Service Review of Nations Radio: BBC Radio Scotland Analysis of Public Consultation February 2011 Prepared by Public Knowledge Table of Contents 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 2. INTRODUCTION 5 3. SUMMARY OF KEY THEMES 7 APPENDIX A: RESPONSES TO CONSULTATION QUESTIONS 13 Question 1: How do you listen to Radio Scotland and how often? 13 Question 2: Is there anything else you want to say about the ways you can or cannot listen to Radio Scotland? 15 Question 3: Radio Scotland has a number of commitments about news and current affairs: how well do you think it does these things? 17 Question 4: Radio Scotland has a commitment to provide significant coverage of sports in Scotland, including minority sports. How well do you think it does this? 20 Question 5: Radio Scotland also has commitments about reflecting life in Scotland: how well do you think it does these things? 22 Question 6: Radio Scotland has commitments relating to culture and creativity: how well do you think it does these things? 25 Question 7: Radio Scotland also has commitments about having programming which helps people learn: how well do you think it does these things? 29 Question 8: Radio Scotland should encourage participation by allowing listeners the opportunity to contribute in a variety of ways. How well do you think Radio Scotland does this? 32 Question 9: What do you think about the Radio Scotland web pages (bbc.co.uk/radioscotland)? 34 Question 10: Is there anything else you want to say about Radio Scotland? 36 APPENDIX B: PROFILE OF RESPONDENTS 38 2 BBC Trust Review of Nations Radio – Radio Scotland February 2011 © Public Knowledge 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 Background The Trust is the governing body of the BBC. Its role is to get the best out of the BBC for licence fee payers. One of the key ways in which it ensures that the BBC is delivering its public purposes is by carrying out a rolling programme of reviews of the BBC services. As part of these reviews the Trust conducts a public consultation in order to understand the views of licence fee payers. The Trust’s latest service licence review looked at BBC’s national radio stations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, including BBC Radio Scotland. 1.2 Consultation The consultation ran from 11 October 2010 to 12 January 2011. Licence fee payers were able to take part in the consultation via an online form or by completing a hard copy response. 630 people responded to the consultation. These responses were analysed by Public Knowledge, an independent research company, on behalf of the BBC Trust. 1.3 Key Issues from the consultation There were a number of key issues raised by respondents, it should be noted that these are the views of those who took part in the consultation and should not be considered representative of all listeners. Support for Radio Scotland Many respondents very much enjoy the service and are grateful for the coverage and content it provides. They rate the news highly and sports fans are very appreciative of the coverage of Scottish football. Scottish culture is thought to be well presented and respondents enjoy the opportunities to contribute to the station. Impartiality Although many respondents value the news from Radio Scotland, some of those who responded to the consultation claim that the station is not impartial in some areas. They state that there seems to be an anti-SNP attitude, and 3 BBC Trust Review of Nations Radio – Radio Scotland February 2011 © Public Knowledge therefore a lack of support for the Scottish government, and that the news coverage is perceived as biased towards Labour. Reflecting all Scotland Whilst the station is seen by many to reflect Scottish life well both in programming and on-air talent, a number of respondents feel that the station is too focussed on the ‘central belt’ and Glasgow. This is mentioned with reference to topics under discussion, voices on air, and sport coverage. Coverage of local culture Whilst many respondents feel that Scottish culture is well represented, in particular through the range of music played on the station, some feel Radio Scotland could do more to show the full extent of Scotland’s cultural diversity. In particular respondents suggest there could be more traditional Scottish music, and more Scottish drama. Some respondents believe local events should also be featured more strongly. Reception Respondents comment on problems with reception, particularly those who listen or would like to listen via DAB. There are also comments about poor Medium Wave or FM coverage. Sports Coverage Whilst there is a wide appreciation for the sport which is broadcast on Radio Scotland, both in terms of quality and range, some respondent raise issues including a perceived over-emphasis on football in particular the ‘old firm’ teams, and calls for more coverage of minority sports, in particular those of interest to Scotland such as shinty. 4 BBC Trust Review of Nations Radio – Radio Scotland February 2011 © Public Knowledge 2. INTRODUCTION 2.1 About the review The BBC Trust is the independent governing body of the BBC representing the interests of licence fee payers. The Trust’s role is to get the best out of the BBC for licence fee payers and to secure effective promotion of its public purposes. The Trust is required to represent the interests of licence fee payers, assess their views carefully and appropriately, and have regard to the competitive impact of the BBC’s activities on the wider market. It must also ensure that the BBC observes high standards of openness and transparency. Each of the BBC services has a ‘service licence’ which details the remit for that service, outlining the overall format and particular characteristics the output of the service should embrace. The licence also indicates how the specific service should contribute to the overall delivery of the BBC’s public purposes. The BBC Trust is committed to reviewing each BBC service at least once during a five year cycle. This report will be considered as part of the review of the BBC’s Nation’s Radio services in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. This report covers responses to the consultation on Radio Scotland. The Trust has issued a service licence for BBC Radio Scotland which sets out what the station is expected to achieve. It is intended to be a speech-led service for adults which broadcasts a wide range of programmes reflecting the issues, events, culture and interests of the people of Scotland. In addition to local and national concerns, programmes should also address matters of UK and international significance from a Scottish perspective. Radio Scotland should provide programmes which are high quality, original, challenging, innovative and engaging. 5 BBC Trust Review of Nations Radio – Radio Scotland February 2011 © Public Knowledge 2.2 About the Public Consultation As part of any review, the Trust considers a range of different types of evidence including asking licence fee payers to respond to a number of specific questions about the services through an open public consultation. This consultation was open from 11 October 2010 to 12 January 2011. Respondents were able to reply to 10 questions either on the BBC Trust’s website or via hard copy leaflets. A total of 611 online responses and 19 hard copy responses were received. The BBC Trust has considered a range of evidence, including the views summarised in this report, and will publish its conclusions on the Trust website (www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust). The responses to the public consultation were analysed by Public Knowledge, an independent research company, on behalf of the BBC Trust. This report summarises both the key themes expressed by the public and responses to the 10 consultation questions. This report covers replies from individuals only - responses from stakeholders and organisations can be found separately on the BBC Trust website. 6 BBC Trust Review of Nations Radio – Radio Scotland February 2011 © Public Knowledge 3. SUMMARY OF KEY THEMES There were a number of key themes raised by respondents. It should be noted that these are the views of those who took part in the consultation and should not be considered representative of all listeners. Many respondents very much enjoy the service and appreciate the mix of programming. They also appreciate that it offers a purely Scottish service and value it highly. Scottish football is particularly mentioned as being well- supported and listeners enjoy the facility to listen to local matches. Respondents also mention that they value the Scottish culture, music and arts on the station. Many also recognise that there are some strong documentaries and current affairs giving the listener the opportunity to learn from the station. Radio Scotland is by far one of the most important and valued services offered in Scotland, with regular travel reports being of particular value. –Male 16 to 24 It's the main radio station that I listen to, for a good mix of programmes as well as excellent news coverage. – Female 35 to 44 Musically i think radio Scotland does pretty well, partly because there is availability for audience participation. many presenters have a more eclectic taste than the likes of radio 1. it is refreshing to hear such variety on one station - Male 35-44 The following areas are highlighted by the respondents as important, or where there is room for improvement. News and Current Affairs Programming Many respondents give positive comments on Radio Scotland’s news and current affairs programming, in particular citing its range of coverage both domestically and internationally. it gives a good picture of what is happening in Scotland and worldwide.