ST
Well when things were a bit rosier in the garden. Rep Scot was meant to be ahead of the rest going on air before other regional news programmes at half six. We went on at six twenty eight to be precise.
It just goes to show that ten years ago we were treated as a nation, now it is gone to pot and while other nations like Northern Ireland have a decent programme - ours is just crap.
Why can we not look at getting newer faces on Rep Scot. The two Davids, Jackie and Sally just don't cut the mustard now. I would also hate to see Anne back at the helm. A younger punchy brash style could work wonders. Lets see he likes of Kirsten Campbell and Glen Campbell beef it up a bit more.
It just goes to show that ten years ago we were treated as a nation, now it is gone to pot and while other nations like Northern Ireland have a decent programme - ours is just crap.
Why can we not look at getting newer faces on Rep Scot. The two Davids, Jackie and Sally just don't cut the mustard now. I would also hate to see Anne back at the helm. A younger punchy brash style could work wonders. Lets see he likes of Kirsten Campbell and Glen Campbell beef it up a bit more.
PC
Sorry, this is going to be slightly repetitive for those who've just come from another thread, but anyway....
The problem with Reporting Scotland isn't just with the presentation or the choice of presenters, although those are suitably dire.
Nope, it's because the programme covers far too big a region, and as a result becomes a farcical box-ticking exercise. And a complete lack of knowledge about what ordinary people in Scotland care about.
Your average edition will have at least three "The Scottish Executive has announced..." intros, about two stories of any real interest which are given about 30 seconds, and then a final 15 minutes which consists of a report from Aberdeen City Council (tick), an art show in Orkney (tick), and car park charges in the Borders (tick - see, they can't complain we're central belt biased now).
The problem with this is that crap stories of no relevance to the rest of the country are being shoved on the air in a desperate bid to prove they can cover the whole nation. This has resulted in murders and high court cases being given 10 seconds, while Celtic Connections gets five minutes and an exciting report on the abolition of car park charges in Borders Council is given four minutes plus a live report. There is no point reporting on a story which would be lucky to make their local paper, and is about as relevant to me as what's happening in Newcastle.
The answer to this is surely regional opt-outs within the programme - this means that a story which is of interest to the local area but not to the nation can be put there, while a story of real consequence can be given the billing it deserves.
Reporting Scotland is terminal - the set is out-dated, the reporting is either patronising (here's something you're too thick to understand - we'll explain it for you) or snobbish (here we are at an art gallery - aren't we great?), and it feels like it is being produced by someone who has the parochial news sense of one of the more obscure BBC local radio stations and believes Scotland is just another region. I'm not home in time for Scotland Today, but Reporting Scotland is so bad I've resorted to taping the STV offering.
Phew - sorry about that. I promise that'll be my last Reporting Scotland rant for at least five minutes.
The problem with Reporting Scotland isn't just with the presentation or the choice of presenters, although those are suitably dire.
Nope, it's because the programme covers far too big a region, and as a result becomes a farcical box-ticking exercise. And a complete lack of knowledge about what ordinary people in Scotland care about.
Your average edition will have at least three "The Scottish Executive has announced..." intros, about two stories of any real interest which are given about 30 seconds, and then a final 15 minutes which consists of a report from Aberdeen City Council (tick), an art show in Orkney (tick), and car park charges in the Borders (tick - see, they can't complain we're central belt biased now).
The problem with this is that crap stories of no relevance to the rest of the country are being shoved on the air in a desperate bid to prove they can cover the whole nation. This has resulted in murders and high court cases being given 10 seconds, while Celtic Connections gets five minutes and an exciting report on the abolition of car park charges in Borders Council is given four minutes plus a live report. There is no point reporting on a story which would be lucky to make their local paper, and is about as relevant to me as what's happening in Newcastle.
The answer to this is surely regional opt-outs within the programme - this means that a story which is of interest to the local area but not to the nation can be put there, while a story of real consequence can be given the billing it deserves.
Reporting Scotland is terminal - the set is out-dated, the reporting is either patronising (here's something you're too thick to understand - we'll explain it for you) or snobbish (here we are at an art gallery - aren't we great?), and it feels like it is being produced by someone who has the parochial news sense of one of the more obscure BBC local radio stations and believes Scotland is just another region. I'm not home in time for Scotland Today, but Reporting Scotland is so bad I've resorted to taping the STV offering.
Phew - sorry about that. I promise that'll be my last Reporting Scotland rant for at least five minutes.
ST
thanks pcuk.
Well while i support you lambasting Rep Scot, I wonder how breaking things up would make it better quality. As I mentioned in the STV thread - if Rep Scot was broken up you'd still get folk in Inverness moaning about stories about dogs crapping in Wick's streets, and Wick folk fed up of hearing about that bloody Inverness getting new business investment.
You cannot please everyone. Breaking things up even more may make programmes worse. Look at US local stations - my god do we want that!!!
Well while i support you lambasting Rep Scot, I wonder how breaking things up would make it better quality. As I mentioned in the STV thread - if Rep Scot was broken up you'd still get folk in Inverness moaning about stories about dogs crapping in Wick's streets, and Wick folk fed up of hearing about that bloody Inverness getting new business investment.
You cannot please everyone. Breaking things up even more may make programmes worse. Look at US local stations - my god do we want that!!!
PC
Things are never going to be perfect - no matter how small the area, you'll get that sort of complaints. In local newspaper areas you get people from one town complaining about hearing about things from five minutes down the road, so what chance have the broadcasters got? However, a minor story about the Shetlands is as irrelevant to me as something in Carlisle. Hey, maybe I know how some of the Border viewers feel ... 
And you're right - breaking it up on its own won't result in better quality. I suppose it would mean we would at least get irrelevant stories from within two hours of our doorstep than the other end of the country though.
And you're right - breaking it up on its own won't result in better quality. I suppose it would mean we would at least get irrelevant stories from within two hours of our doorstep than the other end of the country though.
ST
Completely - I just hope that if things are broken up more - they are relevant, and don't just fill in air time.
I also hope that the quality of reports and journalism doesn't nose dive. Grampian had a reputation in the industry as being bloody good for news, while STV was more wishy washy. If the dish water gets dirtier with any new set up that would be a disaster.
The Beeb would need to ensure the quality also improved and not become decayed - even more.
That is my main fear.
I also hope that the quality of reports and journalism doesn't nose dive. Grampian had a reputation in the industry as being bloody good for news, while STV was more wishy washy. If the dish water gets dirtier with any new set up that would be a disaster.
The Beeb would need to ensure the quality also improved and not become decayed - even more.
That is my main fear.