The newspaper for BBC pensioners Audibility issues on SS-GB Page 3 April 2017 • Issue 2 New home The BBC’s Local Radio for iconic first 50 years pilots – help red sofa in Scotland needed Page 3 Page 6 Page 12 NEWS • MEMORIES • CLASSIFIEDS • YOUR LETTERS • OBITUARIES • SUDOKU 02 BACK AT THE BBC New TV channel for Scotland A new TV channel for the BBC in Scotland will begin broadcasting in autumn 2018, director-general Tony Hall has announced. he channel will have a budget of The key points of the new channel – which – £19m new money and £11m from £30m, equivalent to the amount will be called BBC Scotland – are: current BBC Two opts spent on BBC Four. • A ‘prominent’ slot on the Electronic • Integrated hour-long news programme at The plans for the channel include Programme Guide (the exact slot will be 9pm, edited and presented from Scotland Ta Scottish news hour at 9pm, which will subject to discussions with providers such • 80 new posts for journalists broadcast stories from Scotland, the UK and a Freeview, Sky and Virgin) Lord Hall described it as the biggest single the world. • Available on iPlayer in HD in Scotland and investment in broadcast content in Scotland There had been calls for a Scottish Six, The director-general also announced an across UK for more than 20 years. which would integrate the main BBC News increase of about £20m a year for Scotland to • Broadcast from 7pm to midnight Scotland should receive about £40m in at Six from London and Reporting make UK-wide programmes. every evening new funding annually – £19m for the new Scotland in a news hour that would He said this would be focused on drama • A £30m budget for the new channel channel and digital developments, and £20m provide UK, Scottish and international and factual programming. for making network programmes. stories from Scotland. It is hoped that spending on network The proposals for a Scottish Six were in programmes made in Scotland for a UK- response to criticism that the News at Six wide BBC audience will rise from about often featured stories – for example on £65m this year to closer to £90m over the education and health – that had little Baby iguanas steal next three years. relevance to Scottish audiences. Tony Hall said: ‘We know that viewers in The Scottish government argued the BBC Scotland love BBC television but we also needed to ‘catch up’ with devolution and to the show...again know that they want us to better reflect their give its Scottish operation greater control of lives and better reflect modern Scotland. budgets, staffing and decision making. ‘The best way of achieving this is a Responding to the latest announcement, dedicated channel for Scotland. SNP MP John Nicolson said he welcomed ‘It’s a channel that will be bold, creative and the new channel and extra investment ambitious, with a brand-new Scotland-edited for Scotland. international news programme at its heart.’ However, he said he was ‘disappointed’ The new BBC TV channel for Scotland will the BBC had ‘killed off’ the idea of separate broadcast every evening and will show Scottish Six news on BBC One. drama, factual, comedy and news He said: ‘Of course it is great to have a programmes made in Scotland. separate Scottish Nine O’ Clock News but I The development of a nightly news hour at think it is very important to have a separate 9pm means that the news output on BBC One Six O’ Clock News on the main terrestrial in Scotland will remain in its current form. channel, BBC One. MYSTERY SUDOKU The thrilling ‘hurry up or die’ scene where ‘The brilliant sitcom Fleabag, produced by Two baby iguanas ran the gauntlet of being Brothers Pictures for BBC Three, won in two devoured by bloodthirsty snakes has been categories – ‘Best Original Programme’ and Complete the voted the ‘TV Moment of the Year’ at this ‘Best Multi-Channel Programme’. On top of grid so that year’s Broadcast Awards. that, the hilarious Mum was recognised as WIN every row, The incredible David and Goliath scene ‘Best Comedy Programme’. column and 3x3 from Planet Earth II was just one of the highlights BBC Studios took the coveted ‘TV Moment £10 box contains for the BBC at the Broadcast Awards, where it of the Year’ award with the truly thrilling Racer the letters won 11 of 19 available awards. Snakes & Iguanas scene from Planet Earth II. ADFILNORS in some order. Charlotte Moore, Director BBC Content, They also won ‘Best Music Programme’ for One row or column contains a said: ‘The Broadcast Awards were yet another Adele at the BBC. five or more letter word, title or great showcase of the distinctive quality of ‘Our colleagues in Children’s also received name with a BBC connection. content on the BBC. deserved recognition for My Life: The Boy on the Solve the sudoku to discover ‘Our factual programming featured Bicycle, which won ‘Best Children’s Programme’, what it is and send your answer: really strongly. The Real Marigold Hotel won and Topsy & Tim: Lovely Mossy winning ‘Best The Editor, Prospero, BBC ‘Best Popular Factual Programme’, Exodus: Pre-School Programme’. Pension and Benefits Centre, Our journey to Europe picked up ‘Best Documentary ‘And finally, the ‘Special Recognition Award’ Broadcasting House, Cardiff Series’ and Three Days of Terror: The Charlie Hebdo given to Later… with Jools Holland was a fitting CF5 2YQ by Monday, 8 May. Attacks was awarded ‘Best News and Current way to show appreciation for such a much- The winner gets a £10 voucher. Affairs Programme’. Swim the Channel was loved piece of music programming. Many thanks to Neil Somerville also highly commended in the ‘Best ‘Lots of awards – and yet again – plenty for for providing this puzzle. Documentary’ category. us to celebrate. Congratulations to everyone.’ Please send your editorial contributions, or comments/ feedback, to: Prospero, BBC Pension and Benefits Centre, Prospero is provided free of charge to retired Scheme Broadcasting House, Cardiff CF5 2YQ members, or to their spouses and dependants. Email: [email protected] Prospero provides a source of news on former colleagues, Please make sure that any digital pictures you send are developments at the BBC and pension issues, plus classified scanned at 300dpi. adverts. It is available online at www.bbc.co.uk/mypension The next issue of Prospero will appear in June 2017. To advertise in Prospero, please see page 12. The copy deadline is Wednesday, 3 May 2017. PROSPERO APRIL 2017 03 BBC Breakfast’s red sofa CONTACTS Visiting Scheme Available to BBC pensioners over 70, makes its way to Ramallah those recently bereaved, and anyone in poor health, the scheme is a method Walid Batrawi, Director of BBC Media Action, Palestinian Territories, explains of keeping in touch and operates throughout the UK. Visitors are BBC how one retired BBC Breakfast sofa found a new home in the Palestinian pensioners themselves. If you want to be visited, receive a phone call or meet Territories with BBC Media Action, the BBC’s international development charity. up somewhere mutually convenient, call 029 2032 2811. The contact is the he BBC Breakfast sofa is a TV icon. Five-year anniversary Being able to question public officials has same if you would like to become a visitor. During the show’s 34 years, For the past five years, the former Breakfast given our audience members greater countless presenters, politicians, sofa has been a fixture on two ‘Question confidence. One man in his 20s living in Queries musicians, pundits and members Time’ style TV debate shows, Aswat Min Felesteen Gaza told us, ‘I learnt not be afraid about For benefit and pension payroll queries, Tof the public have settled down on its bright (Voices from Palestine) and Hur El-Kalam questioning an official – and if they evade call the Service Line on 029 2032 2811 red upholstery. (Free to Speak). It has seen high-profile the question, I can ask it again.’ Others or email [email protected] When BBC Breakfast moved from London guests put through their paces by a lively thanked us for helping point them in the to a smaller studio in Salford in 2012, they studio audience – vital in a place that has direction of organisations that could solve Prospero needed a new sofa that would fit the space. suffered years of conflict and instability. their problems. To delete a name from the distribution list, The BBC was keen to donate the old one Guests have included former Prime ring the Service Line on 029 2032 2811. – and we needed to furnish the set of our Minister, Salam Fayyad who was challenged Prospero is provided free of charge to new TV shows in the Palestinian Territories. on his plans to plug the brain drain among retired BBC Scheme members only. Saved from the scrapheaps the iconic red sofa Palestinians, and Dr Anan Masri, Deputy ‘The iconic sofa continues Prospero is also available on audio was shipped, via the BBC’s Jerusalem bureau, Minister for Health who promised to look its life at the centre of a disc for those with sight impairment. to start a new life in Ramallah. into an alleged case of medical misdiagnosis. To register, please ring the Service Line. Alternatively, it is also available online project that’s helping the at www.bbc.co.uk/mypension, Palestinian Territories build under ‘Documents’. a more inclusive society’ BBC Club The BBC Club in London has a retired membership costing £3 per month or Since launching in 2012 with our partners £36 per year.