Soap Saviour, says Scottish Sun Splash

The BBC Scotland drama series, River City, has been saved from looming budget cutbacks …from The Scottish Sun, so says the paper across its front page today.

The redtop tells readers: “BBC chiefs yesterday buckled under the pressure of our Save Our Shieldinch campaign – and backtracked on a threat to axe the show for three months a year.

“It means River City – which pulls in around 500,000 viewers – will continue to be aired for an hour EVERY week of the year.

“And Beeb bigwigs hinted the programme could now be screened UK-wide. Outraged politicians, former stars of the show and viewers had joined our campaign to support the fight.”

The News International tabloid said many people welcomed the news that the soap has been saved, pointing out: “Telly star and Scottish Sun columnist Lorraine Kelly – who had a cameo in the show – said: ‘It's great news – this is a very sensible decision. It's brilliant that the Save Our Shieldinch campaign has come up trumps’.”

The paper adds that River City had been under threat of being taken off the air for part of the year as part of £16 million worth of cuts.

But BBC Scotland director, Ken MacQuarrie, is quoted having told staff: “We have no plans to cut River City – I can make that absolutely clear.”