BBC Radio Scotland is
BBC
Scotland's national English language
radio network. It broadcasts a wide variety of
programming including
news,
sport,
light
entertainment,
music,
the arts,
comedy,
drama,
history and
lifestyle. It replaced the Scottish
BBC Radio 4 opt-out service of the same name
from 23rd November 1978.
BBC Radio Scotland broadcasts 24 hours on
medium wave frequencies, broadcasting archive
programming under the name,
the zones, through the night.
From 0030 to 0600, FM frequencies carry a simulcast of
BBC Radio 5 Live.
History
BBC Radio Scotland was founded as a full-time radio network in
1978, although the name had been used since 1974 for the Scottish
opt-out version of
BBC Radio 4
(previously the
Scottish Home Service). The establishment
of a separate network was only made possible when Radio 4 became a
fully national network and moved from medium wave to long
wave.
Opt-out
stations were established in Inverness
(BBC Radio Highland) & Aberdeen
in 1976,
followed by Orkney
&
Shetland
in 1977, and
Selkirk
(BBC Radio Tweed) & Dumfries
(BBC Radio
Solway) in 1983. Previously planned opt-outs in Edinburgh,
Glasgow and Dundee were never realised.
The most famous and controversial head of Radio Scotland in recent
years was
James
Boyle.
Programmes
The station broadcasts a wide range of programming including
news,
debate,
music and
sport
commentaries.
News and current affairs
News and current affairs programming has always constituted the
dominant part of BBC Radio Scotland's schedules, especially on
weekdays. In addition to regular, mostly hourly, news bulletins,
the station broadcasts a wide range of longer, more in-depth news
and current affairs strands.
Good Morning Scotland
(weekdays, 0600–0900) is Scotland's longest-running radio programme
and one of the most popular in the country, providing regular news,
sport, business, travel and weather bulletins along with interviews
and in-depth reports in a manner similar to BBC Radio 4's
Today programme, but from a
Scottish perspective. It also features the daily religious slot
Thought for the Day, again similar to that broadcast on
Radio 4's
Today programme.
The other daily news and current affairs strands are the
Morning Extra
phone-in (0905–1000),
Scotland Live (1200–1245),
Newsdrive (1600–1800) and the political programme
Scotland at Ten (2205–2230).
Weekend current affairs programming includes
Newsweek
Scotland (Sat, 0800–0900),
Shereen (Sun, 0900–1000)
and
The Business (Sun, 1000–1030).
Music
Radio Scotland's music output is designed to cater for a wide range
of tastes. Daily programmes include
The Tom Morton Show
(1400–1600),
Get It On (1800–2000 (FM)) and
The Iain
Anderson Show (2230–0030).
From Monday to Friday, the 2000 – 2200 slot on FM is held by
various music programmes through the week. On Monday, Vic Galloway
hosts new bands and new music. Tuesday is home to
Mary-Ann
Kennedy's Global Gathering with music from around the world.
The Jazz House on Wednesday presents a range of jazz music
and
Archie Fisher's Travelling Folk features traditional
music, old and new. The week is rounded off with
The Music
Bed, with modern music and interviews.
Weekend programming includes
The Greetings Programme (Sun,
0700–0800) with a lively mix of music, past and present, Janice
Forysth (Sat, 1000–1130) with music and celebrity guests,
Take the
Floor (Sat, 1900–2030) and
Reel Blend with
cèilidh music,
Pipeline (Sat,
2100–2200) with piping music and
Classics Unwrapped with a
classical mix.
Sport
As with
BBC Radio 5 Live
nationally, BBC Radio Scotland carries most, if not all, of the
major sporting events linked to its coverage area, holding
exclusive rights to the
Scottish
Premier League and producing several editions of its
Sportsound programme on a
multitude of frequencies on Saturdays during the season. The
station also broadcasts live commmentaries from both of Scotland's
domestic football cup competitions, Scotland football
internationals and European games affecting Scottish teams and the
rugby union
Six Nations
championships.
Alongside the main live coverage, Radio Scotland also produces
popular sporting magazine shows such as football fanzine
Off the Ball,
phone-in forum
Your Call with Jim Traynor and the
multi-sports programme
Sports Weekly, presented by former
Scotland rugby player, John Beattie. A 15-minute bulletin,
Sports Report, reporting in-depth sport stories from
Scotland and beyond at 12:45pm on weekdays. Every weekday evening,
Sportsound also broadcasts on MW, 1810–2000, looking at
different aspects of Scottish football each evening.
Local opt-outs
BBC Radio Orkney and
BBC Radio Shetland both air a half-hour
daily news programme -
Around Orkney (0730–0800) and
Good Evening Shetland (1730–1800). During the winter
months, this is supplemented for both areas by an hour long
programme, broadcast Monday-Friday, between 1805–1900.
Local news and weather bulletins are broadcast from news studios in
Selkirk, Dumfries, Aberdeen and Inverness on weekdays at 6:54am,
7:50am, 12:54pm and 4:54pm with additional bulletins from Inverness
at 9:58am, 11:59am, 3:58pm and 5:58pm. Aberdeen opt-out bulletins
are also broadcast on Radio Orkney and Radio Shetland.
Presenters
Radio Scotland presenters include:
News
Travel
Sport
Music
Lifestyle, Features and Documenteries
Past presenters
Heads of Radio, Scotland
Controllers of BBC Radio Scotland hold the title "Head of Radio,
BBC Scotland" on account of BBC Scotland's radio productions for
other BBC networks.
| Years served |
Controller |
| 1978–1979 |
John Pickles |
| 1980–1983 |
Christopher Irwin |
| 1983–1987 |
Stan Taylor |
| 1987–1992 |
Neil Fraser |
| 1992–1996 |
James Boyle |
| 1996–2000 |
Ken MacQuarrie ("Head of
Broadcast") |
| 2000–2005 |
Maggie Cunningham |
| 2005–present |
Jeff Zycinski |
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