Marion Sinclair appointed to MG ALBA board

09 May 2019

Marion SinclairOfcom has today announced the appointment of Marion Sinclair to the board of MG ALBA, the body responsible for ensuring that high-quality television programmes in Gaelic are made available to people in Scotland.

Ofcom’s recommendation for the appointment has been agreed by John Swinney MSP, Scotland’s Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills. This follows an independent selection process by Ofcom in Scotland.

Marion has been appointed for four years and will take up the role on 1 June 2019.

Marion was nominated for appointment by the BBC. She is currently the Chief Executive of Publishing Scotland, the development body for the book publishing industry and a registered charity.

Marion has worked in the publishing sector for more than 30 years, as an academic and award-winning publisher. She has been in her current post for 10 years. Her particular focus is business development in creative companies and internationalisation.

A native of the Isle of Barra, Marion lives and works in Edinburgh where she assists on a number of boards and committees including Comhairle nan Leabhraichean, Literature Alliance Scotland and Sabhal Mor Ostaig Library advisory committee.

Allan MacDonald, MG ALBA chairman, said: “I am delighted to welcome Marion to the MG ALBA board, and I know her executive and non-executive experience will be invaluable at a time when there are many strategic challenges to be faced. There has been a huge proliferation of content sources for people to choose from in recent years particularly for young people, and along with our BBC partners, we need to establish BBC ALBA clearly and distinctively in the future media landscape.”

John Swinney MSP, Deputy First Minister of Scotland and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, said: “I welcome the appointment of Marion Sinclair to the board of MG ALBA. This is an important appointment at a challenging time for broadcasting and for BBC ALBA. Marion brings extensive experience and a wide range of relevant skills from her roles as a senior executive and non-executive director within the broadcasting environment and cultural industry. This background will be of great benefit to MG ALBA as it continues to operate in partnership with the BBC and to provide high-quality and innovative content for audiences in Scotland.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. Under the Communications Act 2003, the remit of MG ALBA (the operating name of Seirbheis nam Meadhanan Gàidhlig, or Gaelic Media Service) is to ensure that a wide and diverse range of high-quality television programmes in Gaelic are made available to people in Scotland.

2. As outlined in section 209(5)(a) of the Communications Act 2003, MG ALBA board members must include a member nominated by the BBC.

3. The appointment is a result of a recruitment process that included an independent assessor. Following the passage of the Scotland Act 2016, the power to approve Ofcom appointments to the board of MG ALBA now rests solely with Scottish Ministers. Further information about appointments to the Board of MG ALBA can be found in the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK Government, Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament and Ofcom.