by commercial interests to standardise the consumer - whether we like it or not. |
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| George |
Or to paraphrase, yes, the BBC sport policy will always be determined by the wishes of an English audience. If anyone dare question this policy then Aventinian reserves the right to call them parochial. The fact remains that the British Broadcasting Corporation will do whatever it takes to satisfy the sporting demands of an English audience, even minority ones (Boat Race anyone?). It generally ignores the needs of the other nations. |
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| Lochaber |
The non-broadcasting of Scottish football matches by the BBC is an example of the deep-seated and perennial desire to belittle Scotland's national status. But there is little point in complaining to those who are afflicted with a need to belittle others.
What should Scots do? They should hold the Scottish unionists to account. (Wendy Alexander, Nicol Stephen, Annabel Goldie, Gordon Brown, Alastair Darling,....) If will they will not remedy this situation then remove them from office. There are many other politicians who can - and will - give Scots the normal level of representation enjoyed by other nations. |
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