A new era dawns in Gaelic broadcasting
The new Gaelic channel is upon us. Susan Welsh surveys what lies in store
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TOMORROW is a red letter day for Gaelic speakers as BBC Alba, the new Gaelic television channel, goes live at 9pm.
The new station, a partnership service between MG Alba and BBC Scotland, aims to deliver high-quality, distinctive home-produced programming, broadcasting in Gaelic but with English subtitles, up to seven hours a day.
It will feature documentaries, sports coverage, music and entertainment programmes, daily news, as well as long-standing Gaelic brands including Eòrpa and Dè a-nis?
But the channel isn’t just aimed at Gaelic speakers, it is very much a new channel for the whole of Scotland, with programmes to appeal to all ages.
Margaret Mary Murray, Head of Service for BBC Alba, said: “The launch of BBC Alba is a landmark for Gaelic broadcasting and the Gaelic community and it is hoped that this new channel will also be a valued addition to the Scottish audience.”
lan Esslemont, head of content for MG Alba, added: “We are confident that viewers will find the package of programmes attractive and the schedule will both match the expectations of Gaels who have waited a very long time for this milestone in broadcasting and appeal to a broad audience across Scotland.”
Regular faces on the new channel will include Fiona Mackenzie, from Lewis, the daily continuity presenter, weather forecaster Kirsteen MacDonald, from Inverness, and sports reporter Evelyn Coull, from Lewis.
The launch will be celebrated with a major outside broadcast, a live music special from Skye featuring Mary Ann Kennedy, Julie Fowlis, Skippinish and others.
This will be followed by the broadcasting of an original drama, Eilbheas, set in 1970s Lewis and starring Greg Hemphill as Elvis.
Over the next few weeks, audiences can tune into Turas Trump (Midas), a show about Donald Trump, Ola /Oil (BBC Gaidhlig), a look at Scotland’s oilmen working onshore, offshore and farther afield, and Làrach anns an Fhàsach, aka Footsteps in the Desert, a moving documentary which follows Aberdeen-based, Professor Donnie Murdo MacLeod on a trip to Botswana, where for the past 18 years, he has helped the government implement its free education programme.
“Botswana is a beautiful country with wonderful people and it is rich in many ways, but it faces huge challenges,” said Professor MacLeod, a former Mod gold medallist.
“For example, life expectancy for men is 34, and more than 50% of the population are under 15.
“The government has a development plan which entitles all children to 10 years of free education. It’s a programme they want to deliver to every child, no matter where they live and what health problems or challenges they face.
“It’s not an easy task, as the HIV/Aids virus has had a devastating affect on Botswana, and one in four children is an orphan.
“ My role has been to equip the education officers and in-service officers who are charged with training others, on delivering education and coping with children who were perhaps outwith the system previously.”
Accompanied by broadcaster, Mary Ann Kennedy, the documentary, made by Eyeline Media, which has a base in Aberdeen, sees Professor MacLeod touring the country assessing the impact of free schooling for all in rural areas.
Along the way, they are impressed by the Victoria Falls, delighted by the rich wildlife, and enthralled by Africa’s most ancient people, the San.
They also confront Africa’s dark shadow, the Aids/HIV virus, and learn that in order to provide free antiretroviral drugs, the government has had to cut its education budget, introducing fees for higher education.
“I hope the documentary will give viewers a sense of the real Botswana and the stark choices facing the country today,” added Professor MacLeod.
“It has been an honour to be involved with the people of Botswana.
“I feel there are a lot of parallels to be drawn between there and Scotland; things like having two main languages, and Scotland’s aim of offering free education for every child, no matter what class they are or where they live.
“I don’t take any credit for it myself, but I was delighted with the Botswana permanent secretary for education, who said of our efforts that when she looks back over their education system, she can see our footprint.”
Moving and educational, the documentary, Làrach anns an Fhàsach, Footsteps in the Desert, will be screened on BBC Alba on September 21 at 8pm.
BBC Alba goes live at 9pm tomorrow. It is available on satellite, SKY channel 168 and Freesat channel 110. Cable viewers will be advised of a start date and channel number at a later date.
