Watch BBC Scotland

BBC Scotland TV channel was launched on the 24 of February, 2019 as a part-time TV hub of the purely Scottish programming under the BBC Scotland media network, in place of the now closed BBC Two Scotland.

The feature of the channel is The Nine, one-hour news bulletin scheduled for 9 p.m. and dedicated to Scottish news from all areas of life. The programme’s additional goal is to cover the global news from the Scottish viewpoint and with a distinct Scottish voice.

BBC Scotland broadcasts from 7 p.m. to midnight every day, and around 95% of its content is Scottish (in terms of themes and production). More than half of programs are new original content, which encourages independent studios and producers to create and offer shows for broadcasting.

To mark the launch of the channel, on the premiere night, the Scottish band Chvrches performed their hit ‘Miracle’ together with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

BBC Scotland has its own set of idents with local flavor. Namely, they depict a cobbled street in the rain, a bird, and Buchanan Street subway station (Glasgow).

Friday evenings on the channel are dedicated to sports, Scottish football tournaments, news and gossips being in the spotlight. The channel shows Scottish Championship and the Scottish Cup events, among others.

The first crime show Guilt produced specifically for the channel proved to be a particularly successful series, had several seasons instead of one, was purchased for broadcasting in other countries, and won multiple awards.

In 2022, BBC Scotland TV channel and Screen Scotland, in a joint effort to encourage and empower a new generation of independent directors, launched a call for submissions of documentary concepts. 8 applicants whose proposals will be approved will have the facilities, training, and support for the making of their documentaries.

Although given rather restricted live air time, the channel manages to offer a diversified and high-quality content, including TV series, entertainment shows, documentaries, and even its own music show Emeli Sandé's Street Symphony in which the singer tours Scotland and hires street musicians to perform with an orchestra.

A note-worthy point in the establishment of the channel was that Ofcom, the communications regulator, explicitly requested the BBC to watch over the recruiting policy of the channel so that it did not poach reporters and TV specialists from other local channels, newspapers, and broadcasters, thus creating unfair competition.