A SCOT, who is director of television for Irish language station, TG4, has been appointed head of content at the Gaelic Media Service, one of two partners seeking to create a Gaelic language TV channel.
Alan Esslemont joins the publicly-funded GMS as it seeks – along with the BBC – to establish a digital TV channel dedicated to Gaelic.
It is said he was appointed partly because he has experience creating a new TV channel. He is said also to have a reputation for, and expertise in, developing innovative and imaginative programme strands.
Alan was born in Braemar and grew up near Brechin. He has lived in Ireland since 1984, when he went to teach Scottish Gaelic at University College Galway.
Says Alan: “TG4 has had a dramatic impact on the image of Irish Gaelic and on the language’s vitality. This is a very exciting time for broadcasting in Scotland. There is already a strong tradition of Gaelic programme making and I’m confident that we can work together to create a successful channel that will benefit Gaelic speaking viewers and Scotland as a whole.”
