First there was MTV – and now Caithness is to have its own satellite music channel.
Caithness Music TV will launch on Sky next week.
But while MTV concentrates on the latest chart toppers in pop, rock, RnB and rap, Caithness MTV will promote traditional Scottish music and the landscape and historic attractions of the Far Forth.
It’s first programme will feature teenage Scottish accordionist sensation Brandon McPhee, who performed to a sell-out audience at Inverness’s Eden Court at the weekend.
Brandon, 19, from Castletown, has been hailed as the next Jimmy Shand, passing 200,000 views on Facebook for one medley.
Brandon will also present many of the programmes of Caithness MTV, which feature for one hour on the Keep it Country channel – on Sky 389 and 516 on Freesat – from March 2.
The channel is the brainchild of Robert Cameron, who runs Pan Records in Caithness.
“We have 26 weeks booked and we expect the demand to go well past that,” he said.
“We were approached by the makers of the channel in October, principally because of Brandon’s fame and the idea snowballed from there.
“We think we could reach hundreds of thousands of people if not millions.
“Brandon will feature in the first programme and present many of the others and will showcase the area’s historical sights and landscapes as well as it many varied and talented musicians. We think it really could boost tourism. Caithness Music TV will also be available on Freeview from April. It will showcase Gaelic music as well as traditional and country.
Brandon, who has just been nominated for an award by the Irish music channel Hot Country, said he was looking forward to the channel challenge.
“I never thought I would get this degree of attention. I am just glad people like the tunes. I want to help keep Scottish traditional music alive,” he said.