THE Culture Secretary at Westminster, John Whittingdale, yesterday launched a Green Paper, to consult on four key questions about the BBC: What is the overall purpose of the BBC? What services and content should it provide? How should the BBC be funded? and How should the BBC be governed and regulated?
And the story is variously reported across the media.
The Scotsman begins: “The BBC has warned that plans for a radical shake-up of the broadcaster will pave the way to ‘a much diminished, less popular service’.
“Culture Secretary, John Whittingdale, said yesterday that an upcoming review of the BBC’s Royal Charter will look at whether the broadcaster should continue to be ‘all things to all people’ or should have a more ‘precisely targeted’ mission in terms of its output.”
Read more, here.
The Herald, meanwhile, begins, on page seven: “Funding of Gaelic broadcasting could be reduced after ministers questioned whether or not the service offered taxpayers value for money.
“The Conservative Government has launched a review of the size and ambition of the BBC as part of the renewal of the Corporation’s Royal Charter.”
The Herald carries too an op ed, in its Agenda slot, from Maurice Smith, who writes (here): “Culture Secretary John Whittingdale wants to ask ‘hard questions’ about the size and ambition of the future BBC. The corporation responds by claiming that this implies ‘a much diminished, less popular BBC’.
“Prepare for much more rhetoric from both sides as the decennial battle for the soul of public service broadcasting begins.
“It is usually more fun for observers when there is a Tory government, as ministers arrive at the virtual negotiating table cheered on by backbenchers and right-wing leader writers baying for the death of the licence fee and all those overpaid BBC management types.”
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AN upcoming festival about magazines, taking place in Edinburgh, has added the publisher of a highly-regarded Irish magazine to its speakers roster.
Magfest – being run by the Scots division of the Professional Publishers Association – has announced Niall Stokes to its speakers list.
Stokes is publisher of ‘music and counter-culture’ title, Hot Press.
Says Hot Press, of itself: “One constant remains: Hot Press is a writers’ paper, with a thorough commitment to giving space to quality journalism: stuff that’s sharp, smart, witty, informed, and, above all, written with style.”
Magfest is taking place on September 18.
Read more, here.
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THE website, Daily Business, reports: “Media intelligence company, Press Data, has been handed a contract worth £12 million to provide services to the whole of the UK public sector for the next two years.
“The award, from the Crown Commercial Services, is a significant milestone for the Edinburgh-based company which monitors and analyses all news output from mainstream and social media.”
Read more, here.
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A DISTRICT reporter, based in Fort William, is being sought by The Press and Journal newspaper – as advertised, here, on the allmediascotland media jobs board.
The vacancy has been tweeted on both allmedianews and allmediajobs.
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VERY widely reported, including, here, on the BBC website: “A former senior information [communications] officer for the Scottish Government has been jailed for 18 months for using his mobile phone to take photos up women’s skirts.”
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MARKETING takes centre stage today, in The Scotsman’s Friends of The Scotsman section, including about the marketing of Edinburgh, by Gordon Robertson – here.
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WRITES The Herald sports columnist, Susan Egelstaff: “Few people would disagree that more young girls playing sport and leading active lifestyles is a good thing yet the subliminal message that percolates in society [including by the media] contradicts this.
“It is highlighted by the comments towards [tennis champion, Serena] Williams: we want girls and women to be strong but not too strong; fit but not too fit; athletic but not too athletic.”
Read more, here.
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THE Herald’s Drew Allan casts an eye over his paper’s letters page, these past few weeks.
He begins: “This may well be the first time this week you will have read a quotation from Charles V (1500-1558), and it may be some time before you are presented with another.”
Read more, here.
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