Musicians including Eddi Reader, Nadine Shah, Hamish Hawk and members of Franz Ferninand, Del Amitri, Idlewild and more have voiced disapproval at planned changes to BBC Radio Scotland’s late-night programming, claiming the changes will harm “career-igniting” opportunities for Scottish artists.

The BBC has announced it will replace four shows that currently air between 10pm and midnight from Monday to Thursday, and will either remove or reallocate their presenters. These shows will be replaced by Up Late, which the BBC says “will feature a curated blend of well-known classics from the 1970s to the present day. The music will highlight a strong Scottish influence, showcasing both Scotland’s most established musicians and its rising talent”.

But the open letter, signed by the aforementioned musicians and dozens of others across the creative industries in Scotland and beyond, argues that the personally curated selections of the current DJs are invaluable.

“A trusted presenter plays our song and says our name on national radio for the first time,” the letter states. “Listeners’ ears, and industry doors that were previously closed, begin to creak open. That single play announces to promoters, funders, labels and audiences: this is someone worth paying attention to. BBC Radio Scotland is the only station in Scotland that has anything that comes close to that level of career-igniting clout. And within BBC Radio Scotland, it is the curated late-night shows that provide that space where exciting new music can be discovered, and new artists introduced to Scottish listeners.”

The letter calls for the BBC to “pause implementation of these programme changes until meaningful consultation with Scotland’s music sector (including artists, industry organisations and audiences) has taken place”, echoing an earlier call from the Scottish Music Industry Association.

The Musicians’ Union has also criticised the plans, with Caroline Sewell, regional organiser for Scotland and Northern Ireland, saying: “We urge BBC Scotland to reconsider, to work with the music community to safeguard opportunities for Scottish musicians – not to contribute to the ongoing decimation of opportunities for our incredible musicians who consistently enrich our lives and communities.”

When presented with the open letter, BBC Radio Scotland said in a statement: “It’s not unusual for radio stations to undergo changes, particularly in an increasingly competitive audio market and, whilst we understand some audiences may be disappointed, it is important that BBC Radio Scotland continues to listen to audience feedback and evolve its offer.”

The station said it “remains proud to showcase the full breadth of Scotland’s musical talent, from established performers to the next generation of artists, across its schedule. Specialist music remains a cornerstone of BBC Radio Scotland’s music policy. Half of our total music hours are specialist.”

BBC Radio Scotland has previously stated: “The existing programmes are ending after a procurement process in which the current independent production companies making those shows did not bid for the work.”

However, organisers of the open letter argued that no such bids were made because BBC Radio Scotland had called for a substantially different and new style of show, featuring, according to a publicly available document inviting companies to tender for the shows, “more mainstream, easy-listening tracks”.

Up Late will be presented by Lynne Hoggan, taking over the time slot from veteran presenters Iain Anderson, Billy Sloan, Roddy Hart and Natasha Raskin Sharp. Hart will continue to present on BBC Radio Scotland in two new shows on Saturday and Sunday evenings, and Ashley Storrie will continue to present the same time slot on Friday evenings, though the other three presenters will be removed from the schedules at the end of 2025.

The letter continues: “A playlist doesn’t give you an enthusiastic and globally respected quote you can use on tour posters, press releases or the sleeve of your debut EP. Neither does a playlist go to small gigs by unknown bands, or offer encouragement and advice to young, upcoming artists … No, it’s the deeply passionate music-lovers, who have spent their working lives inside the Scottish audio landscape, who do these things … These are the trusted voices of our late-night radio. We do not want to lose them.”

Posting on social media, Billy Sloan said he was “reluctantly” leaving his role after 11 years, and added: “I can honestly say – hand on heart – that I’ve never played a single record I didn’t think was great. But it appears that in the new format that is being introduced – reported in the press to be more of an ‘easy listening/broad mainstream appeal’ – that is no longer what is required.”

Folk musician James Yorkston was among others taking issue with that planned shift in focus. “I like easy going evening friendly pop music as much as the next ageing Fifer, but there are already plenty of places to hear it,” he said. “Sometimes things have a value beyond listening figures or fear of confusing someone. Fingers crossed the decision to lose those shows will be reversed.”

Defending its decision, BBC Radio Scotland pointed to a range of other specialist music shows including Travelling Folk and The Quay Sessions, and said it remained “deeply committed” to championing specialist music. It also highlighted the ongoing BBC awards Young Traditional Musician of the Year, Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year, Young Scottish Classical Musician of the Year and BBC Introducing Scottish Act of the Year.

The new lineup of programming is currently scheduled to begin in the first week of 2026.