BBC Scotland's Scheduling

I texted them earlier with this, but to be honest I can see why they can't be arsed going "except for viewers in Scotland/Wales/NI" due to erratic decisions.

That's a horribly inaccurate and illinformed comment.

S4C was set up to serve the Welsh public primarily and the English-speaking audience as an additional service. I'd say pretty much all of C4 programming is shown on S4C analogue, but yes, at different (sometimes non-prime) times. There is even a page on Sbectel dedicated to informing viewers when a C4 programme will be shown on S4C.

To be honest if I lived out of range of Mendip or the north west regions I'd probably be a little unhappy that Big Brother's live eviction was..er..half an hour ago.

But hey, that's how S4C works. It's nothing to do with FORCING Welsh on an unsuspecting public. The people of Wales asked for their own channel and it was given to them. If anything, the presence of Welsh programming enhances the lineup. And the "powers that be" were the same people that set up C4. And I think most people in Wales with a brain understand the need to preserve our language and to give it the biggest possible platform.

With regard to scheduling, most programmes are shown on the same night. Some, like Deal or No Deal, Countdown and the Simpsons, are days later. But you still see them, and without knowledge that the programme was from two days ago, it hardly matters. Confusing maybe when Noel says welcome to Tuesday's game, and its a Sunday...but it doesnt detract from the programme content itself. I don't think Wales suffers from a lack of Richard & Judy.

So before you spout your mouth off about your highly polarized opinion of S4C, remember there are a growing number of Welsh speakers and they have as much right to a TV service as you have to yours.

I've spoken to lots of Welsh people who absolutely despise S4C. For them the greatest thing on earth is having access to Channel 4 on digital. I think they'll struggle post-switchoff, because I suspect the majority of people watch it for the English-speaking programmes.

I don't think it's a bad thing that the Welsh language has been effectively kept alive by such prominent programming, but I can only imagine how infuriated I would be if I lived in Wales and saw all my favourite programmes shifted all over the shop for a language I may not even care about.

Some of the Welsh people may have asked for it - but a lot of them would rather just watch Deal or no Deal when it's actually meant to be on.

To be fair though S4C do a much better job of rearranging the schedules than BBC Scotland.

Yes, there are some obvious problems - but regulars like Deal or No Deal and Countdown have fixed slots, while C4's big programmes usually screen on S4C the same night, or at most a couple of days later.

There are exceptions of course, but it's got much better over recent years.


Also, for programmes not broadcast in the "C4 slots" S4C remained loyal to them and kept them in fixed time slots which often worked much better than on S4C. For many years Countdown aired at 5.30pm, often commented on in the show itself - while Phil Redmond has said quite publically that he felt Brookside was better scheduled in it's fixed 10pm slot on S4C than it ever was on C4.

That just shows you how ill-informed you are. Post switchover, it is highly anticipated and expected that viewers in Wales will have Channel 4 and the ALL-WELSH S4C Digidol, which all DTT and DS viewers in Wales - Welsh speaking and English speaking already enjoy. There WON'T be a bilingual C4 service for Wales.

I suspect in further research you use a wider sample. And I also find it a bit stinky that a Scot has the audacity to criticise Welsh channels when his/her own country has virtually eliminated its native language.

You may have an issue with the poster but please don't insult the whole nation, especially on a thread which is about scheduling in Scotland!

I'm sure like you'll know from living in Wales, Scotland has parts (Northern Scotland) where our own language is spoken as a first language and English is th second.

To get back on topic, I agree with Hermes that we really shouldn't be comparing programme slots to the network as we live in a different country. This has been the way it has been done for years. However I do agree it is annoying that programmes are thrown all over the schedule to fit in with the network, which is my only complaint.

Are BBC ONE Alba/BBC TWO Alba idents ever seen these days?

BBC one NO! to my knowable there is no galice programmes on BBC one any more

There is bbc two abla

Alexia, I thought you were just being arrogant because you were posting at 3am in the morning last time around, but that appears to be your general tone. Fair enough.

My entire point is that, post switchover, there won't be a bilingual CH4. So therefore the vast majority of people will watch Channel 4 and S4C's ratings will fall off a cliff. As far as I can see, they're being propped up by English speaking programmes.

Incidentally, what do you think our native tongue is? Because it certainly ain't Gaelic for the whole country. Perhaps you should do a little reserach yourself.

Honestly, I'm beginning to think Anne Robinson had a point...

Completely agree with you p_c_u_k , there are 58,500 Gaelic speakers in Scotland... so that leaves over 5 million people who don't speak it.

Beyond that it's only really the native tongue up north. It's never really been the main language in the lowlands.

Your other option is Scots, which seems to have been integrated into modern day English (see Chewin' The Fat, Still Game etc).

this eastender thing ( 5 nights a week) will cause MAJOR problems for BBC Scotland and there start moving things all over the place!