BBC plans Scottish soap

More money is going Scotland's way

The BBC is planning a twice-weekly soap series for Scotland as part of a funding increase announced by director-general Greg Dyke.

BBC Scotland is to receive an extra £14m to spend mainly on original drama, comedy and entertainment for audiences in Scotland.

Mr Dyke made the announcement in a speech to the Glasgow and West of Scotland Newspaper Press Fund lunch.

The increase will start with an additional £7m in 2001/2 and will be applied in full by 2003/4.

Greg Dyke: Decisions taken in Scotland

The money forms part of an extra £50m a year to be spent by the BBC in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the English regions.

As part of the new programme plans, Mr Dyke said there were proposals to develop a new Scottish soap to be broadcast twice a week on BBC One in Scotland.

"The decision on how that money is spent will not be taken in London but here in Glasgow because that is what devolution is about," he said.

"Devolution meant we needed to change the relationship between London and Glasgow within the BBC.

Devolution meant we needed to change the relationship between London and Glasgow within the BBC

Greg Dyke

"We needed to give more autonomy to the nations and that is what we are doing."

The director-general said he hoped the additional investment would mean a "significant expansion" of the television production industry as a whole in Scotland.

BBC Scotland controller John McCormick said: "This is the biggest single investment increase in the history of BBC Scotland, giving us new opportunities to make many more programmes specifically for audiences in Scotland.

'Vote of confidence'

"This is quite separate from plans to add to the current portfolio of programmes that we make for the UK networks.

"It is a huge vote of confidence in the rich talent base here in Scotland."

BBC Scotland's total income for the current year will be more than £110m.

Of that, about £67m is devoted to programmes made specifically for Scotland.