Copyright scotsman
The death of the BBC’s long-running Good Morning Scotland (GMS) programme has been confirmed, with the show axed after 52 years on the airwaves. The news and current affairs programme will be replaced by a new show, Radio Scotland Breakfast, under a major BBC shake-up. The new programme will launch on November 24 and will be co-hosted by existing BBC presenters Martin Geissler and Laura Maciver. The BBC said existing GMS hosts Gary Robertson and Laura Maxwell would take up “other high-profile presenting roles” with the corporation. Mr Robertson will take over from Mr Geissler as presenter of The Sunday Show on BBC One Scotland. Radio Scotland Breakfast will air from 6am to 9am on weekdays, with the BBC promising a “pacy, informal and informative” offering. The shake-up has been announced as GMS, which first aired in 1973, had battled with falling ratings, with accusations the programme had grown “stale” and was losing listeners to rival stations. The BBC is also dealing with the fallout of bullying allegations against broadcaster Kaye Adams. Don’t miss the Scotsman’s daily newsletter Ms Adams, who also appears on ITV’s Loose Women, was taken off air from her morning radio programme earlier this month, which starts from 9am. It has been reported the decision was made following a complaint about her behaviour, though the BBC has not confirmed the reason. Ms Adams said on the weekend that her name had been “dragged through the mud”, with a statement issued on her behalf saying: “After three of the most distressing weeks of my professional life ... BBC Scotland has still not provided me with any details of the allegations which have been made against me.” Ms Maciver joins the new breakfast show after working as a senior presenter on Reporting Scotland: News at Seven. BBC Radio Scotland’s Phil Goodlad will present the sports news. Howard Simpson, head of news and current affairs at BBC Scotland, said: “The launch of Breakfast marks a new chapter in the history of BBC Radio Scotland’s morning news service for audiences. “BBC Scotland News is more important than ever now in the disinformation age and the programme will have the journalistic rigour and depth our listeners have come to expect, with Martin and Laura bringing their distinctive energy, insight and warmth. They will be there to help audiences make sense of the main issues facing Scotland and ask the questions that need answered. “I’m confident that’s a combination that will make Breakfast a must-listen for people who want the latest news, sport, weather and entertainment from a Scottish perspective. “I also want to thank Gary and Laura, whose work on Good Morning Scotland has been outstanding, and I’m delighted they’ll be bringing their talent to other roles in our news and current affairs output.” Mr Robertson, who has presented GMS for the past 19 years, said: ‘It’s been a privilege to be part of Good Morning Scotland, waking the nation up, for such a significant period. I’m excited to take on The Sunday Show full time, where I’ll continue to ask the searching questions and explore the stories that matter most to our audiences.” Ms Maxwell added: “I’ve loved waking up Scotland with the news every morning and now I’m looking forward to joining listeners later in the day.”
