View source for BBC Two Scotland

{{Short description|British television channel}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox television channel
| name = BBC Two Scotland
| logo = BBC Two logo 2021.svg
| logo_caption = 
| logo_size = 200px
| launch_date = {{start date and age|1966|07|09|df=y}}<br>{{start date and age|2001|03|30|df=y}} (digital version)
| closed_date = 
| network = [[BBC Two]]
| owner = [[BBC Scotland]]
| country = [[United Kingdom]]
| picture_format = [[576i]] ([[16:9]] [[Standard-definition television|SDTV]])
| former_names = BBC 2 Scotland (9 July 1966 – 16 February 1991)<br /> BBC Scotland On 2 (16 February 1991 – 4 October 1997)
| replaced = [[BBC Choice Scotland]] (Digital version)
| replaced_by = [[BBC Scotland (TV channel)|BBC Scotland]]
| sister_channels = [[BBC One Scotland]]<br>[[BBC Alba]]
| availability_note = 
| terr_serv_1 = [[Freeview (UK)|Freeview]]
| terr_chan_1 = Channel 2
}}
'''BBC Two Scotland''' is a Scottish free-to-air television channel owned and operated by [[BBC Scotland]] as a variation of the [[BBC Two]] network. It was broadcast via digital television and was the sister Scottish channel of [[BBC One Scotland]] and Gaelic-language [[BBC Alba]]. Unlike BBC One Scotland, which broadcasts its own continuity with only rare exceptions, BBC Two Scotland would opt in and out of BBC Two network continuity throughout the day.

==History==
At the end of June 1965, in response to a question in the House of Commons, the Assistant Postmaster General, Joseph Slater, announced that the first BBC2 UHF station in Scotland was expected to open at Black Hill that December, with a second station at Durris serving the north-east towards the end of the following year, or soon after. Further stations were planned to extend BBC2 to the rest of Scotland, but it was too early to determine when they were likely to open.<ref>{{cite news |title=First BBC-2 station in Scotland |url=https://news.google.co.uk/newspapers?id=uWxAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=lqMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3625%2C75101 |work=[[Glasgow Herald]] |date=1 July 1965}}</ref>

However, bad weather delayed the project and the completion date was put back to the Spring of 1966.<ref>Written reply by the Postmaster General, Anthony Wedgwood Benn, to Gregor Mackenzie, MP for Rutherglen, 22 December 1965.</ref>

The BBC2 transmitter at [[Black Hill transmitting station|Blackhill]] finally went into full service on 9 July 1966, broadcasting to a potential audience of 2.3 million. The programme schedule that evening began at 7pm with the channel's controller, [[David Attenborough]], introducing BBC-2 to Scotland,<ref name="david">{{cite web |title=David Attenborough |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/ee6b39d93e344bf69b18493e0530eedc |website=BBC Programme Index|date=9 July 1966 }}</ref> followed by ''Pick of the Month'', in which [[Denis Tuohy]] and [[Joan Bakewell]] choose and introduced highlights from some of the programmes seen on BBC2 during June.<ref name="david"/> It was followed by the first half of a dramatisation of Walter Scott's ''[[The Heart of Midlothian]]'' at 8pm, recorded in the BBC's Queen Margaret Drive studios in Glasgow.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Heart of Midlothian: Part 1: Concealment of a Birth |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/732ac2eece3d4406b2baf50265fbd4f4 |website=BBC Programme Index|date=9 July 1966 }}</ref> At 10:05pm, ''The Sport Scene'' with David Vine, included highlights of the final day of golf's [[1966 Open Championship|Open Championship]] at Muirfield, East Lothian.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Sport Scene |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/290b053f57384fea96ffdcf2869939ff |website=BBC Programme Index|date=9 July 1966 }}</ref>

Attenborough said at a news conference at the time of launching the service to Scotland that with Scotland a higher percentage of university students than England, there was an unlikely chance that the channel was deemed to be too highbrow.<ref>{{cite news |title=Full service by BBC2 |url=https://news.google.co.uk/newspapers?id=ln9AAAAAIBAJ&sjid=y6MMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5895%2C1343934 |work=[[Glasgow Herald]] |date=9 July 1966}}</ref>

Prior to digital switchover, 'BBC Two Scotland' and 'BBC Two Scotland (Digital)' were listed as separate channels by some guides, but were effectively the same channel, broadcasting identical feeds as part of the transition to digital television.

On 24 February 2019, the BBC launched the [[BBC Scotland (TV channel)|BBC Scotland channel]], a new autonomous service that broadcasts a nightly lineup of Scottish programming. In preparation for its launch, BBC Two Scotland was discontinued and replaced by the national version beginning 18 February. BBC Scotland officially broadcasts from 19:00 to 00:00 nightly, but simulcasts BBC Two daily from 12:00 to 19:00, and may opt out for sport and political broadcasts of regional interest during this period.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-47345058|title=New BBC Scotland TV channel launches|work=BBC News|date=2019-02-24|access-date=2019-02-25|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-47069479|title=Where to find the new BBC Scotland TV channel|work=BBC News|date=2019-01-31|access-date=2019-02-12|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/16683725.bbc-faces-strict-quotas-to-ensure-it-delivers-on-promises-on-scottish-content-on-new-channel/|title=BBC faces strict quotas to ensure it delivers on promises on Scottish content on new channel|website=Herald Scotland|date=3 September 2018 |language=en|access-date=2019-02-12}}</ref> BBC Two Scotland remained on the Sky [[electronic programming guide|EPG]] on channel 970 until 28 February 2019. From 18 to 27 February 2019, BBC Two Scotland simulcasted [[BBC Two]] (England region).

==Programming==
<!---The Music Show (Scotland) redirects here until such time as an article is created. --->
Similarly to BBC One Scotland, BBC Two Scotland offered differing programming from the [[BBC Two|UK-wide network]] specifically aimed at Scottish viewers. Often, this was more specialised programming such as ''Artworks Scotland'', ''Holyrood Live'' and the Gaelic strands branded as ''BBC Two (Dhà) Alba''.

During the daytime and overnight schedules, BBC Scotland replaced some of the national education programming for shows better targeted at the separate Scottish [[education]] system and replacing some politics strands with coverage of Scottish politics. BBC Sport Scotland would sometimes use BBC Two Scotland to broadcast live coverage of more minority sports, such as [[Track and field|athletics]] and [[shinty]], with some sports such as [[mountain biking]] and [[Cross country running|cross-country]] showcased in ''[[The Adventure Show]]''.

Additionally, on Sunday nights, BBC Two Scotland had become the regular home for ''[[Sportscene]]'''s highlights of the SPFL, preceding ''[[Match of the Day 2]]''.

The ''[[Music Show (Scotland)|Music Show]]'' was launched on BBC Two Scotland in November 2005, presented by [[Shantha Roberts]]. Its programming included live performances from a wide range of musical styles, with bands filmed around the country at different venues and unusual locations, rather than in the studio. Musical styles included [[indie music|indie]], [[jazz]], [[folk music|folk]], [[funk]], [[hip hop]] and [[electro pop]].<ref>{{cite web | title=The Music Show New On BBC2 Scotland | website=Werkre | date=10 November 2005 | url=https://werk.re/2005/11/10/the-music-show-new-on-bbc2-scotland/ | access-date=17 February 2021}}</ref> Its last shows were broadcast in November 2014.<ref>{{cite web | title=Music Scotland - The Music Show | website=BBC | date=17 October 2014 | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/musicscotland/musicshow/ | access-date=17 February 2021}}</ref>

Other examples of BBC Two Scotland programmes include:
{{div col}}
* ''ArtWorks Scotland''
* ''Cunntas''
* ''[[Dè a-nis?]]''
* ''[[Scottish Parliament|Holyrood Live]]''
* ''[[Landward]]''
* ''[[Limmy's Show]]''
* ''[[Little Monsters (TV series)|Na Bleigeardan]]''
* ''[[Newsnight Scotland]]''
* ''[[Daily Politics|Daily Politics Scotland]]''
* ''[[64 Zoo Lane|Rathad an Sutha]]''
* ''[[Scotland 2016]]''
* ''[[Sport Nation]]''
* ''[[Sportscene]]''
* ''[[The Adventure Show]]''
* ''Wildlife Detectives''
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{bbc.co.uk|id=schedules/p00fzl9b|title=BBC Two Scotland listings}}
*{{bbc.co.uk|id=scotland|title=BBC Scotland}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bbc Two Scotland}}
[[Category:1966 establishments in Scotland]]
[[Category:BBC Scotland]]
[[Category:English-language television stations in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1966]]
[[Category:Television channels and stations disestablished in 2019]]
[[Category:Defunct television channels in Scotland]]
[[Category:Defunct BBC television channels]]
[[Category:2019 disestablishments in Scotland]]

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