Last night (Sunday 6 November) the Scottish BAFTA ceremony was held in Glasgow. 麻豆约拍 programmes fared extremely well being awarded prizes in nine categories.

麻豆约拍 One's earned Best Drama Series and its star Douglas Henshall took home the Best Actor in a TV Series Award. Douglas Mackinnon was awarded the Best Director Film/Television for his work on .

Meanwhile, C麻豆约拍's  was named Best Children's Programme,  won Best Factual Series and 麻豆约拍 One's  (pictured above) was the Best Single Documentary winner.

All the 麻豆约拍 winners are listed below: 

• Best Actor TV, Douglas Hensall, Shetland
• Best Children’s Programme, All Over The Workplace
• Best Comedy/Entertainment, Mrs Brown's Boys: Christmas Special 2015
• Best Current Affairs, 麻豆约拍 Scotland Investigates: Britain's Puppy Dealers Exposed
• Director Film/Television, Douglas Mackinnon, Sherlock: The Abominable Bride
• Best Factual Series, This Farming Life
• Best Single Documentary, Dunblane: Our Story
• Specialist Factual, Imagine...Richard Flanagan: Life After Death
• Best TV Drama, Shetland

Congratulations to all the winners, a full list can be found on the . 

In just under two months, the flies to India - taking with us three of Scotland鈥檚 greatest musical ambassadors; the wonderful , the brilliant and the inspirational , plus 16 students from the 听(RCS) - for two weeks of incredible musical encounters in Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai.

We鈥檙e not the first orchestra to visit India; many have gone before us. We think though, that our project is maybe one of the most distinctive and ambitious.听

Over three years in the planning 鈥� thanks here to the for their unending support - the prospect of taking the 麻豆约拍 SSO to India has grown steadily larger in my mind and many of my colleagues. For months now, rarely a day has gone by when the subject of India hasn鈥檛 been raised. On 25^th March, it becomes a reality.

There will of course be public concerts in each city 鈥� we鈥檙e taking with us music by Mendelssohn, Mozart and Tchaikovsky amongst many others 鈥� but there will also be full scale orchestral concerts for thousands of local school children, smaller-scale ensemble concerts, demonstrations and creative workshops, as well as talks and masterclasses.

I mentioned 16 students from the RCS. 14 of them will be sitting beside the professionals of the 麻豆约拍 Scottish Symphony Orchestra听(麻豆约拍 SSO) - each one selected by rigorous, professional-standard audition and each one playing an integral and crucial role in our performances. This very special and unique orchestra will not only perform to thousands of people of all ages in each city, they will also be contributing to a huge variety of content for radio, television and online. That鈥檚 where the other 2 students come in.

Working hand in hand with our 麻豆约拍 SSO production team, and colleagues from 麻豆约拍 Learning, plus many others, the students 鈥� from the RCS Screen department 鈥� will help us to make sure as much of this extraordinary project is captured and broadcast across as many UK and international networks as possible.

It all begins in Chennai, with a three-day residency at the . This 1,100 seater hall is a fairly recent addition to the Lady Andal Trust, an extraordinary organisation which devotes its time and energies to supporting underprivileged children. 听As we have come to realise, music plays a huge role in developing young lives in India too.

We鈥檒l also visit the in Chennai - a state of the art higher education music and technology college, founded and led by the incomparable . Known to many of us for his Academy Award winning score to Slumdog Millionaire, he was named by TIME magazine in 2009 as one of the world鈥檚 100 most influential people. Rahman is a phenomenon 鈥� unbelievably successful as composer, performer and music producer. As well as working with his higher education students, we鈥檒l meet the Sunshine Orchestra 鈥� a group of 50 young Sistema-like string players from local schools.

We have in fact already met some of the KM students in Glasgow. At the end of January, 22 of them travelled to Glasgow for the . Joining up with the 麻豆约拍 Scottish Symphony Orchestra, vocal students from the RCS and Rahman himself, they took part in an extraordinary concert of the great man鈥檚 music at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. In front of a wildly enthusiastic audience 鈥� Rahman's 16.5million Facebook friends don鈥檛 do ticket sales any harm 鈥� the concert was broadcast live on the , brilliantly presented by Bobby Friction.

After Chennai, we鈥檒l set off for Delhi, with three performances in the 1,700 seat Siri Fort Auditorium.

The third and final leg of our takes us to Mumbai and the , where we鈥檙e planning what may turn out to be the most ambitious and hair-raising bit of the entire trip! A live broadcast on Sunday 6^th April for 麻豆约拍 Radio 3鈥檚 Live in Concert. Mendelssohn Hebrides Overture, Mozart鈥檚 5^th Violin Concerto with Nicola Benedetti and Tchaikovsky鈥檚 4^th Symphony 鈥� plus some Scottish surprises at the end.

The roots of this project are firmly in education, opportunity and cultural exchange. We鈥檙e doing it now because the 2014 Commonwealth Games gives us the perfect opportunity to celebrate the cultures of our two great nations. We鈥檙e hoping we can play a small part in nurturing and inspiring future generations, helping to develop cultural and educational links across continents and most importantly of all, make some new friends.

Professor John Wallace, Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland sums it up rather nicely: 鈥淭he tour of India is the most incredible opportunity for our students. Our partnership with 麻豆约拍 Scotland is enabling them to experience first-hand, mentored by professionals, the interface between the West and one of the most dynamic cultures in the world. With James MacMillan conducting and Nicola Benedetti as soloist, it does not get any better than this.鈥�

Gavin Reid is Director of the 麻豆约拍 Scottish Symphony Orchestra.

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• Nicola Benedetti discusses Szymanowski on the .
• Read violinist about the 麻豆约拍 Philharmonic's tour of Japan.

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Back in April听听wrote about the launch of the听 apprenticeship scheme - the successful applicants appear at the bottom of this post.听

As the second class of apprenticeships moves on to pastures new, we鈥檝e asked the bright young things to write about how they got on and tell us what they've got planned next.

Ben McCormack

鈥淔rom the outside the 麻豆约拍 appeared to me as a massive machine, like a media behemoth, The Big British Castle, complete with unscalable walls, churning out hour after hour of content for the masses. It was a potent mix of both excitement and terror when I got the call telling me they were lowering the drawbridge and I was getting a chance to find out just how this world worked.

鈥淲ithin my first few days the fear that I would get sacked for dropping a pen dissolved along with all of my preconceptions, the 麻豆约拍 is in fact a wonderful place to work. As an apprentice, you are in a very privileged position, people understand that you are there, not only to work, but to learn as well and because of this, supply you with an incredible variety of work, so that you can get the most from your short time in whatever department you are hanging your hat in that month. To say that every day was a pleasure would be an outright lie, the best way to find a group of apprentices is to shout the words 鈥楽hot Logging鈥� and follow the groans. That said, there are days that it鈥檚 hard to believe you are actually in work; within my first few weeks I had seen more live bands than I could count, I had received my first credit and met some incredible people who I will remain in touch with for the rest of my career, and it鈥檚 continued to blow me away ever since.

鈥淚鈥檝e been to Manchester, Newcastle, Inverness, Edinburgh, I鈥檝e spent days in fields, in old churches, trawling through books in the Mitchel Library, the variety of your working week can be staggering. For me this is the real charm of the apprenticeship, it鈥檚 hard to get bored when there is so much to get involved in and when everyone wants to show you just how much fun the job can be. As my time comes to an end I鈥檓 looking forward to removing my stabilisers and pedalling off into whatever comes, but I will always look back at the apprenticeship, as not only a year of enormous fun, but also as the year my life really began.鈥�

Ben is about to move onto being Content Assistant in 麻豆约拍 Radio Scotland鈥檚 music department where he will work on shows like听听for 麻豆约拍 Radio 1 and the听听show on Radio Scotland.

Sebastian Walls

鈥淏eing an apprentice within the 麻豆约拍 has been such a magical experience from the very beginning. It still feels like a dream that I have been able to start my career within the media industry the best possible way; I do feel privileged to have been offered the opportunity especially just from coming from high school.

鈥淩ight from the word go I have had such a fun time and have learned so much over the year, every day is completely different and it is always new and exciting no matter what department I am working in.

鈥淚 have been working in some amazing productions both in TV and Radio and can say I have loved every aspect of both, whether that be co-presenting on on Radio Scotland, working on the or being involved with Children in Need.听 What I have experienced here at the 麻豆约拍 has been fantastic - there is nowhere in the world where you can work with some of the friendliest people who are always eager to help and gain unique skills which will enhance your own abilities within the industry.

鈥淢y understanding and knowledge of the industry has greatly improved while being on the apprenticeship, that awareness of how it operates is key; from gaining employment to successfully building contacts.

鈥淚 have thoroughly enjoyed my time working within 麻豆约拍 Scotland as an apprentice. I have developed some essential skills and met some amazing people along this journey and cannot wait to start a career I would not have had without the 麻豆约拍 apprenticeship.鈥�

Sebastian is about to start work as Repeats & Indies Delivery Assistant in Salford.

Cairi Swainson

鈥淭he day I applied for the apprenticeship will stick in my mind forever.听 I spotted the poster for it in between jobs while I stood signing on for the dole.听 The deadline was that night.听 Cue frantic typing and a near meltdown when technology decided not to work in my favour.听 A day of cancelled plans has been worth it and the payoff has been immense.听 The grin I have worn ever since I first walked into Pacific Quays has been permanent; the Cheshire cat has nothing on me.听

鈥淢oving from department to department and learning on the job was terrifying, nerve wracking and, most of all, exciting 鈥� I loved it!听 Everything from researching bands to standing in the rain with a very large, slobbering Dogue du Bordeaux brought new learning experiences and each step of the way you were watched over and taught by the most experienced folk in the business.听 However, the apprenticeship teaches you more than media and production techniques, it teaches confidence, builds character and in my case helped my find a love for science which I never knew I had.

鈥淥ne day, not that long ago, I was stood in the lift zooming up to the fourth floor and all of a sudden it hit me,鈥� I鈥檓 helping to make something that people will enjoy watching and want to talk about鈥�.听 I鈥檓 not entirely sure what I thought I had been doing up to that point but, in that instant, I experienced an overwhelming sense of contentment.听 From day one we have been told there are no guarantees, I don鈥檛 care, for the first time in my life I can鈥檛 imagine doing anything else.鈥�

Cairi now works in 麻豆约拍 Scotland Children鈥檚 department where she is working as researcher for series eight of CBeebies show .

Lisa Graham

鈥淢y year as a 麻豆约拍 Scotland Apprentice has cemented in my mind that working in the creative media sector is the only career for me. Before applying for the Apprenticeship Scheme, I would never have thought that out of hundreds of applicants, I would be one of the successful 10 chosen. Brand 麻豆约拍 is renowned globally for the fantastic programmes they produce. Being able to say that I鈥檝e been involved in the production of many of these shows is something that I am immensely proud of.

鈥淎s an Apprentice I have been involved in a range of exciting opportunities. From working at the Commonwealth Games mascot unveiling as TV personality Sam Nixon鈥檚 runner, to working on the 麻豆约拍 Scotland Comedy Showcase, the breadth of experience has been tremendous.听 Although we have been shown and participated in the hard work that goes into pre-production and post-production, there is no greater feeling than seeing a programme that you鈥檝e worked on being filmed live in front of your own eyes.听 Whether your passion lies in fast-paced news segments or large factual productions that can be filming for weeks on end, the 麻豆约拍 Scotland Apprenticeship Scheme has allowed me to hone in on my individual passions and really discover what style of programme I want to be involved in making in the future.

鈥淭he mentors, buddies and managers in each department have been vital in our journey throughout the 麻豆约拍. Taking the time out to talk to us about what their job consists of and how to progress in our careers has been really helpful. The contacts that we have all made are invaluable and I hope that next year鈥檚 candidates enjoy their year here as much as I have.鈥�

Lisa is studying BA/BA (Hons) Media and Communication at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Barry Shaw

鈥淧eople ask me to sum up the apprenticeship in one word 鈥� this is where I struggle: 鈥楢mazing鈥�, 鈥榠ncredible鈥�, 鈥榰nbelievable鈥�, are all words I would probably pick. But what I didn鈥檛 expect when I signed up was to fall out with my friends and family back home because I couldn鈥檛 get them tickets to a recording of Mrs Browns Boys 鈥� oh my goodness鈥�..they were not happy!

鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing to think that I鈥檇 sit at home and watch programmes like Hogmanay Live, Comic Relief, Children In Need and Britain鈥檚 Favourite Supermarket Foods. But to actually get the chance to work on these shows and on occasion get to be in them, was unbelievable. Now that the apprenticeship is over it is probably the perfect time to admit to trying to sneak into the background as an extra on Mrs Browns Boys during a pub scene, but the production team just weren鈥檛 having it. Worth a shot eh?

鈥淥ne of the best things about the apprenticeship has to be conducting tours of Pacific Quay and the set of River City, I enjoy getting to meet the 麻豆约拍 audience in person. Guests get a behind-the-scenes look at how programmes are made and get the chance to have a go at reading the news and weather bulletin (that is when I eventually manage to figure out how to work the autocue, as it has a tendency to go either too fast or too slow, I still haven鈥檛 managed to figure it out).

鈥淎 real favourite is taking guests on a tour at River City, (and before you ask, no I didn鈥檛 swat up on a million episodes on iPlayer ahead of doing them - well ok, maybe just a few). It鈥檚 great to meet fans of the show and give them a chance to peek at the sets inside and out. The shop, taxi office and the pub are amongst the most popular. We also get to have a cuppa and a muffin in the famous Oyster Caf茅, they aren鈥檛 real, but we like to pretend.

鈥淎 day during my apprenticeship that I鈥檒l probably never forget was when my mentor asked me if I would like to produce and co-present an episode of 麻豆约拍 Scotland`s live nightly radio show, , following my theme suggestion 鈥楽ongs of Friendship鈥�. Once they鈥檇 picked me up off the floor after I fainted at the thought of it, I got stuck in, immediately I knew the theme tune from Friends was going to be my opener.

鈥淭he day arrived - it was 6.10pm and the On Air light nearly blinded me by suddenly turning bright red, it was time to go live. Knowing that friends and family were tuning in back home didn鈥檛 seem to bother me much, but knowing that Sharon Mair and Jeff Zycinski were鈥� well that kind of did. I鈥檝e enjoyed working with Bryan and the team for months beforehand answering our listeners鈥� calls, so I knew I would be in safe hands. The show flew and before I knew it, we were handing over to Ricky Ross.听

鈥淚鈥檓 often asked what advice I would give to the next batch of recruits who are currently waiting in the wings, my advice is always the same: 鈥淓njoy it, do everything and meet everyone. But be warned, your life will never be the same again鈥� (in a good way of course).

鈥淪o after a fantastic year, I am down to my last few days as a 麻豆约拍 Scotland Apprentice, but as of next week I will begin a three-month contract with C麻豆约拍 as a Department Runner. I am so lucky to have been asked to stay with the Children鈥檚 Department and this role will give me the opportunity to work across all of the C麻豆约拍 and CBeebies content. 听My first job will be working with the production team on the new series of The Dog Ate My 麻豆约拍work for C麻豆约拍. As well as this, I will continue with my tours of Pacific Quay and River City and also my work on the Get It On with Bryan Burnett radio show.鈥�

Chris O鈥橰ourke

鈥淏eing accepted to the 麻豆约拍 Scotland Apprenticeship scheme was quite an experience. After receiving confirmation that my application had been successful, I phoned my family and friends to share the news with them and we laughed a lot, I did a lap of honour around my flat, I posted on Facebook that I was now colleagues with David Attenborough. It was a good day.

鈥淚 never thought in a million years that my application would be successful and when I received that call, I suspected that it may have been a hoax. But it wasn鈥檛 and within a few weeks I found myself walking to Pacific Quay on the first day at my new job. I鈥檇 spent the previous five years of my life working for minimum wage in jobs with very little in the way of career prospects or indeed any form of stimulation. With this in mind, I felt a bit like Charlie Bucket with a golden ticket in my pocket, plucked from obscurity and handed a dream job.

鈥淥ver the course of the apprenticeship, I have embarked on a journey around 10 different departments at 麻豆约拍 Scotland. I have been actively involved in a wide range of productions and worked with some of the most fantastic, creative people I have ever had the privilege of meeting. I can鈥檛 really articulate how great the experience has been such has been my enjoyment. One thing is for sure, it has provided me with the skills and confidence to forge a career in the media industry.

鈥淚鈥檇 also like to take the opportunity to thank all of the other apprentices, my managers, the college staff and all of the staff members here at 麻豆约拍 Scotland for making my experiences so enjoyable. Without your time and effort, your understanding and your ability to inspire, my experience would not have been the same.鈥�

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Scott Currie

鈥淭he 麻豆约拍 Scotland Apprenticeship has been a great experience for me.

Coming here straight from school I couldn鈥檛 have asked for a better way to begin my working life. Before my first day I was expecting to come into a busy and crazy working environment, but it surprised me how calm and friendly everyone is. People were more than happy to answer any questions I had, and this support was much appreciated. As well as having people in the team I was with to talk to, I always had my buddies, mentor and managers to support me if needed. There was always someone there to speak to.

鈥淎lso, during my first week as a 麻豆约拍 employee I was confused by the amount of jargon used. I thought it was some sort of special media language that I would have to spend months learning. For example, I was given an audio recorded interview and asked to 鈥榙e-um 听it鈥�. After panicking, I was soon informed of the meaning of this (which is to get rid of the stutters etc. in a recorded voice piece).

鈥淚 have been involved in both important and less important roles during my time at 麻豆约拍 Scotland. Sometimes I was logging video footage for hours on end and at other times stuffing over 400 envelopes with flyers and sticking post-it notes together in attempts to make a 鈥榳aterfall鈥� prop. I also got the chance to create podcasts, carry out interviews for and co-produce radio shows/features.

The opportunities seem endless at times and the 麻豆约拍 Scotland Apprenticeship scheme has given me the confidence to realise that I have the potential to make a career in the media industry.鈥�

Scott is currently in the middle of applying for roles, and will be continuing to work on Radio Scotland phone-in shows Off the Ball and Sportsound Extra.

Nicki Macgregor

鈥淭his past year has been probably one of the best and most exciting years of my life. I鈥檝e had the opportunity to do things that I never thought I could do, and I have gotten to experience and work on some really exciting events and programmes.

鈥淏efore the apprenticeship, I didn鈥檛 think that any of us would be trusted but the responsibilities was have been given has been amazing. The fact that we have been allowed to make a real impact on productions has been more than I could鈥檝e asked for. I also think that the bond we have made as a group has been amazing, I feel I have made lasting friendships that will continue even after the apprenticeship ends.鈥�

James McAlpine

鈥淭his year at the 麻豆约拍 has meant a whole lot, I鈥檝e worked with so many brilliant people on so many brilliant projects and productions. Coming in to the apprenticeship I would have been completely satisfied if something that I had filmed was to make it on to the television, however not only have I filmed multiple pieces that have made it to broadcast, but I was also a single camera director for 2013, which is not only my first television credit but also an extremely good credit to have on my CV.

鈥淭he apprenticeship has given me invaluable experience and a really good head start into the media industry and now I鈥檓 heading off to the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to study Digital Film and Television for the next three years.鈥�

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Hilary Whitley

鈥淚 hoped that the apprenticeship would open a few doors but I never thought I would have had even half of the opportunities I have been given over the last year.听 Now, thanks to all the experienced gained from the apprenticeship, I have a contract in Music Entertainment in London and am having a great time. I really hope this is the start of a life-long career.鈥�

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As 麻豆约拍 Scotland waves off their second class of apprentices they welcome the next batch (pictured below). This is their first week and they will be working with 麻豆约拍 Scotland for the next year, getting involved in coverage of the Commonwealth Games 2014. We鈥檒l keep you posted on how they are getting on.

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is Editor, About the 麻豆约拍 website and blog.

Our current apprentices have come so far since their first day with us last year and have just completed their college qualification. Several of them will be working on our coverage; recently co-hosted 麻豆约拍 Radio Scotland鈥檚 mid-morning MacAulay & Co; and Barry, Cairi and Hilary have also just become tour guides for our headquarters at .

Lots of discussions and ideas are developing regarding our cultural and events output over the coming year related to the Commonwealth Games. There are lots of plans coming together from across the 麻豆约拍 for this but we expect to see even more programme teams come on board with their ideas over the next few months and I鈥檓 looking forward to being able to share more with you about that soon.听

Over the next couple of months we will be able to share with you more details regarding the ambition of delivering a Cultural hub in Glasgow and our coverage of the Queen鈥檚 Baton Relay.

is Project Executive, Commonwealth Games 2014

First on the bill last week was the opening episode of a new landmark natural history series from 麻豆约拍 Scotland- which has been narrated by Ewan McGregor.

There could not be a more fitting place to screen the film than Harris. The stark beauty of the island is extraordinary. Its mountains in . Tarbert perches precariously on the rocky east coast. Two hundred years ago the inhabitants were forcibly cleared from the more fertile west coast to scratch out a living amongst the boulders and peat in the east.听It鈥檚 an island where the past hangs heavy.

The Screen Machine though is a modern technological marvel. Owned and operated by , it is fully digital, its sides unfolding to reveal, Tardis like, a roomy and comfortable 80 seat cinema that would not feel out of place in the coolest urban setting.

I was there as the executive producer for the 麻豆约拍 of Hebrides: Islands on the Edge. It鈥檚 the centrepiece of a forthcoming on 麻豆约拍 Scotland which features other gems like , narrated by Sir David Attenborough, a four part series looking at the world class wildlife cameramen who have made Scotland their home and Midsummer Live, a听90 minute live show from the Callanish standing stones on the Isle of Lewis, which will investigate and celebrate the impact of the long nights on the natural and human worlds.

There are few places more magical than the Hebrides in midsummer but Islands on the Edge, produced by in association with Otter Films, tracks wildlife through all the seasons.听The series which was filmed over two years could not have been made without the support of many people in the islands so it seemed only proper that they should be given an advance preview.

We wanted the islanders to be able to watch the programmes in all their HD glory but with few cinemas on the islands the Screen Machine was called into action.

Beginning on the Isle of Barra at the southern tip of the Outer Hebrides the cinema made its way north, through some of the most sensational landscapes in the world,听stopping on 6 different islands to screen Hebrides: Islands on the Edge.

In Harris, the audience ranged in age from 8 to 80.听This was a film about their home, a place they loved. Their reaction was universal 鈥� they had never seen the islands photographed in such a spectacular way.听Cameraman and producer and executive producer had delivered a passionate and lyrical account of what it鈥檚 really like for both wildlife and people to live on the edge.听John had filmed for 240 days through storm and drought to capture the most extraordinary wildlife behaviour. The people of Harris saw their island through different eyes.

Ewan McGregor did us the great favour of to his 300,000 followers that Hebrides: Islands On The Edge was 鈥渙ne of the most beautiful films鈥� he had seen.听The people of Harris agreed.听I hope you do too.

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Neil McDonald is Creative Director, Documentaries, 麻豆约拍 Scotland.

Hebrides: Islands on the Edge will be broadcast on 麻豆约拍听One Scotland on Monday听6 May at 9pm.

2014 is a big year for sport with the in Sochi, Russia (February), the Football in Brazil (June/July), Wimbledon (June/July), Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014 (July/August) and the at Gleneagles in Scotland (September). 2014 is not just about sport, however, culture and events throughout the year will play a big part in the shaping of 2014, from the centenary of , to the and the

A lot has happened since my last blog. The excitement of the has calmed down and Clyde has proved really popular with audiences as he has travelled around the UK with the Organising Committee. The past few months have been hectic as we have been focusing on the editorial ambitions across all genres to shape our content.听As well as fantastic sport across television, radio and online, our plan is to have a 麻豆约拍 Cultural Hub running for two weeks from 19^th July 鈥� 3^rd August with a strong focus on music, sport and live events linking into the Festival 2014 programme for the Commonwealth Games (a Glasgow City wide festival led by during the Festival).

The vision, the planning and the ambition is very much underway and now we are starting to make sure 麻豆约拍 staff across the UK know what is happening and thinking about how their programmes can be involved.听We recently held a big brainstorm around the ambitions for the Commonwealth Games Cultural Hub and some brilliant ideas emerged from that. Details of timelines are starting to come together and technical, logistical and resources requirements are being gathered across the UK.

I鈥檓 also pleased to have some exciting news to share this week, with the launch of the 麻豆约拍 Scotland Apprenticeship scheme which looks for people from all backgrounds to play a key role in our Commonwealth output during 2014 across radio, tv, online and events. This scheme, which leads to a Modern Apprenticeship in Creative and Digital Media at level 3, is run in collaboration with 麻豆约拍 Scotland, and . It鈥檚 now in its and it offers a brilliant opportunity for young people to spend a year with the 麻豆约拍, build confidence, open opportunities and in this very special year to work on one of the biggest events to happen in the UK.听 (Monday 15 April 2013) and close on 10 May 2013, with successful applicants due to start in September 2013 for a year.听

The next big launch for us is the Queen鈥檚 Baton Relay. The Baton begins its journey in October 2013, travelling around all 71 countries and territories of the Commonwealth, before arriving in the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, Wales, England and then Scotland. More details to follow on this soon, but the key people who are working through all these logistics are Neil Macdonald, Tony Nellany and Graham Mitchell.

Next time, updates on events that are happening and more on the Cultural Hub.

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Sharon Mair is Project Executive, Commonwealth Games 2014.

What will I have to do?

In short, you should not need to do anything other than note the new channel number.  Your series recordings should all carry on working and if you have set 麻豆约拍 ALBA as a favourite that will also work straight away with the new channel number.

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Hopefully you’ll continue to find 麻豆约拍 ALBA easy to reach and enjoy the unique programmes it has to offer. Best wishes, or maybe should that be “Gach deagh dhùrachd” ?

As with After Life, we used the latest microscope cameras and time lapse photography to capture every aspect of the colony鈥檚 story. 听And we spoke to researchers in the UK and the US to see what ant behaviour can teach us about our own world. 听So (amongst much else) you can see how ants can help guide space probes in the resulting programme, Planet Ant: Life inside the colony, which opens 麻豆约拍 Four鈥檚 insect-focused Alien Nation season at 9pm on March 12.

is just one of three films that 麻豆约拍 Scotland has made for the season. And although and (as you can tell, they like really thorough titles on 麻豆约拍 Four) might not feature glass boxes, they are, I hope, just a little bit quirkier than average.

Insect Dissection is about ... er ... dissecting insects. 听Not on the face of it, the most obvious TV proposition. But seen in ultra close-up, insect anatomy is truly amazing, and is one reason why they are the most successful creatures on the planet. So we borrowed the anatomy museum at Glasgow University, brought in two entomologists 鈥� James Logan and Brendan Dunphy 鈥� gave them some scalpels and some bugs, and left them to it. Of course we didn鈥檛 鈥� we spent a lot of time thinking about which insects would be most interesting to cut open, and how we could film in enough detail to show what they discovered. But one of the things we do try to do in science programmes (and other factual content as well) is to let experts share their knowledge in as direct and natural way as possible. Not always easy to achieve with the cameras and the lights and the rest of the baggage that TV brings. But watching James鈥檚 excitement as for the first time he dissected the stomach of a mosquito that was full of his own blood, was a moment when you felt TV had captured real professional passion.

Metamorphosis is quirky in a different way. It鈥檚 written and presented by David Malone, a programme maker who tries to bring wider perspectives to traditional science topics. The original idea of the programme was to reveal the process of metamorphosis 鈥� the frankly rather bizarre way that creatures like insects transform themselves from one form into something completely different, a caterpillar into a butterfly for example. 听But David takes this further, and explores how this idea of transformation has embedded itself within our culture, and asks whether we ourselves might be said to metamorphose.

None of these programmes had a particularly generous budget, so the quirky quality is partly a consequence of not being able to afford, on this occasion, the spectacular locations or graphics that characterise other sorts of science shows.

But making them has been a fascinating reminder that some of the best stories can be found close to home. Particularly inside glass boxes.

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Marcus Herbert is Executive Producer, 麻豆约拍 Scotland.

During the speeches which marked the opening of the 麻豆约拍鈥檚 first Scottish radio station on 6 March 1923, The Lord Provost of Glasgow, Sir Thomas Paxton, expressed his surprise that the Company had been so long in realising a station for the city.听 The 麻豆约拍 had launched nearly four months earlier in November 1922 with 2LO in London, 5IT in Birmingham and 2ZY in Manchester; though, to be fair, these stations were inherited from the electrical manufacturers which had already been operating them on an experimental basis.

5SC had to be built mainly from scratch, with a transmitter site secured in January 1923 at the local council鈥檚 Port Dundas electricity station.听 Studio premises were acquired a few weeks later in the city鈥檚 music hall and theatre district at 202 Bath Street, benefitting from the new 麻豆约拍 policy of establishing studios in central locations near to railway stations (Birmingham and Manchester, by comparison, were initially based at far less salubrious factory works on the outskirts).听 Within just the space of a fortnight 5SC was ready to broadcast.

Three things have struck me most during my research: the speed with which early broadcasting developed; the amateurish, yet highly ambitious nature of it; and how, 90 years later, so much of what we now recognise of radio was in place right from the start.

Due to the technical limitations of the time, output was entirely live and local 鈥� not only in the sense of not being pre-recorded, but in employing local talent to perform every piece of music and read every script live into the microphone.

The voracious appetite for musical performance was reflected in the job specification for 5SC鈥檚 station director: 鈥淲anted: a young, versatile musician, thoroughly acquainted with Scottish musical tastes and concert world: must possess ability to organise musical, educational and instructional programmes.鈥澨� The successful candidate was Herbert Carruthers, an organist and conductor who had some previous experience with an experimental radio station in Glasgow.

On opening night, civic dignitaries and performers crammed round the single microphone in the small, stuffy attic studio, sharing the cramped space with the station orchestra and a pipe band which spilled out into the adjoining corridor.听 On the stroke of 7 o鈥檆lock, the skirl of bagpipes flooded the airwaves with the folk tune Hey, Johnnie Cope.听 John Reith, the 麻豆约拍鈥檚 general manager, then bent to the microphone and announced that 5SC, the Glasgow station of the British Broadcasting Company, was calling.听 Broadcasting in Scotland had officially begun.

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The Glasgow Herald described the opening night as 鈥渁 thrilling and moving moment鈥� and, within five months, it was claimed that upwards of 50,000 people were listening-in to 5SC each evening.

The pioneers of Scottish broadcasting could have been forgiven had they paused to take a breath, but less than a fortnight after launch the station embarked upon its first outside broadcast: three weeks of nightly operas performed by the British National Opera Company, relayed live from Glasgow鈥檚 Coliseum Theatre.听 Again, it was a rather amateurish affair, with just one microphone placed in the footlights and a telephone line connection to the studio, yet still incredibly ambitious for the time.听 Little more than a year later, 5SC was regularly relaying live concerts from the opulent Gleneagles Hotel, some 40 miles away in the Perthshire countryside.

Despite all this considerable ambition, it was the policy of the 麻豆约拍 to keep station staffs as low as possible.听 5SC employed only four people in programming and administration.听 It was not surprising, therefore, that they were required to be multi-skilled and worked considerably long hours.

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The working day would begin as early as 8.30am, with the small team working on administrative duties in the office, be it organizing programmes or preparing scripts.听 Then, from 5.30pm, they would invariably have to output a whole evening鈥檚 worth of programmes, beginning with the daily Children鈥檚 Corner.听 As was common practice at all 麻豆约拍 stations, each member of staff was expected to muck-in and perform as one of the programme鈥檚 鈥楢unties鈥� or 鈥楿ncles鈥�.

Children鈥檚 Corner made local celebrities of the station staff and a uniformed policeman was often despatched to Bath Street to keep order among the mob of fans waiting outside for autographs.

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5SC鈥檚 programming expanded to include drama, relays of local church services and broadcasts to local schools.听 It was soon joined by sister stations in Aberdeen (2BD), Edinburgh (2EH) and Dundee (2DE) but, by 1929, they had all closed down as the 麻豆约拍鈥檚 local policy was replaced by a 鈥榬egional鈥� or, in the case of Scotland, a largely 鈥榥ational鈥� one.听 It鈥檚 a model which the 麻豆约拍 has followed in Scotland right up to the present day.听 Local radio was eventually resurrected by the commercial sector from 1973, but its roots go way back to the 麻豆约拍鈥檚 pioneering days in the 1920s.

Graham Stewart is a broadcaster and journalist with 麻豆约拍 Scotland.

See commemorating 90 years of 麻豆约拍 broadcasting from Wales.

Also and our related .

The power of sporting achievement, the multiplatform coverage and the creative cultural content on offer as a result of London staging the Olympic Games this year, in some respects makes the 2014 here in Glasgow an extremely hard act to follow. But, building and learning from the success of the听 in 2012 is exactly what we here in Scotland are going to do to deliver the most fantastic Commonwealth Games. 听

As Editor, Commonwealth Games in 麻豆约拍 Scotland, I鈥檝e been working on our Commonwealth ambitions and negotiations for the past 18 months, collaborating with colleagues right across the 麻豆约拍 on the Torch Relay, , , and the multiplatform delivery of brilliant sport, which our audiences have loved.听听

It鈥檚 been an incredible experience so far. And, over the coming weeks and months I hope to share with you some of the stories and developments behind the scenes. Here鈥檚 a recent one鈥μ�

I was asked over a year ago by the Organising Committee for the Commonwealth Games if I would be interested in running a to design the 2014 mascot. It seemed like a great idea, and a fantastic opportunity for the winner, not least the prize of tickets to the Opening Ceremony!

But, this was to be a far from straightforward process. The word 鈥榗ompetition鈥� can strike fear at the very heart of many a hardy 麻豆约拍 exec, and if you add into that mix a children鈥檚鈥� competition, external collaboration, confidentiality, all the editorial challenges those elements rightly demand, plus a launch event where surprising the winner is a key part of what you hope to achieve 鈥� you can begin to feel quite queasy!

Such a project demanded me working with some great teams across the 麻豆约拍, and taking advice from all the relevant parties, we put the competition in place, launching it on 麻豆约拍 Radio Scotland鈥檚 听and C麻豆约拍鈥檚 last year, and on the 20^th September 2012 revealing both the winner and her design - - to the world at Pacific Quay in Glasgow.听

Winning mascot designer 12 year old Beth Gilmour was fantastic. Her family was rightly proud of her achievements. The look of sheer joy on Beth鈥檚 face when she visited Pacific Quay and saw for the first time the incredible work the designers had done in bringing her drawing to life made it a wonderful experience for us.听

There is an assumption that such projects are straightforward to run. The journey was considerable however. For example, Beth really didn鈥檛 know anything about her winning the competition until Blue Peter鈥檚 Barney surprised her at home with a camera crew in tow. That in itself meant we needed to get confidentiality agreements signed by all (and yes, her parents too!) so that the design of the Commonwealth Games mascot could remain a secret for several months while the designers worked their magic.听听

My personal experience of this part of the Commonwealth Games does inevitably focus on 麻豆约拍 Scotland. 听But importantly, the Commonwealth Games is not a Glasgow, or Scotland event, it is a UK and global event. Collaborations are already happening across the 麻豆约拍 and with our external partners to deliver the sport, cultural and learning proposition for the Games. The structures are starting to come together, the 麻豆约拍 is the for the Games similar to the Olympics; our ambitions are the same - to deliver brilliant sports coverage for our audience, our challenges are bold, ambitious and exciting.听 Coverage of the Queens Baton Relay across all 71 countries, the Cultural Festival ambitions and the question of how we reflect a modern Commonwealth across all our genres will be at the heart of our programming.听

One final note for this post. One of our has secured employment with us working on the transition of the and 听projects to deliver the Commonwealth vision. I watched her enthusiasm as she handled a virtual global debate through the World Class site on what the thought about our recently revealed mascot. She had the same look that Beth had when she saw the mascot come to life! That energy, excitement and inspiration which we all experienced during the Olympics is what we need to build on. Through our key themes of sport, youth, innovation and culture we will tell the stories of the triumphs, trials and surprises of the 71 countries and the new stars of the 20^th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014.听

The Commonwealth Games is a big project for 麻豆约拍 Scotland now underway. It will be hugely exciting for us and I look forward to sharing with you the developments and the collaborations we will make on the road to Glasgow.听

Sharon Mair is Editor, Commonwealth Games, 麻豆约拍 Scotland

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David Matchett pictured second from left with some of the other participants in the apprentice Scheme, Leigh-Ann Bennett, Laura Paterson and Kimberley Patterson.

Editor's Note - In a previous blog听, Sharon Mair, Editor Olympics & Commonwealth at 麻豆约拍 Scotland explained how a collaboration between the 麻豆约拍 and various media organisations across Scotland had given ten teenagers experience of working in the media as part of the听听scheme.

In this post, one of the ten apprentices David Matchett who has been spending time at 麻豆约拍 Scotland headquarters Pacific Quay in Glasgow shares his thoughts and feelings about the scheme.

My arms are bruised from the amount of times I've had to pinch myself into believing that my career path has shifted in such an interesting way since I joined the Apprentice 2012 scheme in September last year.

I found an application online that looked too good to be true: a creative apprenticeship in which you could earn and learn simultaneously within the 麻豆约拍. No degree required, just a positive attitude and willingness to learn. To me the 麻豆约拍 building seemed as impenetrable as Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. But, once inside you'll realise the staff are not actually Oompa Loompas and are just really welcoming, creative people who you can learn a lot from.

Every month each apprentice moves into a new department, becomes part of a team and learns new skills and a wide understanding of the industry as a whole. Whether it's meeting Prince Charles, getting to co-present听听on听听or working towards the Olympics, it's been quite an experience.

Every day is different. Sometimes you have to do what may be considered menial work but once you understand how team oriented the industry is, you realise regardless of how small a part in it you play you are working towards something great. I used to often join in when my friends complained about their jobs, now if I say a word I am met with looks which say 'Stop it! Your job-whinging privileges have been revoked. You work somewhere cool now!'

David Matchett (second left) with some of the other apprentices meeting HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales.

I would go as far as to say the apprenticeship scheme is character shaping. The confidence gained from this immersion-style training has influenced our personalities in a positive way. The transferable skills we now possess have transformed us into dynamic and ultimately more employable people, regardless of whether we want to stay working in the media (which of course we do).

Looking towards the future however, there are no 100% job certainties. But to be perfectly honest we have grown to understand that with the nature of the industry it would be less kind to gift us a job.

In my mind the whole point of this traineeship is to learn how to build contacts, work flexibly and fend for ourselves within a highly competitive environment. It's the old saying: give a man a deep fried Mars bar and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to batter and fry it and you will feed him for an (admittedly shortened) lifetime.

David Matchett participated in Apprentice 2012 at 麻豆约拍 Scotland