In a statement ALBA’s Kenny MacAskill MP who recently led the campaign to save the two BBC studios at Atlantic Quay in Glasgow said:
“The arrogance of BBC Senior management knows no bounds. These savage cuts in the Scottish budget and the derisory share in network spending, less than our population share and less than in Wales, while London hoovers up over half of all network funding shows that the BBC are treating Scottish licence payers with utter contempt.
“This is what happens when power is exercised over you by people who know little and care less about the needs of Scotland.
“Scotland is losing out on the high quality productions and well paid jobs which we were promised and which would sustain our broadcasting and creative sectors.
“People in Scotland are entitled to expect much better from the BBC and the Scottish Government.
“BBC top brass were sent homewards to think again when they threatened to remove control, jobs and revenues from the two studios at Atlantic Quay.
“We cannot as a country continue to beg for the crumbs from the Masters table. We have to assert our rights as a broadcasting nation and demand that control of the BBC in Scotland is transferred to a BBC Scotland Board accountable to the Scottish Parliament.
“We need funding and programming decisions made in Scotland so that we can have high quality news, drama, comedy and documentaries made in Scotland for viewers and listeners at home and for export to other English language channels.
“To date the Scottish Government have failed to demand these powers in full or in part, as revealed in answer to a Parliamentary written question from me, to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). This lack of urgency and activity by Scottish Ministers cannot be allowed to continue.
“We need a public service broadcaster made in Scotland for Scotland and we need to unite to demand it now”
ENDS