First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has urged the BBC to "properly resource" the new dedicated Scotland channel, revealing its annual budget is less than half of that recommended by a report.
Speaking at First Minister's Questions, Ms Sturgeon welcomed the announcement of the new channel, which will have an annual budget of £30 million and is due to go on air next autumn.
BBC Scotland will have an hour-long news bulletin at 9pm on weekdays covering Scottish, national and international news which will be edited and presented in Scotland and lead to 80 new journalism posts.
Ms Sturgeon said: "I unequivocally welcome the announcement yesterday for a BBC Scotland channel. The SNP first called for a separate channel in April 2006."
She added: "We've got to be very firm in saying to the BBC in saying that this channel has to be properly resourced on an ongoing basis.
"Interestingly, when the Scottish Broadcasting Commission reported in 2009 it estimated that a similar channel would cost around £75 million a year, which is actually double the £30 million announced yesterday.
"Of course, yesterday's announcement increased the percentage of the licence fee raised in Scotland that is spent in Scotland but that still does leave the percentage lower than the corresponding percentages in Wales and Northern Ireland."
She called for MSPs across the chamber to make sure the announcement "turns into a successful reality".
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