By Alex Robertson
There is something almost fraudulent about the BBC calling itself a public service broadcaster. The truth is that it serves the hand of the one who feeds it – the UK government who decides in its usual fashion the size of the bung it feeds the dependency-ridden outfit.
And like everyone hooked by dependency, it toes the line, for fear of cutting off its means of survival. I for one am at the limit of my toleration for it and want to show the world a better face of Scottish journalism and broadcasting.
After Tuesday’s excellent article in Newsnet Scotland on Kaye Adams and her disgraceful travesty of impartial broadcasting, and Question Time on Thursday night, I have reached certain conclusions, not lightly or easily I can tell you.
One option, of course, is to switch off and ignore it. But to just shut off the radio and television news seems a bit harsh and self sacrificing. Besides, we independentistas believe we have a case to put to the Scottish people worthy of merit and of gaining their attention.
In the past, when the BBC stood for the truth and for objective service, peoples around the world tuned in, often at great risk to their lives, to the BBC for the truth about the world and the fight against tyranny and fascism. My late wife, a Belgian, was always amused by the wartime message to the resistance – “Yvette, mange ta soupe.” – seemingly directed at her.
But then people knew they could rely on the BBC to keep the faith and trusted them, literally with their lives. Who would trust Tory Chris Patten’s BBC these days, even to tell the right time?
So the question arises – what to do?
Apart from a concerted campaign to denounce and expose the disgraceful and partisan activities of the channel and the journalistic staff in every outlet we can, there must be more we can do to undermine their influence on public opinion.
A while ago I wrote about setting up a watchdog to name and shame them. I still think that has merit and could be done by a panel of volunteer listeners and viewers and put up on a website. I know it can, because Norman Tebbit did it to them in the eighties, and I helped in a small way with that.
But I think more than that is need to combat the toxic output of BBC. We need to fight back, and get the truth and the facts of our case presented to the Scots.
So I plan to try to set up a broadcasting channel on the internet to take them head on. It will have to start modestly of course, perhaps just with a podcast giving a roundup of the news coverage in Scottish newspapers and broadcasters. Then perhaps a comment podcast, to be followed by the odd interview. All on stream, or rather internet radio, and paired perhaps with a news website, like NNS.
I reckon that within a year, and volunteers coming forward to add content, we can provide a good all day and evening coverage of news, comment, interviews and discussion, putting Scotland first, and all about how Scots can do.
Internet based, delivered by volunteers, with an advertising space for organisations interested in reaching those interested in the subject of Scotland’s future, there are no obstacles which cannot be overcome quite easily with some intelligence and hard work.
The aim? To provide an easy to use, free to access platform for those wishing to hear an alternative to BBC Scotland news and current affairs broadcasting.
It’s time we looked at what we can do instead of simply complaining about a culture that will not change and cannot be held to account.
