大象传媒

A year of strong Scottish drama bolstered the 大象传媒’s work to reflect contemporary Scottish life and culture both in Scotland and across the UK in 2015/16, according to the 大象传媒 Annual Report and Accounts published today along with the 大象传媒 Audience Council Scotland Annual Review. 

This year island-set drama Shetland returned to grip UK audiences on 大象传媒 One, and drama Stonemouth, adapted from the Iain Banks novel, also performed well.  Other highlights included a second series of Gaelic language drama Bannan for Scottish audiences on 大象传媒 Alba.   The year also saw a strong factual documentary offering on UK network channels, from 大象传媒 Two’s This Farming Life to 大象传媒 Four’s The Story of Scottish Art.  In addition 大象传媒 Scotland marked the 20th anniversary of the Dunblane tragedy with Dunblane: Our Story.  River City also continued to perform well this year, bringing audiences moving storylines centred around dementia and other issues. 

It was an award-winning year for 大象传媒 Scotland’s journalism, with 大象传媒 Reporting Scotland winning Best News Programme from Royal Television Society Scotland, and athletics doping investigation Catch Me If You Can awarded Sport Story of the Year at the British Journalism Awards. 

Reporting Scotland remained Scotland’s most-watched news programme, and for the first time 大象传媒 Scotland broadcast live from all 32 results locations across Scotland during the 2015 election count.  The 大象传媒 innovated online including live reporting of 'Holyrood as it happened', although Audience Council Scotland noted some audience perception that 大象传媒 Scotland’s online journalism had retreated from more comprehensive provision for the independence referendum the previous year.  

On UK network news, 2015 saw Sarah Smith take up the newly created post of Scotland Editor, which Audience Council Scotland hopes will help achieve a more nuanced approach to coverage of Scottish affairs on the UK networks.  The 大象传媒 Trust and Audience Council Scotland have also encouraged the 大象传媒 to ensure that its news and current affairs programming in Scotland is appropriate to the changing needs of Scottish audiences. 

Services for Gaelic speakers continued to perform well, with 大象传媒 Alba watched by three-quarters of all Gaelic speakers in Scotland, and 大象传媒 Radio nan Gàidheal reaching over two-thirds.

大象传媒 Trustee for Scotland Bill Matthews said:

"This has been a good year for homegrown Scottish drama on the 大象传媒 in particular, and overall the 大象传媒 in Scotland continues to deliver well.  It’s clear that Scottish audiences continue to have a strong appetite for programmes that reflect modern Scotland and their own experiences, and that extends to the 大象传媒’s news and journalism.  As the new 大象传媒 Charter sets the course for the corporation for the next decade, the 大象传媒 must do more to meet audience expectations, adapt to new realities, and reflect and represent contemporary Scotland."

Over the course of the year, Audience Council Scotland held audience engagement events across Scotland in Elgin, Falkirk, Edinburgh, Skye, Glasgow and Stornoway, gathering the views of the public on a range of issues from Charter Review to the 大象传媒’s news and radio services in Scotland, and the Trust held a public seminar in Glasgow in December as part of a series of Charter consultation events.

Notes to Editors

1. The 大象传媒 Annual Report .  This year for the first time the Annual Report is being formally laid in the Scottish Parliament, Northern Ireland Assembly, and Welsh Assembly, in addition to the UK Parliament.

2. The 大象传媒 Audience Council Scotland Annual Review .

3. The Audience Council Scotland advises the 大象传媒 Trust on the interests of audiences in Northern Ireland.  It contributes to the Trust’s decision-making about 大象传媒 services and high-level strategy, and it raises emerging issues for local audiences.  The Council is made up of volunteers from different backgrounds and experiences from across Northern Ireland.  More information .