BBC refuses to reveal BBC Scotland spending and viewing figures

The BBC is facing criticism for refusing to disclose how much it has spent on its Scottish digital channel, BBC Scotland, since its launch in February 2019. The corporation declined to provide figures for total expenditure, annual spending, or audience data, citing a change in accounting methods. Previously published figures showed the channel had cost over £200 million, but the BBC now says it reports spending by genre rather than by individual platform, reflecting changes in how audiences consume content across TV, iPlayer, and podcasts like Scotcast.

This lack of transparency has drawn sharp rebukes from politicians and academics. Tory MSP Craig Hoy accused the BBC of failing licence fee payers, stating that it is extraordinary for the corporation to claim it does not hold basic information on spending and viewing figures. John Cook, a professor of media at Glasgow Caledonian University, warned that the BBC leaves itself open to charges of obfuscation and evasion by not providing simple public record of costs. The controversy is compounded by recent data showing that only one in eight Scots watched the channel weekly last year, and its flagship news programme, The Nine, was scrapped due to low ratings, at one point reaching just 1,700 viewers.

The BBC's refusal comes amid broader financial pressures. The corporation is cutting £10 million from its Scottish operations and up to 60 jobs as part of a UK-wide reduction of 550 roles. Additionally, the number of UK households paying the licence fee fell by over 500,000 last year. The BBC defends its new approach, arguing that content is now consumed across multiple platforms, making platform-specific reporting outdated. However, critics argue that this change should not prevent the BBC from explaining how public money is invested, especially given the channel's poor performance and the ongoing debate over its value for money.