Continue reading BBC leads new collaboration to step up fight against fake news
The (1×25’) story on BBC One will have an introduction from the award winning writer himself, Sir Michael Morpurgo (War Horse), and will be narrated through classical music in an original score written by Oscar award-winning composer, Rachel Portman (The Little Prince). It will be performed by the BBC Philharmonic featuring singers from the Hallé’s family of choirs and will be recorded at Media City UK, Salford.
Based on original illustrations by Emily Gravett and adapted for the screen by novelist, poet, and playwright, Owen Sheers, Mimi and the Mountain Dragon is a story about a village that quakes in fear of the mighty Mountain Dragon. One winter, a shy little girl called Mimi finds a tiny baby dragon asleep in her family woodshed. Mimi takes the perilous journey through blizzard and darkness to return the baby dragon to her mother who all the villagers fear.
The newly animated film from Leopard Pictures and Factory started life when Jan Younghusband, Head of Commissioning for BBC Music TV, approached Sir Michel Morpurgo and asked him if he would write a children’s story that could be set to classical music for BBC television. Inspired by a trip to a village in Switzerland some years before, Michael Morpurgo wrote Mimi And The Mountain Dragon which was also released as a children’s book.
Continue reading You’re hired! Tom Allen is the new Host of The Apprentice: You’re Fired
Coming back for a total of five episodes, Elliot visits the hospital to see his old friend and protégé Jac, or so he tells her, but it won’t be long before his ulterior motive is unveiled and his old colleagues discover the real reason behind his return.
Continue reading Popular characters to return to Holby City as part of 20th anniversary celebrations
“Having hundreds of Castaways share their triumphs, tragedies, tribulations and tracks with me over the years was a huge privilege and an education. I am so thankful to Roy Plomley for the brilliance of his format, and I wish the programme and Lauren all the very best.”
WHAT would you do if you suddenly had £5,000 to spend? Book that dream holiday you’ve always wanted? Pay off a credit card bill? Get some work done on the house? Continue reading Investophobia: taking the fear out of investing video
Councillors on the city council’s Transport and Environment Committee will hear next week that air quality in Edinburgh is improving. However the latest figures produced by Friends of the Earth Scotland show that there are now more pollution zones across Scotland than there were twelve months ago – and that much more needs to be done to address a problem they say is becoming a ‘public health crisis’. Continue reading Putting the brakes on air pollution
Edinburgh College gives budding digital creatives the chance to make it with BBC scheme
Edinburgh College is giving creative young unemployed people who love likes, hashtags and telling stories online the chance to take the first steps towards a digital industry career.
The college’s eight-week BBC Make it Digital programme will teach skills to unemployed young people including: digital storytelling, building a website, planning a social media campaign, shooting and editing a film and learning how to pitch creative ideas to business.
The training programme was designed by the BBC Academy and is open to unemployed people between 16-24. It will take place at the college’s Milton Road Campus, where students will work with industry-standard software. The course will start on 2 November.
Taking part in this programme does not affect benefits and those between 16 and 18 on the programme will receive £55 per week Training Allowance. Travelling expenses are also part of the support.
Students will spend three weeks on work placements with local employers, who will ask them to design a social media campaign.
Make it Digital is a national scheme but the programme in Scotland has the added benefit of a recognised SQA qualification – the National Progression Award in Enterprise and Employability.
Trainees will also take part in a Radio 1 challenge based in London, where the best entries will be shortlisted into the final recruitment stages for a year-long Radio 1 Apprenticeship.
As well as new digital skills, students will also learn employability skills including business networking, CV and interview tips, budgeting, project management and creating an online portfolio. By the end of the training, participants will greatly improve their chances of finding a job or a modern apprenticeship.
Jon Buglass, head of Creative Industries at Edinburgh College, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to start to develop the skills they need to make it in the creative digital industry. The digital sector is one of the fastest-growing industries in the UK at the moment as businesses now rely on an online presence to survive. We’re excited to be working with the BBC Academy and Skills Development Scotland to give unemployed young people the chance to build digital and employability skills to help them make their way back into the workplace.”
Skills Development Scotland is funding the programme through the Employability Fund. Contact the Edinburgh Skills Development Scotland Careers Centre on 0131 718 2040 or speak to a Jobcentre Work Coach to find out how to apply for this course.
While the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ campaigns continue to slug it out as the Referendum countdown continues, the broadcasters are having a private battle of their own. Both BBC and STV have just announced plans which they hope will grab some headlines for themselves.
STV announced yesterday that Alex Salmond has agreed to take part in an STV television debate on the independence referendum with Alistair Darling.
Mr Salmond has been calling for a ‘First Minister to Prime Minister’ debate over independence, but as David Cameron continues to insist the referendum is an issue for the Scots, the First Minister has now agreed to appear in a debate with Alistair Darling, who leads the Better Together campaign.
STV News had invited both campaigns to participate in a live two-hour debate in front of an audience of 500 voters from both sides as well as undecideds. The landmark live debate will be chaired by STV’s political editor Bernard Ponsonby on a date to be confirmed.
Speaking about the debate, Better Together campaign director Blair McDougall said: “Alex Salmond’s TV debates bluff has finally been called. This is a welcome, if long overdue, climb-down by the First Minister.
“The nationalists wanted to make this a Scotland versus England contest. The vast majority of Scots know that’s not what this is about.
“There are two competing Scottish visions for our country. We offer the best of both worlds, with more powers for Scotland backed up by the strength, security and stability of the larger UK. The nationalists only offer a leap in the dark with separation.
“People in Scotland deserve a TV debate between the leaders of both campaigns about the big issues in this referendum, like what would happen to our Pound, pensions and public services.”
Blair Jenkins, Yes Scotland’s chief executive, said: “Polls show that the people of Scotland want a debate between the First Minister and the Prime Minister.
“If David Cameron is content to dictate to us, then he should be brave enough to debate with us. Team Yes has an abundance of talent ready and waiting to put forward the positive Yes case; meanwhile, the No side are desperately trying to pass the bat as far down the pecking order as possible.”
While STV will undoubtedly be delighted to have landed ‘the big one’ and will host the eagerly-anticipated leaders’ debate, ultimately it’s you, the punter, who will decide Scotland’s future – and increasingly it seems that young first-time voters may swing the result one way or the other. BBC Scotland announced today it will host the biggest debate the country has ever seen in the week before the independence referendum – and every secondary school in Scotland will be invited to take part.
Up to 12,000 first time voters from across Scotland will fill Glasgow’s SSE Hydro for a BBC One televised debate on independence. The 11 September debate will give 16 and 17-year-olds the opportunity to air their views and question politicians.
The BBC will contact both campaigns to discuss the appropriate representative from each side to appear on the show, and the programme will be broadcast across the UK on BBC One a week before Scotland makes it’s choice.
John Boothman, BBC Scotland’s Head of News and Current Affairs, said: “This will be the biggest political debate that has ever been televised in Scotland. We are proud to bring the nation’s young people together to hear the arguments that will determine the future of the country.”
Then again, of course, there are always repeats of ‘Only Fools and Horses’ …
