Greens welcome decision to retain BBC Scotland studios
The Scottish Greens have welcomed a decision that BBC Scotland’s two Glasgow-based studios will not be transferred to a London-based subsidiary company, securing jobs at the facilities.
The BECTU trade union had warned that the 150 jobs directly employed by the BBC’s two Glasgow-based studios could be at risk, which Scottish Greens culture spokesperson Ross Greer raised with Nicola Sturgeon at FMQS.
Following this, Greer convened a meeting between representatives of BECTU and Scottish Government Culture Secretary Angus Robertson.
Now the broadcaster has written to Mr Greer to confirm ‘it has been agreed that Studios A and B at Pacific Quay will continue to be run as part of BBC Scotland. The detailed analysis the BBC undertook showed this made the best financial and operational sense.’
Responding, Ross Greer said: “BECTU should be congratulated for saving their members’ jobs at the Glasgow studios, a campaign the Greens were proud to support. They have also prevented the centralisation of decision-making over key Scottish studios to a London-based subsidiary company. BBC Scotland plays a key role as a media employer in Scotland and it would have been completely inappropriate to undermine that by cutting jobs and removing control at such an exciting time for the Scottish film and TV industry.”