News > 2009

Newsletter October 2009

It’s hard to believe that BBC ALBA has been on air for a year now ... and what a year! We at MG ALBA and our colleagues at the BBC are pleased that audiences are enjoying the channel so much, and initial feedback is that the Autumn schedule is going down well.

Royal National Mòd 2009
Mod 2009 image

BBC ALBA will be broadcasting from Oban this week. The Mòd programme will be on BBC ALBA every night from 9pm and again on BBC2 at 11.20pm, beginning on Monday 12 October, and there will be a shorter programme of highlights on BBC1 the next day. Mary Ann Kennedy and Tony Kearney will be bringing us the latest news about the competitions and other events taking place throughout the week.

ALBA Challenge Cup
MG ALBA is proud to be sponsoring the ALBA Challenge Cup once again. The Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Ross County semi-final match went out live on BBC ALBA last week, and we’ll be seeing Caley Thistle again in the final against Dundee on Sunday 22 November 2009 when the game is broadcast live from MacDiarmid Park in Perth. Keep an eye on www.mgalba.com and on www.scottishfootballleague.com for the latest news, and keep watching BBC ALBA for all the sports coverage each weekend.

FilmG – six weeks to go
Film G hero pic

FilmG has been running workshops for both adults and school pupils, and we hope that lots of people will have been inspired by this year’s theme “Gaisgeach” – hero, warrior or champion – to submit their films. There are some valuable prizes to be won and you still have time if you’re thinking of making a film, but remember that the closing date is 20 November 2009. And did you know that Siubhlachan, the film that won first prize last year, is now being made into a half-hour programme? Find out more at www.filmg.co.uk.

MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards
MG ALBA is also sponsoring the Trad Awards again this year. There was a fantastic concert for the Trads last year, and we’re looking forward to the 2009 awards in Dumfries from 27th to 29th November. The line-up includes Skipinnish, Lori Watson, Barbara Dickson and Deaf Shepherd, and music from the Trads will be broadcast on BBC ALBA. You can nominate your favourite acts for an award online at www.handsupfortrad.co.uk.

BBC ALBA and the BBC Trust
The BBC Trust will shortly be conducting a review of BBC ALBA and in early 2010 is expected to make important decisions about the carriage of the channel on Freeview. The Trust’s review process will allow the public to give their views. We’ll keep you up to date with progress on the review.

In the mean time, BBC ALBA is available on Sky 168 and Freesat 110, and on the BBC and Virgin iPlayers. If you have any questions about BBC ALBA or MG ALBA, contact us at fios@mgalba.com or call 01851 705550.

Upcoming events on BBC ALBA ...

  • Coverage of the Mòd (12-17 October)
  • Scotland V Georgia Women's World Cup Qualifier (29 October)
  • ALBA Challenge Cup (22 November)
  • Trad Music Awards (from 28 November)
You can find out about these events and get all the latest news at www.mgalba.com.

Getting to know ... Moira MacDonald

Moira came to work at MG ALBA in June this year, and she’s been gracing our screens on BBC ALBA since August.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I come from Inverness. Before I worked at MG ALBA I was in Glasgow working for Deiseal Ltd, the company that’s creating the new Ulpan course for Gaelic learners, and then I did some work for Solus Productions. I’m happy I came to MG ALBA. It’s nice to be living in Lewis, I’m really enjoying the work, and I’ve met lots of lovely people.

What does your job involve from day to day?

I work in the content team, as a presenter and production assistant – almost the same job as Fiona MacKenzie does, telling people about the programmes that are coming up on the channel, sometimes “in vision” and sometimes just as an audio recording. We’re always kept busy, recording in the studio and writing scripts in the office, and there’s always something different each day.

What’s next for Moira MacDonald?

I’d like to be more involved in programme making. If I could choose, my ideal job would be in current affairs; I like to keep up with world events and it’s important to know what’s going on around us.

Moira MacDonald