Gaelic Media Service
Two cheers for the announcement of the start date of March 2008 for the Gaelic digital TV channel; after a consultation on the 'public value test'.
According to reports the channel is expected to cost £16-£17m per annum. That's where my concerns start.
My first concern is that the 'box has been ticked' and that Gaelic TV has been delivered into a ghetto that actually does nothing for the language.
Secondly, the 'cost of the channel' is nothing of the sort. It is the budget allocated for the channel.
Deduct the infrastructure costs, the administration costs, the marketing budget and how many hours broadcasting are you actually getting? S4C has an annual budget of £63m.
The third concern, and this is much more parochial, is how much of this money will be spent in the Gaelic areas to secure the language and the businesses that should develop here? The channel will only have a fundamental effect on the language if the production companies can use the money to underpin their operation and become a viable business, delivering programmes in English and Gaelic, and developing the infrastructure in theGaeltachtGaidhealtachd.
Having authored a major report for the Gaelic TV Service in the early 1990's, I know how little such a small sum will actually produce in TV hours.
It all smells of a small sum to placate the natives, rather than a serious attempt to do something for the language.
My children find the cartoons on the TV where ever we go. They will happily watch anything in any language, and enjoy it. Our Freeview box has TeleG as one of the selections, but only once have I ever seen anything being broadcast on it. They do see (and enjoy) Gaelic programmes on BBC2, but will this remain? If the service becomes a series of dubbed imports augmented by the occasional home-produced programme, replacing, rather than supplementing, all Gaelic broadcasting on other channels - such as Europa - then it will be almost pointless.
Will we see new opportunities in the islands or will it be Glasgow West-End TV?
According to reports the channel is expected to cost £16-£17m per annum. That's where my concerns start.
My first concern is that the 'box has been ticked' and that Gaelic TV has been delivered into a ghetto that actually does nothing for the language.
Secondly, the 'cost of the channel' is nothing of the sort. It is the budget allocated for the channel.
Deduct the infrastructure costs, the administration costs, the marketing budget and how many hours broadcasting are you actually getting? S4C has an annual budget of £63m.
The third concern, and this is much more parochial, is how much of this money will be spent in the Gaelic areas to secure the language and the businesses that should develop here? The channel will only have a fundamental effect on the language if the production companies can use the money to underpin their operation and become a viable business, delivering programmes in English and Gaelic, and developing the infrastructure in the
Having authored a major report for the Gaelic TV Service in the early 1990's, I know how little such a small sum will actually produce in TV hours.
It all smells of a small sum to placate the natives, rather than a serious attempt to do something for the language.
My children find the cartoons on the TV where ever we go. They will happily watch anything in any language, and enjoy it. Our Freeview box has TeleG as one of the selections, but only once have I ever seen anything being broadcast on it. They do see (and enjoy) Gaelic programmes on BBC2, but will this remain? If the service becomes a series of dubbed imports augmented by the occasional home-produced programme, replacing, rather than supplementing, all Gaelic broadcasting on other channels - such as Europa - then it will be almost pointless.
Will we see new opportunities in the islands or will it be Glasgow West-End TV?
8 comments:
Having 'authored a MAJOR REPORT' I would imagine you might know that the Gaeltacht, is in fact, in Ireland....Gaidhealtachd in Scotland....
TeleG might as well not be there. Broadcasting between 6 & 7 p.m., when almost everyone is having their tea and/or watching the news, is daft. They say they broadcast through that hour, but I've never actually seen a whole hour of programs broadcast, usually a half-hour or so.
A Gaelic TV channel sounds good on the face of it, but I suspect it might end up being Glasgow westend tv, as you suggest, unless moves are made to create opportunites in the islands (another wee job for AA/ABM?). The talent is certainly here, but sometimes the wrong people seem to get the cash and the results are forgettable to say the least. With the language under threat, TV in Gaelic needs to be original and memorable, not throwaway stuff like 99% of English-language TV.
Having seen in the passing some scenes being filmed for "comedy" series in Stornoway, and being embarrassed beyond words at the poor standard of writing, acting, production, everything really, I can only hope that the small budget the channel gets is used wisely. I would suggest a mixture of current affairs like Eorpa, documentaries of local historical interest, from our own (disappearing) industries such as Harris tweed, fishing as well as more stuff along the lines of the excellent documentary on the explorer Alexander Mackenzie. And some children's programs too (not overdubbed imports).
God help us if we sink into the abyss of Gaelic versions of 'Big Brother' and 'How Clean Is Your House'!
'Our Freeview box has TeleG as one of the selections, but only once have I ever seen anything being broadcast on it'
Why can't they just fire this up with a few repeats to kick it off? Not everyone gets to see the Thursday night output on BBC2. There must be enough 'Eòrpas' lying around to liven things up!
Mayb they'll have a remake of "Rita, Sue agus Aonghas BP, cuideachd" based on real events in Orkney.
"Mayb they'll have a remake of "Rita, Sue agus Aonghas BP, cuideachd" based on real events in Orkney."
Yes, a very pertinent comment on the original post [heavy sigh].
How much will Gaelic TV do to promote the culture, in its present form is it not a bit of preaching to the converted.
Perhaps the money should mainly be spent on innovative childrens and Teens TV.
I seem to remember on a recent thread people claiming that Gaaelic represented Scotland yet on this its all a bit parochial
The Broadcasting Act requires TeleG to be shown for only half an hour each day, and the progs have to have been aired already so they are repeats. I think they have the hour as many Gaelic progs are outwith the required 30 mins.
What a mess Gaelic TV. £9million spend each year and over the past decade, Gaelic speaking numbers drop close to extinction. Who really believes that the money is being spent wisely anyway? Time for an audit!
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