A SECOND music show has been earmarked for the axe on BBC Radio Scotland, as part of planned changes to the schedule that will see more speech-based programming during the day and music in the evening.
Global Gathering is set to follow the Janice Forsyth Show in being a casualty of the changes, though it is understood that its presenter, Mary Ann Kennedy, will – like Forsyth – continue to work for the Corporation, on other programmes.
In the wake of a news story announcing the likely fate of Global Gathering, The Scotsman’s leader column says: “No-one would argue Radio Scotland should never change, but these plans [re Forsyth and Kennedy] go against the wishes of the listeners who have no choice but to pay the licence fee. Is BBC Scotland in tune with the Scottish public it is there to serve?”
The new schedule – set to be implemented in the next few months – follows a review of its programming by governing body, the BBC Trust, which last year found high approval ratings.
But the Trust also said they felt the station should be offering programmes less similar to commercial radio.
The planned changes are also understood to reflect the outcome of two major pieces of audience research.
The changes will see additional news programmes in the Saturday morning schedule – with Derek Bateman hosting a Good Morning Scotland programme instead of Newsweek – and Global Gathering replaced by a weekly, revamped Classics Unwrapped programme, which will look at the classical music scene in Scotland.
