The Stage

Cameron to leave BBC Scotland

Published Tuesday 13 July 2004 at 10:50 by Hamish Mackay

Controller of network development for nations and regions at BBC Scotland Colin Cameron is to quit his post later this month to “seek new opportunities”.

It is understood Cameron, who lost out to Ken McQuarrie in his bid to become controller of the regional broadcaster earlier this year, has not yet lined up a new job.

Cameron took over his current role at BBC Scotland in 2001 after nine years as head of documentary features in Glasgow. He had notable programme-making successes at the BBC as a director and producer - including That’s Life, Everyman, Brass Tacks and Black & White. He also created On the Line and Heart of the Matter, for which he won the United Nations Media Peace Prize in 1984.

As head of documentary features for BBC Television from 1987 to 1991, Cameron initiated Have I Got News for You and was responsible for many major factual series including Inside Story, Pole to Pole with Michael Palin and The Second Russian Revolution. At BBC Scotland, he was executive producer of the ground-breaking reality series Castaway 2000.

His innovative Tartan Shorts won Scotland’s first Oscar in 35 years and other commissions included Mrs Brown, Monarch of the Glen and Billy Connolly’s World Tour of Scotland.

• BBC Scotland comedy sitcom Still Game is to be broadcast across the UK next year. Written by and starring comics Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill, this will be the fourth series for a show, which has been attracting an average of 1.5 million viewers in Scotland.

Said Kiernan: “It’s been a long wait but we are really delighted that it has happened at last. We actually had an inkling that the BBC in London were considering letting Still Game go nationwide after the corporation showed five episodes from series one and two earlier this year.”