BBC ALBA UNVEILS PREMIER PACKAGE OF AUTUMN PROGRAMMES

BBC ALBA unveiled its schedule of new programmes for its autumn season today (Thursday 8 September) at a launch event held in Eden Court Theatre, Inverness.

Three years on, the channel has continued to provide an excellent range of high quality home produced programmes appealing to audiences across Scotland with productions from many genres including observational documentaries, news and current affairs, entertainment and lifestyle, religion, children’s programming, music and sport.

Leading figures from the channel partnership and programme producers were present alongside a host of new stars who will grace our screens this autumn on BBC ALBA. In attendance were contributors to the new Midwives series filmed at Raigmore Hospital, alongside some furry friends to showcase a new series following the varied lives of vets in the Highlands & Islands and throughout Scotland.

BBC ALBA is proud to be making a positive contribution to Scottish broadcasting and supporting the county’s creative and media sectors, working with 16 independent production companies and both Scottish broadcasters, STV and the BBC on programme content. Earlier this year the channel also achieved a major milestone when the BBC Trust approved its carriage on Freeview thus enabling every household in Scotland to access the wide variety of programmes available on BBC ALBA.

Some highlights from BBC ALBA’s new autumn schedule include:

· Midwives/Mnathan-glùine: a moving observational documentary series charting new beginnings and changed lives at the Highland maternity unit in Raigmore Hospital. With special access to staff and the mums-to-be, this series offers insights into the highs and lows of life in a busy maternity unit.

· Vets/Gach Creutair Beò: this new series takes viewers on a journey from the Western Isles to Aberdeen and from Wick to the safari parks of Blair Drummond near Stirling and the Highland Wildlife Park, following a number of vets at work, tending to a wide range of animals from cattle during calving season, operating on horses, examining elephants and taking blood samples from chimpanzees.

· Turas Tony - actor Tony Kearney swaps the comfort of a television studio to try his hand at four varied and challenging professions. Has Tony got what it takes to be a Hotel Manager in Tiree during the busy Tiree Wave Classic surfing competition, a chef at one of Glasgow’s top restaurants, a Trawlerman in the North Atlantic Sea and a member of the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team?

· Children’s – Teenage Breab is back in the company of six talented Gaelic speakers from across Scotland as they spend two action packed weeks together; popular children’s favourite De a-nis? continues, as well as a new bespoke animation series Sgeulaiche, featuring stories written by children, for children.

· Music – Live music festivals and events recorded across Scotland are at the core of BBC ALBA’s music offering with traditional, Celtic, country and the best of indie music all featured; new programmes include Blas 2011, The Royal National Mod 2011, Ceòl Country – country music and Horo Gheallaidh – Celtic sessions and Piping Live.

· Sport – coverage continues with one ‘as-live’ SPL game every Saturday; live coverage of select Glasgow and Edinburgh RaboDirect PRO12 rugby matches; the annual International shinty/hurling test between Ireland and Scotland, as well as coverage of the 2011 World Island Games.

Margaret Mary Murray, Head of Service for BBC ALBA, said: “We are delighted to be launching such a strong and varied new autumn season of programmes ranging from emotional documentaries to light-hearted entertainment and lifestyle strands to professional sport and live musical performances. Audiences across Scotland have been drawn to BBC ALBA’s schedule of programmes supplied by some of the finest independent and broadcast production companies in the country.”

Alasdair Morrison, Chairman of MG ALBA said: “Achieving greater viewer access for all in Scotland was a tremendous achievement for the channel this year and we have been delighted at the response from the UK-wide public for our distinct home-grown productions and unique Scottish content. We very much look forward to the new autumn season as the channel goes from strength to strength offering a premier package for our loyal viewers as well as those who have embraced the channel since its launch on Freeview.”

BBC ALBA is delivered through the partnership set up between the BBC and MG ALBA, the Gaelic Media Service, a unique broadcasting partnership providing a successful public service.

BBC ALBA – WEEKLY PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS Saturday 17 September – Friday 23 September 2011

Title: Scottish Premier League - Hearts v St Mirren
The latest full-match coverage from the SPL as Hearts host St Mirren at Tynecastle Stadium.

Transmitted: Saturday 17 September
Time: 5.30 – 7.30pm


Title: Trusadh - Ralaidh Chaluim/Calum's Rally
Every year from the middle of February, through to October, the peace of Scotland's tranquil forests is shattered by the roar of powerful rally cars as they tear through the forest tracks. Rally driving - a fast and dangerous sport, but also an exciting and addictive one, which is followed by many. Calum George Buchanan, from the Western Isles, lives and breathes it - it's in his blood. In a career spanning 16 years he's reached the very top of the sport in his chosen class.

We follow him through the season, as he travels the length and breadth of the country to prove his mettle once again. Having won his class last year the stakes are high! As well as overcoming the challenge of living and working in Lewis, with his car based in Ayrshire, there are also plenty of thrills and spills along the way!

Transmitted: Monday 19 September
Time: 9.00 – 10.00pm


Title: Turas Tony
Actor Tony Kearney from BBC's 'River City' swaps the comfort of a television studio for four varied and challenging professions. Tony take up the reins as the manager of a hotel on the Island of Tiree. Can Tony handle the staff, the locals and the tourists as he does everything from pulling pints to cleaning toilets? The first part of a new factual entertainment series.

Transmitted: Monday 19 September
Time: 10.00 -10.30pm


Title: Ceol Country/Country Music
Anne Morrison presents highlights from the Northern Nashville Caithness Country Music Festival. Among the artists showcased are local band Slange Ava and international acts Gene Watson, Highway 101 and Gail Davies. In addition to the music, Anne travels to Texas to find out more about the traditional country music scene that exists there, as well as joining record producer Justin Trevino in the studio.

Transmitted: Tuesday 20 September
Time: 9.00 – 10.00pm


Title: Eorpa/European Current Affairs
Eorpa returns with a new series examining the most interesting stories from across Europe.

Transmitted: Wednesday 21 September
Time: 8.30 – 9.00pm


Title: Club TV

Exclusive interviews, match action, and behind the scenes at Celtic and Rangers F.C.

Transmitted: Thursday 22 September
Time: 9.00 – 10.00pm


Title: Siuthad Siubhail / Go! Explore!
Our intrepid presenters tackle a variety of activities on offer in the Glasgow area so don't be a couch potato!

The series is presented by Emma MacInnes and Derek ''Pluto'' Murray.

Transmitted: Thursday 22 September
Time: 10.00 – 10.30pm


Title: Midwives: Mnathan-Gluine
New series with midwives and the families they look after at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness.

Zoe is in labour with her first child but her partner Gerard admits to the midwives looking after them that he is more scared than
she is!

Fiona Bowie has just started her midwifery training - she explains her choice of career and gives us her first impressions of the labour suite.

Catherine Anne and John Mackinnon attend a scan appointment and are delighted with what they see but are concerned about the birth given their previous experience.

On Ward 9 , Ishbel MacDonald helps introduce Molly to her baby sister and more mums and babies for Etta Mackay to look after on her night shift in Ward 10 - can she persuade baby Amelie to take her feed?
Transmitted: Friday 23 September
Time: 8.30 – 9.00pm


Title: Leasan sa Bhas
A bizarre story of addiction, lust and murder, on Scarp in the late 19th century. Fact, or island folklore?

Transmitted: Friday 23 September
Time: 9.00 – 10.00pm

BBC ALBA TO UNVEIL A PREMIER PACKAGE OF NEW PROGRAMMES AT AUTUMN LAUNCH

BBC ALBA’s autumn programme launch will be celebrated on Thursday 8th September with an exciting schedule of new programmes being unveiled.

Leading figures from the channel and series producers will be present alongside a host of new stars who will grace our screens this year on BBC ALBA, including characters from the new Maternity series filmed at Raigmore Hospital, charting the highs and lows of life in the busy maternity ward.

Also in attendance will be some of our furry friends who feature in the new Vets series following the varied lives of vest in the Highlands & Islands from Wick to the Western Isles and from Aberdeen to the tourist friendly safari parks of Blair Drummond near Stirling and the Highland Wildlife Park.

The team of presenters from the channel’s flagship news programme An Là, broadcast at 8pm each weekday evening from the BBC Broadcasting House in Inverness, will be present including anchors Angela MacLean from Lewis and Iain MacLean from Harris with weather girl Kirsteen MacDonald from Inverness.

A suite of new programmes will be announced on the day as the channel continues to provide a range of high quality, distinctive, Scottish programming covering the full spectrum of genres.

You are invited to send a reporter/photographer/camera crew to the press event and media are requested to assemble in the reception of Eden Court.

BBC ALBA is a partnership service between MG ALBA, the Gaelic Media Service and BBC Scotland.

BBC Alba: Programme Highlights Saturday 10 September – Friday 16 September 2011

Title: Pro 12 Live Rugby – Ospreys v Edinburgh

Live rugby action from the Celtic League as Ospreys host Michael Bradley’s Edinburgh at the Liberty Stadium, Swansea.

Last season’s fixtures between the sides ended in a share of the spoils, with one win apiece, and Edinburgh will be hoping for a repeat of their last encounter in March which saw them run out 23-16 winners at Murrayfield.

Transmitted: Saturday 10 September
Time: 6.25 – 8.20pm


Title: Cuirm @ Celtic – Art Club Comp

Julie Fowlis and Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh present a roundup of some of the acts who appeared onstage at Glasgow’s Art Club during Celtic Connections 2011.

Transmitted: Saturday 10 September
Time: 9.00 – 10.00pm


Title: SPL Hibernian v Aberdeen

‘As-live’ coverage from the Scottish Premier League as Colin Calderwood’s Hibernian face Craig Brown’s Aberdeen side at Easter Road, Edinburgh.

Transmitted: Sunday 11 September
Time: 5.30 – 7.30pm


Title: Breab / Teenage Reality Show

Breab is back with six new teenagers from across Scotland faced with tackling an array of interesting and varied challenges.

In this programme, the teenagers are given two stalls at Glasgow's Farmers Market to raise as much money as they can for charity. The catch? They must stock the stalls themselves.

We join the teenagers as they get their bakers whites on and quickly learn the art of baking, with one of the lecturers from the City of Glasgow College keeping a close eye on proceedings.

Transmitted: Wednesday 14 September
Time: 6.05 – 7.00pm


Title: Soillse – Saoghal na Surma / Black Samurai

In ‘Black Samurai’, we're thrust into the lives of the Surma people, one of the fiercest tribes of south-western Ethiopia, where war ravages the land.

Recently, because of a terrible famine, the Surma land has been infiltrated by hundreds of their lifelong enemies, the Bumis. They are aggressively seeking new territory, leaving the Surma no choice but physically defend their land. In this film, we follow Wole Kiwo and his group of Surma warriors, as they watch over confines of their territory to prevent attacks from the Bumis.

War is about to break out, and the Surma King decides to call for a Donga. The Donga is a dual with long sticks during which blood must be shed. It helps the clan and supply a contingent of new fighters for the upcoming battles.

Transmitted: Wednesday 14 September
Time: 9.00 – 9.50pm


Title: Fuil a Chiùil

Exploring the musical links within families and across generations. In 2001, three families are already making a name for themselves in traditional music circles - the MacKenzie sisters, Ruaraidh, Marianne and Rory Campbell and the young Henderson clan.

They discuss their musical influences and the impact of their families on their developing talent and the programme captures a snapshot of their musical journey up until that point and their ambitions going forward.

Transmitted: Friday 16 September
Time: 9.00 – 10.00pm

SIX TEENAGERS FEATURE IN NEW REALITY SERIES ON BBC ALBA

The reality series which follows talented young Gaels on a journey of discovery returns to our screens on BBC ALBA.

‘BREAB’ (‘Kick’) which was shortlisted in the Young People category of this year’s Celtic Media Festival, is back for a fourth series and will provide an exciting insight into the lives of six young Gaels as they gather to face an array of challenging tasks.

The series features six, fresh young Gaelic speaking teenagers from all over Scotland as they spend two action packed weeks together in both town and country locations.

In the latest series, the teens skid into action with go-karting; get hot in the kitchen with a cookery challenge and face physical obstacles when they ‘go country’ facing outdoor pursuits and the prospect of sleeping under the stars for a night.

Can the six also handle the heat when they are faced with the challenge of being fire-fighters for the day, and we get to see the drama-queens amongst the group shine during the acting challenge on the River City set.

In their final challenge the six ‘Breabsters’ head to Perthshire to face a 40ft bungee drop, and with the cameras rolling, will they all make the leap?

The chosen six teenagers, from auditions that took place throughout Scotland, are:

· Katie aged 17 from Skye - Katie just loves to talk! When she isn't talking, she is yawning. She is a laid back, chilled out girl who loves photography, walking, hanging out with her friends and going to music festivals. She loves all types of music but her musical hero is Bruce Springsteen. She describes herself as “full of fun, always laughing and willing to give anything a try”.

· Annemarie aged 16 from Barra - Annemarie is a chilled out happy go lucky islander. Her great passion is dancing and when she isn't dancing, she loves to get out running on Barra. She thinks there is nowhere better in the world than her island. She loves hanging out with her friends on the beach and enjoys a good gossip over a cup of tea. She describes herself as “bossy, sporty, confident and happy but my dad made me admit to also being lazy”.

· Catriona aged 17 from Inverness - Catriona is an accomplished step dancer and loves dancing and singing with her friends. She is fun loving and is always playing pranks on her friends. She plays an active part in a local radio station and one day would love to work in the media. She describes herself as “bossy at home, fun, crazy but also nice”.

· Carwyn aged 16 from Aberdeen - Carwyn, at 6' 5" is the tallest of all the ‘Breabsters’. Playing Rugby league for Scotland and skateboarding with friends makes him happiest! He also loves being out and about in his hometown of Aberdeen and relishes heading down to the recording studio to jam with his mates in his band in which he plays the bass guitar. He describes himself as “funny, interesting and sporty”.

· Gordon aged 16 from Lewis - Gordon is the sporty ‘Breabster’, playing football in his hometown of Stornoway for the local U16s and U18s team, describing himself as a fast but not very accurate striker. He also takes part in the local athletics team where he trains weekly. When he isn't busy at sport, he loves chilling out in Bernera where he grew up. He heads out with his fishing rod though he admits he isn't always so good at catching anything. He says there is no better place than the island of Lewis and would describe himself as “sporty, loves a good laugh and can get very competitive at sport”.

· Daniel aged 15 from Mallaig - Daniel at 15 is the youngest of the ‘Breabsters’ - but certainly not the quietest! He loves hanging out in the beautiful countryside around Mallaig with his friends and he cooks up a storm where he works in the kitchen of a local restaurant. He isn't sure what he wants to do when he leaves school, but would love to make lots of money! He describes himself as “pretty laid back and loves getting the craic with his mates”.

Speaking Gaelic is the one thing they all have in common and the level of fluency is mixed but Breab represents real teens growing up in rural and urban Scotland with Gaelic being taught in school or spoken in the home. Katie, Catriona, Gordon, Carwyn, Annemarie and Daniel are a real inspiration to young learners and native speakers alike.

Can they kick it, will there be tears and will they get on? Find out as ‘BREAB’ starts broadcasting weekly, over six weeks, on BBC ALBA starting Wednesday 31st August at 6.05pm.

BREAB has been produced by BBC Gàidhlig for BBC ALBA.

WALKER TAKES UP TOP POST AT NFU SCOTLAND

Scott Walker has this week taken up his new position as Chief Executive of NFU Scotland.

Scott has been part of the NFU Scotland staff body for 17 years, working at Head Office and in the regions in a number of positions including Commodity Director, Regional Policy Team Manager and most recently as Policy Director.

Speaking about his new role, Scott Walker said:

“My primary focus is ensuring that NFU Scotland remains relevant to members. Farms are changing and we have to change with them. We don’t need a radical overhaul, but we do need to make sure we provide the right services and are prioritising the right issues for the benefit of our members.

“The big picture policy work, such as CAP reform, will continue to form the backbone of NFUS. We have been working hard to ensure that the views of the individual farming sectors are heard within Scottish Government and further afield on this issue, and that will remain a priority in the run up to the 2014 reform. Ultimately NFU Scotland is a lobbying organisation and we haven’t forgotten that. We have built strong political relationships which we won’t be taking for granted.

“Our members’ interests are wider than ever before. The Union is here to support farm-based businesses and as such it is important that we are equipped to tackle new issues alongside our long-standing priorities. Ambitious renewable targets are now upon us, members have issues with planning applications, and more farmers are looking into diversification projects such as agri-tourism. In addition we are concentrating on selling the benefits of Scottish agriculture to processors and retailers in order to secure better returns for our members.

“I’m confident we’re in a good position to tackle all these challenges. NFUS has great strength in our group secretary network and a hugely talented staff body, and it is through them that I intend to build on the personal service we offer to members over the coming months and years. I will also be looking to enhance the current working relationships we have with other organisations to see how we can help our members together.

“I am fortunate to be taking over a hugely successful organisation that has been left in good health by James Withers, who did a fantastic job for NFUS. It is my intention to build on that legacy going forward and I look forward to this new chapter and new challenge.”