Committee publication · Correspondence · 10 February 2025
Correspondence with Hayley Valentine, Director, BBC Scotland, regarding the work of the BBC in Scotland, dated 29 and 22 January 2025
From: Scottish Affairs Committee
Inquiry: The work of the BBC in Scotland
Summary
BBC Scotland Director Hayley Valentine responds to Scottish Affairs Committee questions about BBC regional production, following January 2025 evidence session. Valentine clarifies The Traitors allocation under Ofcom rules, reports BBC Scotland channel maintains 10-14% weekly reach post-pandemic, and highlights new news programming launched January 2025 (Reporting Scotland: News at Seven, Scotcast) with strong early audience figures.
Key findings
- The Traitors Series 1 allocated to Scotland on 'substantive base' criterion only; spend and staffing data for Scotland not published. Series 2 and 3 data to be published in Ofcom registers in 2025 and 2026.
- BBC Scotland-based production staff increased between Series 1 and 2; 19 freelancers hired via training partnership with Screen Scotland and Studio Lambert Scotland.
- BBC Scotland channel maintained 10-14% weekly reach target since launch in 2019, highest reach digital channel in Scotland despite post-pandemic linear TV decline.
- Reporting Scotland: News at Seven (launched 6 January 2025) achieved over 100k weekday reach and ~50k iPlayer requests in first two weeks; performs ahead of 7pm slot average.
- Scotcast (launched 13 January 2025) achieved 40k+ average overnight audience per episode in first week; 160k weekly reach across linear TV platforms in opening week.
Tone
FactualTopics
Key actors
Hayley Valentine, BBC Scotland, Patricia Ferguson MP, Scottish Affairs Committee, Studio Lambert Scotland, Screen Scotland, Ofcom
Notable line
“July 2024), is to increase the number of �tles which qualify on at least two criteria and to deliver our Ofcom regulatory target of inves�ng at least 8% of BBC network spend in Scotland, without reliance on series that are only allocated on the basis of substan�ve base.”
Key Quotes
“The Traitors , made by Studio Lambert Scotland, is allocated to Scotland according to Ofcom rules on substan�ve base.”
“… for the proportion of the production budget spent in Scotland across all three series; o The proportion of staff working on the production who are Scotland-based across all three series …”
“… the number of Scotland - based produc�on staff has increased between series o ne and series t wo, with the BBC …”
“The BBC Scotland channel from its launch in 2019 to now (Jan uary 2025) has held the posi�on of the highest reach digital channel in Scotland.”
“… for audiences across the country. It has had a strong start delivering a broad range of na�onal and local stories from our journalists in loca�ons across Scotland including Dumfries and …”
“… our session has attracted significant interest in the extent to which the BBC's commitment to regional production is reflected in practice in Scotland”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗