BBC bosses should have their pay docked if they do not give licence fee payers in Scotland the service they deserve, says a media expert.
Prof Robert Beveridge said the drastic measure was needed to address the BBC’s failure over decades to satisfy Scotland’s demands for the service and to properly represent its culture.
He told a Holyrood committee that if Marks and Spencer or John Lewis identified such a “cultural representation” gap they would have fixed the problem a long time ago.
Prof Beveridge, a visiting professor at Sassari University in Italy who wants a federal structure for the BBC, said he is a “great supporter” of the broadcaster, but it has been dragging its heels for too long over Scotland reform.
He told MSPs sitting on the education and culture committee: “My proposal in my submission is that the director, Scotland, and the director general, Scotland, should have their pay linked to performance and if they don’t really address the purpose gaps on Scotland then their pay needs to be docked because they are the people with whom the buck stops.
“But I don’t want you as politicians telling the BBC what should be on the screen, what should not be on the screen.”