[JMT1985]

Interesting talking about if an independence referendum had or will given us a YES vote and the consequence for TV broadcasting - I was speaking to a media critic from Dublin, who said she felt broadcasting in Scotland would remain largely unaltered.

She pointed to the Republic of Ireland, where on all of their television platforms, the BBC television channels along with the Channel 4 set of channels are all available on satellite, cable and broadband TV services without any problem at all - with Virgin Media cable having ITV3 and ITV4 on their package as well.

She said the same would happen with an independent Scotland - STV would remain, but would become a truly independent channel, and would sign a programming deal with ITV just like Virgin Media Television does in the republic, which is why This Morning, Loose Woman, Corrie, Emmerdale, Saturday Night Takeway, BGT, etc etc all air on Virgin Media One in the republic.

She felt that the BBC would leave, and a new Scottish Broadcasting Corporation would be created to take over from the BBC, government funded, possibly with advertising in a similar way RTE is funded in Ireland.