Panel stitched by:
Christine Haynes
Pauline Elwell
Stitched in:
Morar
In a very surprising announcement, the Conservative Secretary of State for Scotland, Malcolm Rifkind, announced the creation of a fund to pay for Gaelic television programmes. On 18 December 1989, he outlined a plan to provide £8 million for programmes to be broadcast by the Scottish ITV companies, STV and Grampian. Two hundred hours of new programming was to be commissioned by the Gaelic Television Committee. It proved a massive stimulus and, with the success of the likes of Machair, a Gaelic-language soap opera, it put Gaelic back at the centre of Scottish life. At the same time, Gaelic rock music was becoming more and more popular through the phenomenon of Runrig. Formed in Skye, this remarkable band developed a hybrid Gaelic–English form of rock music which often used the narratives of Highland history as its subject matter. The songs were written by the brothers Rory and Calum Macdonald, and the lead singer, Donnie Munro, possessed a sublime voice. Others, such as Capercaillie, were also popular bands. But the twin impact of Gaelic television and Runrig prevented Gaelic from fading from the national agenda. The number of speakers is tiny but there appears to exist a political will to ensure survival of some sort.
Panel stitched by:
Christine Haynes
Pauline Elwell
Stitched in:
Morar