John Archer was invited to discuss BBC Scotland and the independent sector in Scotland at the Culture, Media and Sport committee yesterday, Tuesday 24th June. The inquiry is looking at evidence regarding the future of the BBC.
Also included on the panel were Ian Jones, S4C in Wales and Richard Williams of Northern Ireland Screen.
John started off discussion with commending the cultural impact of the BBC in Scotland, and pointing out room for improvement.
“We made a programme about the history of drama and productions in Scotland since television started 60 years ago. And in the 70s and 80s, particularly, there were distinctive network productions from Scotland, which told Scottish stories with writers like Peter McDougall. I think recently that’s weakened by importing drama production to Scotland possibly in order to meet quotas, which is an admirable aim, but it’s not making the most of what can be grown within Scotland. ”
You can watch the full panel discussion here, with the discussion on regions starting at 55 minutes in.