No News Is Bad News
Got to Glasgow , made straight for the ´óÏó´«Ã½ canteen and encountered the editor of Good Morning Scotland, Stewart Easton. He was brandishing two bananas and looked like he wasn't afraid to use them. He sort of hinted that I should actually pay for his bananas.
"Will you buy me my bananas?" he asked. Well, I never said it wasn't a subtle hint. Basically he was demanding fruit with menaces and left me with no option but to stump up the cash. He owes me big time.
Then we went upstairs to a conference room to hear the results of some focus group research on various news programmes, including Good Morning Scotland. Some groups of listeners in the survey had actually been filmed and it was interesting to see and hear them debate the strengths and weaknesses of our output. It was also interesting to hear how so many people now get their news from the ´óÏó´«Ã½'s online services.
As ever there was some debate over the definition of a Scottish story compared to a "local" story. One listener defined localness as being within a fifty mile radius of his home. Others talked about news stories as having personal relevance to their lives.
I came away thinking we have to do more to promote the local ´óÏó´«Ã½ bulletins that are available in areas such as the Highlands and the Borders. Trouble is, those bulletins aren't available on digital platforms such as DAB and Freeview, although you can hear them online.
After the formal presentation I was approached by Our-Man-In-Aberdeen Sandy Bremner. He had actually attended some of the focus group sessions and described them as "more stimulating than...."
No. I better not tell you what he said next. Be assured, it had nothing to do with bananas.
