BBC Alba is a joint-venture Scottish Gaelic language digital television channel which is broadcast by the BBC throughout the United Kingdom on satellite, online and Virgin Media on Demand.
It is also available live on Virgin Media and Freeview in Scotland. The name Alba is the Gaelic word for Scotland and reveals the channel’s other owner, MG Alba.
The station is unique in that it is the first channel to be delivered under a BBC licence by a partnership and is also the first multi-genre channel to come entirely from Scotland with almost all of its programmes made in Scotland. The channel partners are MG Alba and the BBC. On-air for up to seven hours a day, BBC Alba broadcasts throughout the UK on satellite (Sky and Freesat). BBC Alba was added to Virgin Media’s cable television service on 18 May 2011 but is only available in Scotland, with select content made available through their on-demand service across the UK. Some programmes from the last seven days can be viewed online on BBC iPlayer and the channel can also be watched live through iPlayer.
After being approved by the BBC Trust, it has been broadcast on Freeview, in Scotland only, since 8 June 2011, making it available to all post-switchover households in Scotland. The channel is funded and operated jointly by MG Alba and the BBC. Whilst the partnership runs the channel, Gaelic programming on BBC Two Scotland will continue at least until digital switchover takes place. The Gaelic Digital Service will also include BBC Radio nan Gàidheal during downtime hours (alongside simulcasts of BBC Radio Scotland & BBC Radio Five Live) and online content.
See the BBC Alba website for more information.
