Newsletter March 2010

A chàirdean,

We heard this week that the BBC Trust will be extending its review of BBC ALBA for several months before making a decision about putting the channel on Freeview.

This shouldn’t affect the timetable for Freeview, and MG ALBA and our partners at the BBC will be working to bring you Freeview in the autumn of 2010.

Until 25 May 2010, the BBC Trust is seeking people’s views on the BBC’s future strategy, and we would urge you to write to the Trust with your opinions, to ensure that people throughout Scotland will be able to see BBC ALBA. More information is available at www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust

We’ve got some great programmes coming up in the weeks ahead, including a new series, Talamh Tròcair, about archaeology, and a packed schedule of sports coverage. You’ll find more details below.

There’s also news about the Celtic Media Festival and about opportunities for TV fiction writers at Glasgow Caledonian University, and we go behind the camera for an interview with Annette Kerr, our studio manager in the Isle of Skye.

Remember that you can find all the latest news about MG ALBA and about programmes on BBC ALBA at www.mgalba.com.

Le dùrachd,
Donald Campbell
Chief Executive

Top sport on BBC ALBA

Tomorrow night St Johnstone v Rangers “as live”, Tuesday 30 March at 10.00pm.

Keep watching BBC ALBA for:

BBC ALBA fixtures

In the next few weeks we hope to bring you news of other sports coverage including rugby, shinty and SFL play-offs. Keep an eye on www.mgalba.com for the latest updates.

Celtic Media Festival 2010

Celtic Media Festival logo, Balaich Eileen, Tormod, An Iolaire

Congratulations to all the producers whose BBC ALBA programmes have been shortlisted for prizes at the Celtic Media Festival in Newry. This year’s award hopefuls include:

  • Ian Brady – Roghainn a’ Bhàis? (The Right to Die?)
  • Grinn
  • Cùl nan Dorsan
  • An Iolaire
  • Balaich Eileen
  • Lean gu Dlùth
  • Tormod

Some of the MG ALBA team will be attending the festival to meet up with our Welsh and Irish counterparts, together with a contingent of students on industry-related courses and young professionals who are starting out in broadcasting.

Find out more about the festival and the shortlists at www.celticmediafestival.co.uk

WITBN

The WITBN (World Indigenous Television Broadcasting Network) conference has a worldwide perspective on minority language broadcasting.

Broadcasters from more than a dozen countries came together in Taiwan to learn about the different approaches to serving minority community audiences, and to strengthen and develop the “News Exchange” and “Programme Exchange” networks.

Photos from WITBC 2010 can be seen if you follow this link to Facebook.

Writing for Television

Glasgow Caledonian University is offering an MA course in fiction writing for television, and there are opportunities for Gaelic writers. The course lasts a year, starting September 2010, and students will have an opportunity to work as part of a writing team on an established TV drama.

MG ALBA is funding two full bursaries for writers who want to make a professional career as TV screenwriters. They must be fluent in Gaelic.

The deadline for bursary applications is 23 April. Visit www.tvfictionwriting.com for more information about the course.

New programmes for spring 2010

New series starting soon on BBC ALBA:

  • Gaisgich na Grèige, new animation series for children, starting Tuesday 06 April at 5.30pm.
  • Talamh Tròcair, new series on archaeological sites in Scotland, starting Tuesday 06 April at 8.30pm.
  • Blasad, new series with Tony Kearney and guests talking about and sampling their favourite foods, starting Thursday 08 April at 8.30pm.
  • Dàin air an Danube, writer Kevin MacNeill travelling by bicycle along the Danube, Thursday 08 April at 9.00pm

Coming soon: Dàin air an Danube and Blasad

You can find out about these events and get all the latest news at www.mgalba.com.



Getting to know ... Annette Kerr

Annette Kerr is the facilities manager of MG ALBA’s Fàs studios in the Isle of Skye.

What did you do before starting with MG ALBA?

I started working at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in 1992 when ‘Speaking Our Language’ was launched. After that, I worked for Tosg Theatre Company and then for Lèirsinn, and I came to work at MG ALBA in 2009.

Tell us about your work at MG ALBA.

I’m involved in marketing our studio facilities to production companies and supporting them when they come to work here. I do my utmost to ensure that they have everything they need while they’re here, and that they enjoy working at Fàs and leave with a good impression of MG ALBA and of the Isle of Skye.

How did you become interested in broadcasting?

At Lèirsinn I was researching Gaelic programmes and how audiences responded to them, and my interest in production grew from there. In 2008, I made a short documentary for FilmG and really enjoyed getting behind the camera and the editing process, and I was delighted when my film was shortlisted for a prize.

Annette Kerr

Lean an ceangal seo gu làrach-lìn Fàs far am faigh sibh tuilleadh fiosrachadh mun stiùideo far a bheil Annette ag obair.