Image source, bbc

BBC Scotland director Donalda MacKinnon says there are "fantastic teams" in BBC Radio Scotland and she says she is "pretty ambitious" when it comes to radio. 

Tory MSP Rachael Hamilton asks how the new channel will be distinct and how can overload be avoided.

BBC director-general Tony Hall says one of the good things about the charter debate was that people did not want to follow an American model.

Lord Hall says there is distinctiveness in the drama that is offered, as are the documentaries and risk is a part of that distinctiveness.

Key points of the new channel - which will be called BBC Scotland - are:

• A "prominent" slot on the Electronic Programme Guide (the exact slot will be subject to discussions with providers such a Freeview, Sky and Virgin)
• Available in iPlayer in HD in Scotland and across UK
• Broadcast from 7pm to midnight every evening
• £19m in new money and £11m from programmes currently made for BBC Two in Scotland
• Integrated hour-long news programme at 9pm, edited and presented from Scotland
• 80 new posts for journalists

Lib Dem MSP Tavish Scott says "please don't drop Match of the Day" and says he is a Liverpool fan.

Mr Scott says "you can drop Alan Shearer but please don't drop the programme".

The Lib Dem MSP asks what are the implications for radio in Scotland.

BBC Scotland director Donalda MacKinnon says it is not just about television, it is about all of our services in Scotland. 

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Conservative MSP Jackson Carlaw asks if access to BBC Four will be affected.

Lord Halls says there is a need to negotiate with partners on the various ways people get their channels and he cannot give a clear answer on that issue at this stage. 

Lord Hall confesses he was one of the editors on 60 minutes.

The director-general goes on to praise the pilots for the new news programme in PQ.

Tory MSP Jackson Carlaw says the BBC has done a "remarkable job" keeping this a secret until yesterday. 

He says he welcomes what has been said about the 'Scottish 6' although he had no problem with it in principle.

Mr Carlaw says "we all remember 60 Minutes". 

The Tory MSP asks if there has been pilots for the new 9pm news programme and asks for assurances that "on a lean news day" it is not filled with "MSPs on a sofa". 

SNP MSP Richard Lochhead raises the issue of a Scottish Six.

Lord Hall says at 6pm the audience is growing on BBC One and Reporting Scotland is the most successful news programme in Scotland.

The new channel will provide choice, says Lord Birkenhead.

SNP MSP Richard Lochhead says it has taken some time to get here but it is "a warmly welcomed announcement". 

He asks how success of the new channel will be measured.

Lord Hall says it is hard at the moment to set detailed matrix but the BBC will.

The BBC's director-general says the aim is to drive up audience.

He says it will be important to have the channel as high on the EPG as possible and this will involve talks with Virgin and SKY. 

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BBC Scotland director Donalda MacKinnon says there are "enormous opportunities here across all the platforms".

BBC director-general Tony Hall says BBC Alba will get weekend news consistently for the first time, which he says is very important.

Lord Hall says he very much wants "Donalda to draw on the resources of the whole BBC for the new channel".

He says this could create something "new and fresh".

Mr Macdonald asks if there will be access to international correspondents and Lord Hall confirms this.

The BBC director-general says at 9pm the BBC resources in its entirety will be available to BBC Scotland.

Brian Taylor
BBC Scotland Political Editor

There is nothing more disarming than saying yes. Elegant consensus can have a potency all of its own, capable of deflecting the murmurs or indeed growls of discontent that are common in public discourse.

Such would seem to be the case with the BBC's composite announcement today anent the future of broadcasting in Scotland.

The central promise is a new digital channel specialising in Scottish content, with an hour long news programme at its core, made in Scotland and featuring Scottish, UK and global news.

In essence, this mirrors the central recommendation of the Scottish Broadcasting Commission, set up by the first SNP Scottish government way back in 2007. More recently, in 2015, Nicola Sturgeon pressed the BBC to create such a channel. So today's announcement is yes, twice. Eventually.

Read more here.

Labour MSP Lewis Macdonald says he would like to understand how the investment will work in Scotland as whole. 

He asks about the regional content on the new channel and how other production teams across Scotland and outside Glasgow will feed into it.

BBC director of nations and regions Ken MacQuarrie says other regions being involved in the channel is at the forefront of proposals.

BBC Scotland director Donalda Mackinnon says the journalists being hired for the new channel will be recruited across Scotland not just in Glasgow. 

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Lord Hall of Birkenhead says compare the 68% on content to Northern Ireland which is around 74% and there is movement.

The director-general says this is very much a starting point.

Committee convener Joan McAlpine asks if it is expected that original BBC Scotland programming will be sold across the world.

Ms Mackinnon says she is very ambitious and she hopes to work with BBC Worldwide.

Ms McAlpine says £30m doesn't go that far considering £60m is spent on Match of the Day.

The SNP MSP asks when it will get to a position where BBC Scotland is comparable with the other nations.

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Committee convener Joan McAlpine says the cost for setting up a Scottish digital channel was quoted as £75m by the Broadcasting Commission  and this new channel will have £30m.

Lord Hall says there are no hidden overheads here.

The BBC director-general says lets see what happens in the future and the aim now is to launch the new channel.

BBC Scotland director Donalda MacKinnon says there will be leadership around the channel.

Ms McKinnon says this is not a like for like comparison with the Broadcasting Commission proposal and there will be £30m without overheads.

Lord Hall says "this is a great vote of confidence in the creativity in BBC Scotland."

The BBC's director-general says yesterday was not about saying "we have reached a destination but hopefully we have signaled our intent for the future.

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BBC director-general Tony Hall says the last time he visited Holyrood he emphasised the need to grow the spend in Scotland

Lord Hall of Birkenhead says: "We all felt this was a very big day for the BBC in Scotland."

He says this is in the face of the BBC needing savings of £800m over five years and nonetheless the BBC is able to make the "largest investment in a decade".

Lord Hall says there will be £40m of investment in BBC Scotland and this is an "exciting proposition with the nine o'clock news at its core".

In all this is 80 new jobs and with 20 local democracy jobs that makes 100 jobs, says Lord Hall.

Committee convener Joan McAlpine gets us underway by welcoming the witnesses.

• BBC director-general Tony Hall 
• BBC Scotland director Donalda MacKinnon 
• BBC director of nations and regions Ken MacQuarrie