Ofcom has announced the appointment of Dr Calum MacLeod to the Board of MG ALBA, the body responsible for ensuring high-quality television programmes in Gaelic are made available to people in Scotland.
Ofcom’s recommendation for the appointment has been agreed by Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills following an independent selection process by Ofcom in Scotland.
Calum was nominated by Highlands and Islands Enterprise for the role. He has been appointed for a term of four years from 15 May 2022.
Calum is a freelance sustainable development consultant, academic and Policy Director for Community Land Scotland. A native Gaelic speaker from the Isle of Harris, Calum now lives in Glasgow and much of much of his consultancy, writing and policy work focuses on the relationship between land, culture, community and sustainability.
In 2010 Calum led post-legislative scrutiny of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 on behalf of the Scottish Parliament. He was a member of the Scottish Land Fund committee in 2016 and served on the Board of the Harris Tweed Authority between 2008 and 2016.
Dr MacLeod is perfectly placed to support Gaelic media in what is a highly challenging and fast-moving environment, with his experience to date giving him an important perspective on both rural and urban concerns in Scotland. This combined with his Gaelic speaking family links with Harris, and with Scotland’s largest urban Gaelic community in Glasgow, will be a fantastic asset to the MG ALBA Board. We are looking forward to working with him.
