Nationalists renew 'Scottish Six' calls

Mr Wishart wants the BBC to have a "Scottish Six".

The fight for a main evening news programme produced and broadcast from Scotland has been renewed by Nationalists.

The Scottish National Party's Westminster spokesman on culture, media and sport, Pete Wishart MP, said he wanted to see broadcasting powers devolved from Westminster to the Scottish Parliament.

The SNP will also use the Government's introduction of a new Communications Bill in the New Year as an opportunity to safeguard the future of a strong regional broadcasting identity within Scotland.

Mr Wishart called for a Scottish main BBC news bulletin at 6pm, the so-called "Scottish Six".

Pete Wishart MP: High quality production

He said: "It is absurd that in post-devolution Scotland, viewers north of the border are still subject to London-based stories about English health and education issues - which are often misleading for a Scots audience - while Scottish health and education are ignored by the BBC's metropolitan output.

"As the Communications Bill goes through Westminster, the SNP will be demanding guarantees for more, not less, local programming and high quality production in Scotland.

"We will renew the fight for a "Scottish Six" main evening news bulletin, produced in Scotland and mixing an appropriate blend of Scottish, UK and international stories."

Mr Wishart said the SNP was concerned about the implications of a single ITV company for local programming and production in Scotland.

He added: "One of the many other advantages of legislative responsibility for broadcasting being transferred to the Scots Parliament is that it could deliver a much faster transition to digital, and ensure that everyone in our small, geographically diverse country is included in the process."