Calls for the BBC to introduce a separate six o'clock news programme for Scotland received a boost yesterday when the corporation's former director general admitted he was in favour of the idea.

Greg Dyke's comments came as it emerged First Minister Alex Salmond also plans to hold meetings with the BBC to make the case for the so-called Scottish Six.

Mr Salmond will also voice his support for the programme, as well as announce a new commission to look at the future of broadcasting in Scotland, in a speech later this week.

Mr Dyke, who resigned from the BBC's top job in 2004 following the Hutton inquiry, said that he had "increasingly came to the view" that a Scottish Six was a good idea but had faced opposition from, among others, former Home Secretary John Reid.

He said: "I think those powers devolved to Holyrood, such as health and education, were covered on the national news in a way that wasn't applicable to Scotland.

"I could increasingly see the problem with broadcasting and devolution."

Mr Dyke added: "What was interesting was the split between Scottish Labour MPs and the Labour Party in Scotland.

"I remember John Reid lobbying me very hard against it."

A recent report by Ofcom, the broadcasting watchdog, found that all of the terrestrial television channels had reduced the amount of money they spent on producing shows in Scotland.

In his speech at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh on Wednesday, the First Minister is expected to call for that trend to be reversed.

"I've been told the target for the industry is to have 9% of the network budgets spent here in Scotland. Well that'll do for a start, but we should regard that as a floor and not as a ceiling," Mr Salmond will say.

He will also reveal his plans to meet television bosses to press the case for greater investment north of the border.

"I will be speaking to the BBC and the other television networks about what we can do to ensure that they're getting the right kind of talent and ideas from Scotland." he will add.

A spokesman for Mr Salmond said yesterday: "The First Minister will deliver a wide-ranging speech on broadcasting in Scotland, on both its central role in our democracy and also the cultural and economic benefits of our creative industries.

"Broadcasting can be Scotland's window on the world, and we need a debate on the way forward in terms of boosting production in Scotland as well as devolving broadcasters' responsibility."