Call to put Gaelic TV on Freeview

The new BBC Alba television channel was launched a month ago

The chief executive of MG Alba will ask the BBC Trust to consider allowing the broadcast of the new Gaelic digital television channel on Freeview.

Programmes, launched a month ago, are available on Sky and Freesat, but it was not planned to show them on Freeview for another two years.

Alasdair Morrison said he would ask BBC Trust chairman Jeremy Peat if this could happen sooner.

The culture minister said she would support efforts to secure the coverage.

Mr Morrison said feedback from the first month of broadcasting had been hugely encouraging.

'High quality'

He said: "Our ethos is ensuring we deliver an excellent range of home-produced programmes, sports coverage, news and current affairs, which appeal to both the Gaelic community and right across Scotland.

"As well as continuing to deliver an excellent service, we will also be working hard towards achieving greater access to BBC Alba by securing transmission on Freeview."

Culture Minister Linda Fabiani said the Scottish Government had been very impressed at the reaction to the programmes.

She added: "As we consider the recommendations of the Scottish Broadcasting Commission's report, it's great that BBC Alba has launched with such distinctive and high quality programming.

"It has underlined what can be achieved on a dedicated Scottish channel.

"I look forward to hearing of the channel's continued success and am fully behind efforts to BBC ALBA securing Freeview coverage."

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version