London broadcasters give V sign to Scottish Six

'We have put the case not just for the Scottish Six, but for the need for the board of governors to listen to what Scotland has to say, and we have run up against brick walls.' Broadcasting Council for Scotland vice-chairman Jim Martin, 10 th December 1998.

Thorn in BBC's side will not be blunted

By Barclay McBain in the Herald

Mr Jim Martin will not resign over the Scottish Six, but will remain in post until October next year, when the regulations dictate that he must leave. The board of governors is probably not so pleased.

If it thinks he has been a thorn in its side until now, it has not seen or felt anything yet. He will fight on for the Scottish Six and for the principle of accountability which the BBC professes to embrace but which, based on his experience over the past 18 months, he believes it has ignored as far as devolving editorial control over UK news for the prime, hour-long slot is concerned.

He said: "The whole process has been shambolic. We have been saying to the board of governors and the chairman, 'you need to have an effective response to devolution', and at every turn we have had to press and push.

"It has been quite clear that the executive at the centre hasn't shared our view that there has to be a radical change in the way the BBC operates.

"We have put the case not just for the Scottish Six, but for the need for the board of governors to listen to what Scotland has to say, and we have run up against brick walls.

"We have been patronised and there has been an attempt to dismiss what we have been saying as nationalism, which it isn't.

"The board of governors are too distant from what is happening on the ground in Scotland and the advisory and consultation mechanisms aren't adequate for the needs of the BBC under a Scottish Parliament." - Dec 11