Emma Pollock is a Scottish singer-songwriter, musician, a founding member of the band The Delgados, and a founder of the Chemikal Underground record label. Here, she condemns BBC Radio Scotland's recent decision to cut four late night specialists.

It’s been a few weeks now since the shocking announcement that four BBC Radio Scotland late night specialist shows are to be cut – namely those of Roddy Hart, Iain Anderson, Billy Sloan and Natasha Raskin Sharp. Since then, there has been something of a minor reversal, with Roddy Hart’s show being moved to the weekend, but the other three presenters and their respective long-standing shows will cease to broadcast for the station at the New Year.

In some ways I wasn’t surprised – we are surrounded by cuts to arts and culture these days, as budgets everywhere are slashed. However, with the alarming and sweeping extent of this move, and its seeming finality, I cannot shake the feeling that this loss is simply not acceptable, justifiable or something to be simply shrugged off and absorbed into the background noise that is the constant minimising of the arts in the UK.

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Many music media outlets have been removed from the market over recent years as the UK’s commercial media is hit by the impact of the internet and subsequent lack of advertising revenue. We have lost countless printed magazines such as Q Magazine, the NME, The Word etc. and, while many of these lost publications do now have an online presence, it is simply not the same as having a copy of a music magazine to hold, read and keep, cherish even, as part of a growing collection and constant passion.

The reason perhaps that I am waking in the middle of the night and feeling increasingly incredulous at this sudden onslaught, this assault no less that has been delivered upon four of the most essential independent music shows that Scotland currently has on air, is that they are the preserve of our beloved BBC. An institution that has been in our midst for over a century, with BBC Radio Scotland being with us since 1978.

For years I have looked to the BBC to champion and create opportunity for cultural curiosity and artistic expression. I have assumed it to be a broadcasting platform that is not........

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