THE new director of BBC Scotland has said she "can't wait to get started" in the role after being at the corporation for 18 years.
Hayley Valentine (below), currently head of BBC Midlands in Birmingham, will take up the post in early November, succeeding Steve Carson in the role.
Since joining the BBC in 1996, she has been executive producer of BBC Question Time, director of current affairs at Mentorn, head of news at Radio 5 Live, and head of the BBC Radio newsroom.
She was also the launch editor of BBC Scotland’s The Nine news programme.
In 2019 – when Valentine was editor of the flagship BBC Scottish news programme – she said that she would defend the BBC’s coverage of the 2014 indyref against accusations of bias “until my dying day”.
The broadcaster faced well-documented criticism for its failure to properly cover the Yes campaign in 2014.
Upon being appointed as director of BBC Scotland, Valentine said: “I am thrilled to have been asked to lead BBC Scotland.
“There is a wealth of first-class creative talent in Scotland within the BBC and across the wider sector.
“I am looking forward to working with them all to create the highest quality content for our audiences in Scotland, and to represent Scotland to audiences across the UK and beyond.
“I really can’t wait to get started.”
A graduate of Edinburgh University, she worked as a journalist at DC Thomson and Radio Forth before joining the BBC.
The corporation said in her new role she will lead the development of a wide range of content and services for audiences in Scotland across television, radio and online.
This includes BBC Reporting Scotland, Sportscene, Disclosure, BBC Radio Scotland, the BBC Scotland channel, and the work of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
BBC director general Tim Davie said: “Hayley is a proven creative leader with a passionate commitment to serving audiences across Scotland.
“I know she is determined to build on BBC Scotland’s editorial success – strengthening its online services and working with partners right across the sector to ensure Scotland packs a creative punch not just at home, but internationally too.”
Carson is taking up a new position in Dublin with the Republic of Ireland’s public service broadcaster, RTE.
