(X) GAELIC BROADCASTING
359. Under section 183 of, and Schedule 19 to, the
Broadcasting Act 1990 (as amended by section 95 of the Broadcasting
Act 1996) provision is made for the operation of the Gaelic Broadcasting
Committee or Comataidh Craolaidh Gaidhlig (CCG) which is appointed
by the ITC and which administers the Gaelic Broadcasting Fund
provided by the Government. Section 184 of the 1990 Act made further
provision relating to Gaelic programmes on ITV in Scotland. The
resources available to the CCG from the Fund have diminished in
real terms since their establishment and stand at £8.9 million
in 2001-02.
360. In 1999 the Scottish Office established a Task
Force chaired by Alasdair Milne, the former Director-General of
the BBC, to examine the future of Gaelic broadcasting. The Milne
Task Force proposed the establishment of a Gaelic Broadcasting
Authority to oversee the establishment of a Gaelic television
service, initially available through digital satellite, as a free-to-air
public service. The Task Force Report highlighted the benefits
to the Gaelic language and to the economy of Gaelic-speaking areas
of Scotland from such a service. In the Communications White Paper
the Government undertook to "give careful consideration to
the Task Force's recommendations".[692]
Although the draft Bill contains no measures relating to Gaelic
broadcasting, the accompanying Policy document announced the Government's
intention to strengthen the role of the CCG, "in particular
by giving it powers to develop a programming strategy in collaboration
with the broadcasters and other interests".[693]
361. We received a great deal of evidence both in
writing and through our online forum that highlighted the importance
of broadcasting to Gaelic-speaking communities in Scotland and
the widespread sense of disappointment that the Government did
not appear minded to go further down the path towards the establishment
of a Gaelic broadcasting service.[694]
Highlands and Islands Enterprise noted the likely employment benefits
of a dedicated service, particularly for the Western Isles.[695]
The Scottish Executive's Ministerial Advisory Group on Gaelic
viewed broadcasting as "a vital support service to the future
of Gaelic".[696]
362. We asked Huw Jones, Chief Executive of S4C,
to reflect on lessons learned from that organisation's experience
for the development of Gaelic broadcasting. He told us:
"I have no doubt that
without the existence of the channel, and of course the parallel
provision of Radio Cymru by the BBC, that the language would be
in a much more parlous condition today … There is growth
in the numbers of young people who are speaking it and there is
extensive confidence that the language has a future. I am absolutely
certain that unless you have mass media which allow people to
be creative in modern ways in that language that the language
has not got much hope for the future."[697]
— The CCG's own submissions have set out
in detail the provisions it wishes to see to ensure that the strengthened
Committee can facilitate an expansion of Gaelic broadcasting,
most notably:
- a removal of the prohibition on CCG commissioning
programmes;
- provision to enable the new CCG to deliver a
programme service under licence from OFCOM;
- freedom to enter contracts for the transmission
of a service;
- provision for direct public funding for the service;
and
- maintenance of existing Gaelic service requirements
on broadcasters.[698]
— If the forthcoming Communications
Bill is to be future-proof in the way the Government hopes, we
consider that there is a compelling case for ensuring that the
relevant provisions facilitate rather than inhibit the future
development of a Gaelic television service.
363. We received some written evidence and many contributions
to our online forum from people in Northern Ireland about Irish
language broadcasting. Contributors pointed to the provisions
of the Good Friday Agreement and the European Charter for Regional
or Minority Languages in support of their arguments for explicit
provision in the Bill for Irish language programming and the establishment
of a training and production fund for Irish language television
in Northern Ireland.[699]
692 Cm 5010, para 4.4.10. Back
693
Policy Back
694
Ev 523; Ev 452; Ev 544; Ev 485; Ev 513; Ev 485; Memorandum submitted
by Board of Trustees Sabhal Mor Ostaig; Ev 463; Memorandum submitted
by Kate McKalvie; Memorandum submitted by Ann Morrison; Ev 513;
Ev 473; Ev 462. Back
695
Ev 485. Back
696
Memorandum submitted by Ministerial Advisory Group on Gaelic. Back
697
Q 612. Back
698
Ev 482, para 7; Memorandum submitted by CCG. Back
699
Padraig Macgiollachomhaill, Marcas Mac Pháidín,
Ruairí Ó Bléine, Máire Zepf, Shane
MacGowan, Antaine Ó Labhradha, J Christopher Napier, William
McCallum, Risteard MacGabhann, Sarah Creaner, Gavin Falconer,
Clar Ni Chnaimhsi, Dáithí MacShim, Aoife Ní
Scolaí Back
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