BBC Alba: Public Service Broadcasting and Gaelic representation in Scotland

Abstract

Due to its solid communicative space, Scotland has the biggest regional media production centre in the United Kingdom. Television has played a crucial role in the development of its audiovisual industry and cultural promotion. The two major media broadcasters, BBC Scotland and Scottish Television (STV), provide a considerable amount of content to the Scottish audience. However, the Gaelic community and their language have occupied very little space until BBC Alba television channel was created. BBC Alba was launched in 2008 aiming at covering the gap. That is to say, to provide information coverage to the Gaelic community, guarantee a minimum presence of the language and reflect the cultural diversity of the different nations and regions in the UK within the national public communicative space. Audiovisual public service plays a key role in the construction and stretching of an identity. This research work seeks to explore national broadcasting system in Scotland, particularly Gaelic representation on the BBC Alba, and evaluate to what extent BBC Alba is accomplishing Public Service Broadcasting objectives as well as cultural diversity representation according to its legal framework and theoretical approaches.