MG ALBA Operational Plan 2020-21 1 MG ALBA: Statutory Basis and BBC Collaboration Agreement MG ALBA is the operating name for Seirbheis nam Meadhanan Statutory Remit – Section 183 Broadcasting Act 1990, amended by Gàidhlig, the Gaelic Media Service, a body corporate established by section 208 Communications Act 2003 the Broadcasting Act 1990 and subject to Ofcom governance oversight. …to secure that a wide and diverse range of high quality programmes in Gaelic Members of MG ALBA (max 12) are appointed by Ofcom with the are broadcast or otherwise transmitted so as to be available to persons in approval of Scottish Ministers. Scotland [and to others] In carrying out their functions, the Service may finance, or engage in, any of Governance Board the following— (a) the making of programmes in Gaelic… Audit & Standards Nominations (b) the provision of training for persons employed, or to be employed, in Assurance Committee Committee connection with the making of programmes in Gaelic … Committee (c) research into the types of programmes in Gaelic that members of the Gaelic-speaking community would like… Fulfilling the Remit Management BBC ALBA Collaboration Agreement – 27 July 2007 Content Training Research This Agreement provides for the establishment and funding of BBC ALBA (launched 19 September 2008). Path to Gaelic Linear work community Under the terms of the Agreement MG ALBA, MG ALBA provides content, development, training, research and other contributions and the BBC provides Digital Talent news, content, distribution, branding, on-air promotion and other contributions, sufficient to ensure a broadcast schedule with an average of 1.5 hours per day of new content, with the intention of increasing this to 3 hours per day “should sufficient funding be available to the parties”. Funding UGC Networks MG ALBA staff and infrastructure are engaged in commissioning, scheduling The Scottish Government provides funding of £12.98m for 2020-21. and presentation of the channel, junction production, trails and promotion, and digital publishing workflows for new and archive content for BBC playout. 2 Executive Summary An Operational Plan for 2020-21 Key Themes This Plan sets out MG ALBA’s projected budgets and activities for the Commitment financial year to 31 March 2021 based on assumed funding of £12.8m The Plan maintains similar genre commitments to the previous year provided by the Scottish Government. and ongoing commitment to domestic and international content collaborations. The Plan allocates funding to support investment in The Plan seeks to contribute to the fulfilment of the aims set out in the Children’s genre and the development of new drama concepts. Lèirsinn 2021, MG ALBA’s published vision for the years 2016 to 2021. Multiplatform A new Lèirsinn We will consult on and publish a new Lèirsinn by 30 September 2020 The Plan supports a multiplatform content proposition that is intended to be robust and attractive to audiences, recognising the primacy of The Plan seeks to support the Scottish Government’s ambition for a non-linear platforms in certain genres. Significant additional effort is “faster rate of progress” with the National Plan for Gaelic by needed to ensure Gaelic content is available on all platforms, in HD, recognising MG ALBA’s role in fostering participation in digital media and that its digital discoverability is significantly enhanced. and learning. Grow our own – with partners The Plan recognises that growing competition for ideas, skills and This Plan meets MG ALBA’s commitment to the BBC ALBA talent in Scotland’s screen sector makes it increasingly important to Collaboration Agreement, promising a content contribution of £11.1m foster a healthy Gaelic media ecology with its own distinctive ethos, in and making other contributions including research and MG ALBA staff partnership with Screen Scotland, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, SDS, HIE, CnES and and assets for channel management. others. The Plan includes provision for a new 3-year Sports Production Strategy & External Affairs contract starting 1 July 2020. A new Director post appointed to this role will lead on the development of our vision statement (Lèirsinn) for the mid-term. The This Plan also delivers FilmG and LearnGaelic, in partnership with post will support both internal transformation and external other bodies, as well as other talent and skills development engagement in order to strengthen the future outlook for Gaelic initiatives. media. 3 Our Vision Lèirsinn 2021 / Five-year Strategy 2016 to 2021 Challenges Sector We seek to achieve the following outcomes: Fragmentation of PSB TV viewership, migration of younger viewership to non-linear subscription and free platforms 1. That Gaelic users are informed, educated and entertained and have their Increased PSB TV competition - BBC Scotland channel in HD lives enhanced through media in their own language. Discoverability of content in crowded linear and non-linear spaces 2. The celebration and normalisation of Gaelic and Gaelic culture in mainstream Scottish society. Gaelic media 3. A better educated, more skilled and successful Gaelic media community. 4. A vibrant culture of Gaelic media innovation and creativity among young Partnership funding base for the future people. Under-investment in key genres (e.g. drama, learning) 5. Full economic potential and the realisation of better employment Presence on all non-linear platforms and on TV in HD opportunities. Future talent and skills 6. The celebration of Gaelic and Gaelic culture internationally. The role of media in Gaelic revitalisation Ar Luachan / Values Keys to Success ’S e ar luchd-amhairc ar spionnadh Stable funding base for MG ALBA, with prospect of growth Our audience is our inspiration Renewal of BBC / MG ALBA collaboration agreement, providing Tha sinn daonnan a’ sireadh sàr-mhathas nar n-obair certainty of Licence Fee funding for BBC ALBA in terms of Para 40, We strive always to achieve excellence in our work BBC Framework Agreement Tha sinn gar giùlain fhèin le ceartas, follaiseachd agus trèibhdhireas A path to HD for BBC ALBA Access by MG ALBA and producers to new sources of funding We treat everyone with fairness, openness & integrity Long-term partnerships: producers, Screen Scotland; agencies Tha sinn a’ toirt urram is taic do chàch a chèile Growth in creative and financial collaborations for content We respect and support one another Strategy of complementarity with new BBC Scotland channel Tha co-obrachadh agus com-pàirteachas aig cridhe ar n-obrach Ongoing internal transformation to meet the changing needs of a Teamwork and partnership are at the heart of what we do fast-moving media environment and the needs of the Tha MG ALBA a’ toirt prìomhachas don luchd-amhairc viewing/learning community MG ALBA puts the audience first 4 Challenges, Opportunities and Responses in 2020-21 CHANGES IN OUR ENVIRONMENT STRATEGIC RESPONSE - MULTI-PLATFORM Disruption We will The media sector continues to face significant platform and brand disruption. Employ a fully multi-platform approach to commissioning The reach of linear PSB channels continues to decline and younger Increase ways in which our content can be accessed and enjoyed, on consumers increasingly favour video-on-demand outlets such as YouTube, YouTube and through social media channels Netflix and Amazon. The BBC’s response (such as “BBC Sounds”) will Build the volume and quality of social media engagement increasingly favour personalisation and use of metadata to drive Seek to address the underlying reasons for attrition of viewership on the discoverability of content. iPlayer Seek to create added value for viewers in Scotland through collaborations Collaborations with other channels with BBC Scotland and channels in other territories BBC Scotland will have begun its second year and will continue to offer scope Continue to build UK-wide and international collaborations on high value for collaboration and shared strategies. Its ability to attract network funding projects into Scotland-based productions will be of great value to the creative sector Seek to build financial models to enable new output in key genres such as but likely to be of limited value to BBC ALBA. Collaborations with channels in drama and learning other territories offer the prospect of exclusive content in our territory, and Continue to build BBC ALBA’s reputation as a destination for distinctive for that reason TG4, S4C, BBC NI and partners in European Broadcasting content with its own perspective, voice, tone and Gaelic ethos. Union schemes will be highly important. Continue to make the internal changes required to address the fast- changing needs of our audiences and to optimise our access to emerging New Funds sources of funding Screen Scotland and the BFI’s Young Audiences Content Fund offer important routes to the development and production of high-value content for BBC CHANGES WE ARE MAKING ALBA which would otherwise be impossible. To take advantage, a greater part of MG ALBA’s content commissioning will be on a part-funded basis, wth Additional Director-level focus on key priorities the aim of ultimately increasing the broadcast hours of high-impact Some content will increasingly be YouTube-first (Children’s, some Sports) programming. Internal re-focussing of activities to support multi-platform Evolving our internal culture to be more adaptable and entrepreneurial Screen Scotland Increasing focus on co-finance projects Screen Scotland will offer a strategy and funding sources for the In-house training and skills development development of screen skills and talent in Scotland and, as such, may offer Investment in relationship-building MG ALBA the scope to re-align its own interventions in this area. 5 Our commitment to BBC ALBA Audiences Delivery The BBC ALBA partnership supports MG ALBA to fulfil its remit. MG ALBA’s Commissioning, Digital Hub (including Presentation) and Scheduling teams will deliver c.414 hours of new long-form content, BBC Framework Agreement, Paragraph 40 170 minutes of originated short-form content and 80 hours of (1) The BBC must continue to support the provision of output in the interstitials and junctions (including trails and continuity).