Divide and conquer

Here's a rather bizarre idea, floated in yesterday's BBC Trust review of Auntie's performance in the Nations.

BBC Scotland is considering trialling a split frequency for Radio Scotland. This would offer news, current affairs and sport on one service (available on FM, DAB and online), and arts, music and culture on a second service (available only on DAB and online). BBC Scotland believes this would enable it to improve its coverage of the Scottish news agenda, while giving greater flexibility for non-news programming. RadioCentre has expressed concern at this idea due to its potential competitive impact. At this stage, no formal proposal has been received by the BBC Trust, but if it were to do so, the regulatory procedures for running a trial and subsequently any approvals process would be followed.

The (commercial) Radio Centre wants all music taken away from weekday Radio Scotland, in its friendly, teeth-baring way. It says Radio Scotland should be all speech, and yet, when an idea is floated that might do that, it harrumphs.

This idea of splitting services is clearly fashionable - next month a 15-week DAB pop-up station run by BBC Radio Cymru starts, offering an alternative breakfast show with "more music and laughter". Unfortunately the DAB frequency only reaches south-east Wales, so Welsh-speaking fun seekers in the rest of the country will have to find it online.