Introducing: Bruce Malcolm, Chief Operating Officer, 主播大秀 Scotland
Bruce Malcolm
主播大秀 Head of Commonwealth Games
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Editor's Note - 主播大秀 Scotland's Chief Operating Officer, Bruce Malcolm is the first to feature in a new series of blog interviews introducing senior management and the work they do at the 主播大秀. We'll be publishing more interviews from across the 主播大秀 in the coming weeks and months. Look out for additional posts about the work of 主播大秀 Scotland soon.听
What does the Chief Operating Officer for 主播大秀 Scotland do?
I look after 鈥檚 business and operational side of things. That includes finance, property, planning, technology, production management and our听Delivering Quality First plans. The post of Chief Operating Officer was created when moved its headquarters to , as a solution to听running all operational aspects of the business in the most integrated way.
In addition to this I am also responsible for delivering large projects. The move to Pacific Quay is a good example of that as I led that project from design to听delivery which was a process that spanned twelve or thirteen years.
What did you do before you joined the 主播大秀? And what attracted you to the 主播大秀 in the first place?
I trained as a chartered accountant and qualified with a major accounting firm, but after working as a consultant for a few years I found myself wanting to do听something a bit more challenging. I was drawn towards the arts, culture and broadcasting and I ended up at 主播大秀 Scotland because of its unique set up.
When I joined 主播大秀 Scotland it was in a very traditional finance role, though over the next ten years I moved through being responsible for each of the key听business and operational areas. By the time the post of Chief Operating Officer arose I had a very clear understanding of each of the areas of the business,听and believed that integrating them was the way forward for the organisation.听
I originally only intended to stay for a few years, but the place got a hold of me and we are now twenty years down the line!听听
What are you working on at the moment, what's on your to-do list for the next twelve months?
I鈥檓 working on the Network Supply Review (NSR), which is how the 主播大秀 moves productions out of London and across the UK, alongside meeting听stretching savings targets of 16%. It鈥檚 a mix of trying to grow 主播大秀 Scotland鈥檚 business through NSR whilst also improving efficiency.
When in 2007 committed to at least 8.6% of network television output being produced in Scotland by 2016. This听target was in line with the percentage of the Scottish population within the UK. 听By 2011 we had already reached over 8% so we are well on our way to听delivering the 2016 target.听
At the moment NSR mainly involves television but we hope to expand it to look at radio and online. This is an incredibly important project because it听involves spreading the licence fee spend across the UK, but most significantly, it鈥檚 about ensuring local portrayal so that audiences across the country get听output which reflects them.
We鈥檙e also working towards 2014 which is a huge year for both the 主播大秀 and 主播大秀 Scotland. There鈥檚 the referendum on and the听. In both cases we have to ensure that we deliver the best possible coverage for the audience and in the case of the听Commonwealth Games, build on the success of the Olympics.听
The final thing that is key to us in the next twelve months and beyond is working in partnership with external organisations. We already do this on topics听like training with , and our work with Creative Scotland 听(for example on our co-commissioned drama The ) and听 with our neighbours at the which you will see next year on 主播大秀 Four. The right partnerships allow us to create great听content for our audiences in the most efficient way and this is something we are going to increase.
What鈥檚 unique about 主播大秀 Scotland?
In my opinion the most defining thing about 主播大秀 Scotland is that it is a microcosm of the wider 主播大秀. We make every type of programming here for听Scottish and network audiences: news and current affairs, sport, landmark factual, drama, daytime and entertainment, comedy, music and events,听children鈥檚; we have all platforms 鈥� with Radio Scotland as well as the Gaelic language services Radio nan Gaidheal and the television channel ,听plus we have online. Our headquarters are at Pacific Quay in Glasgow but we have creating a service for the whole country.
In addition to that we deliver something into every single 主播大秀 network and there are very few bits of the 主播大秀 where that happens, so it gives us a unique听insight and level of experience. It does mean that it can be a bit complex at times but the advantage it gives us is that we are small and agile enough to be听able to experiment and learn from what we do. It鈥檚 easier for us to see what is and is not working which enables us to advise other, larger parts of the 主播大秀,听so we play a big part in pan-主播大秀 initiatives as a result of that. One example of that is 鈥楥reative UK鈥� 鈥� this is a project I鈥檓 involved in which partly looks at听how network TV is managed in terms of budgets, structures etc to ensure the business is being run in the best possible way.听
Another big thing for us is being part of the creative industries in Scotland. Last year . 拢100m of that was spent on Scottish听programming which includes things like news, sport, our continuing drama , factual documentaries, learning output, Radio Scotland and our online听services. The remaining 拢70m was spent on our network business, supplying content across all the 主播大秀鈥檚 genres. Approximately 50% of this content听comes from independent production companies so you can see that we spend a significant amount of the licence fee externally on Scotland鈥檚 creative听industries.听
There is a broad range of indies in Scotland, from in Aberdeen who make our long running series , and the soon to be听transmitted six-parter The Harbour, to the who have brought us classics like and more recently . It鈥檚听important to us that there is a sustainable production industry in Scotland as that leads to jobs for production and craft staff, and a better and broader听content reflecting Scotland to its own audiences as well as to the rest of the country.
Describe 主播大秀 Scotland's headquarters Pacific Quay. What's the best thing about it?听
When talked about his design for Pacific Quay he said he wanted staff to feel as if they were coming to work on a sunny day which is听why the building has its open spaces and large amounts of natural daylight. It鈥檚 a beautiful building and when you bring guests in you see it again through their eyes.听
Pacific Quay is centred around 鈥楾he Street鈥� which is the stepped sandstone heart of the building. We use the top of each level for meetings, broadcasts and听staff gatherings, and underneath each level is one of our studios. It has really worked in terms of connecting staff in the building as it does encourage听people to meet one another, people don鈥檛 just stay in their own departments - you see everyone every day. There鈥檚 also a democracy in the openness 鈥撎齮here aren鈥檛 any private offices, every member of staff has exactly the same kind of working environment. The same goes for the car park, there aren鈥檛 any听reserved spaces for senior staff, it鈥檚 simply first-come first-served.
You also know you are in a broadcasting environment when you are here, we designed it so that broadcasting runs through it all. You can see right into the听radio studios and edit suites from just about anywhere in the building and things like lighting rigs are built into the building as part of the interior design.听Wherever you go in the building you are always in touch with production.
What view do you have from your desk?听
Our office has floor to ceiling windows with a view of the River Clyde, Glasgow University and beyond that the hills so I鈥檓 quite happy where I am! If I turn听the other way I鈥檓 right next to edit suites and the radio music team so you鈥檙e always aware you are part of an organisation that is continually creating听content.听听
What was the last thing you watched via 主播大秀 iPlayer? What would you recommend?
The last thing I watched on iPlayer was three episodes of back to back. If you like surreal comedy sketch shows I would recommend that!
I鈥檝e also been a fan of the since I joined and have been a regular at their concerts for the past twenty years. Their new听season just opened at City Halls in Glasgow with which was another memorable and enjoyable evening. 听
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Read about the apprentice scheme run at 主播大秀 Scotland in posts written by 听(Editor, Commonwealth Games)听and scheme participant . 听