THE BBC has admitted that Gaelic programmes will not be broadcast on its new digital radio service which has just launched in the Western Isles.
Islanders who bought new hi-tech radios for the start of the new Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) service have been mystified by the absence of Gaelic programmes and Radio Scotland, both of which are broadcast on digital elsewhere.
Although the government plans to switch over all services to DAB in 2015, Gaelic programmes will remain on obsolete FM for the foreseeable future even though radio manufacturers are due to stop making FM sets.
The new digital service, broadcast from the island’s main mast at Achmore on Lewis, carries 13 BBC stations including the Asian Network and the World Service. None of the Gaelic programmes made at the BBC studios in Stornoway and elsewhere in Scotland will be on the digital service.
The switch-on of the new service on March 22 happened with no fanfare or media announcements. A BBC insider explained: “Most people up here don’t know there are DAB broadcasts available in the Western Isles. There has been no announcement. The managers and editors of Radio nan Gàidheal were too embarrassed that their service had been dumped.”
After earlier rumours that engineers simply forgot to include Radio nan Gàidheal, as the Gaelic service is known, and Radio Scotland, the BBC eventually admitted there are no plans for any Scottish programming on DAB in the islands.
A BBC spokesman explained that because of an agreement with regulator Ofcom, both Scottish stations have to be carried on the commercial multiplexes rather than the public service multiplexes.
“Such coverage is, consequently, dependent on the commercial operators’ development plans and where the commercial multiplexes are sited.”
He said the recently-installed DAB multiplex on Lewis will provide access to the BBC network radio services. Thy are Radios 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5Live, as well as the six digital-only national stations – 1Xtra, 4 Extra, 6Music, 5Live Extra, World Service and the Asian Network.
Radio Scotland and Radio nan Gàidheal are available on DAB elsewhere in Scotland. That’s where commercial multiplex owners have developed services and, for commercial reasons, these tend to be in and around the main population centres.
The spokesman added: “Unfortunately, no commercial multiplex currently covers Lewis; consequently, Radio Scotland and Radio nan Gàidheal are not available there on DAB.
“Both are available, across Scotland, on analogue radio (FM and MW), as well as via cable and satellite and we are continuing to strive to improve viewer and listener access to the full range of BBC programmes and content.”
Ofcom yesterday confirmed that BBC non-network radio services – those available in parts of the country but not across the whole of the UK – are carried on commercial multiplexes licensed by Ofcom.
It said: “Currently Ofcom has no plans to advertise any new local multiplex licences given the discussions that are currently taking place with the UK Government and the radio industry regarding the migration of FM services to DAB, and the fact that a number of local multiplex licences previously awarded by Ofcom have still yet to launch.”
He insisted there were no plans to switch off any FM services, particularly if they are not also available via DAB. Radio Scotland and Radio nan Gàidheal would continue to be available to listeners only on FM frequencies.
Comunn na Gaidhlig chief executive Donald Macneil said: “This doesn’t make much practical sense, allowing an increase in DAB radio services, but excluding Gaelic programming in the language’s heartland. We would hope that this could be reconsidered and a more appropriate mix of programming could be made available in the area.”
Western Isles MP Angus Macneil, a former BBC Gaelic broadcaster himself, confirmed he was aware of the situation. He added: “I am going back to the BBC on the matter and am asking them for further clarification on this issue.”
A few clarifications to your blog post I think would be helpful.
DAB works using a ‘Single Frequency Network’. As the name suggests this means that a single frequency is used at all transmitters across the whole of the UK for the BBC Multiplex which is clearly very efficient. The downside is that you can’t have any variation in programming, which is why listeners to BBC DAB in the Western Isles get the same channel selection as in London, Cardiff and Belfast.
Because of this restriction more local services like Radio Nan Gaidheal & Radio Scotland need to be broadcast on local Commercial DAB services. Obviously the problem in remote parts of Scotland will be the lack of will on behalf of commercial operators to invest in serving these areas.
However, in these circumstances the government has said that services can remain on FM. Your comment that manufacturers are stopping making FM radios is wholly incorrect. Almost all radios that have DAB also have FM, and this will continue to be the case as FM will remain a broadcasting band for smaller local stations. So there is no question that listeners in remote areas of Scotland will lose access to Radio Scotland and Radio Nan Gaidheal if they currently have it on FM.