Cunningham Appointed New Chair of Gaelic TV channel MG ALBA

A former head of BBC Radio Scotland has been appointed chair of one of the partners in the Gaelic-language TV channel, BBC ALBA.

Maggie Cunningham has been appointed by broadcasting regulators, Ofcom, to succeed Alasdair Morrison, as chair of the Scottish Government-funded Gaelic media service, MG ALBA, which is a partner, along with the BBC, in BBC ALBA. Morrison’s four-year term in office is coming to an end.

The appointment was approved by the Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore, MP, supported by Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Michael Russell MSP, following an independent appointment and selection process undertaken by Ofcom in Scotland.

BBC ALBA was launched on September 19 2008 and became available on Freeview in June.

Says Ofcom: “Cunningham is currently an executive and leadership coach with Perform2Succeed. She was Head of Radio Scotland from 2000 to 2004 and Joint Head of Programmes and Services, BBC Scotland, from 2005 to 2009. She has carried out a number of other roles with BBC Scotland since 1979 including as Secretary supporting the Broadcasting Council for Scotland. She is a fluent Gaelic speaker.”

Cunningham is quoted in an Ofcom statement announcing her appointment, as saying: “I am delighted to be appointed and look forward to working with the board of MG ALBA to build upon Alasdair’s considerable contribution over the past three-and-a-half years which has seen the launch of BBC ALBA.”

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