Welsh Assembly Broadcasting Review

The Welsh Assembly have published their review into PSB broadcasting in Wales. Nothing too unexpected - they want the BBC to spend more money in Wales, ITV to broadcast more Wales related content, including across the network and S4C not to suffer any more cuts.

A round up here: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/politics/bbc-urged-put-welsh-news-12538502

And the full report has a few points which may be of interest:
http://www.assembly.wales/laid%20documents/cr-ld10916/cr-ld10916-e.pdf

A couple of points - ITV focusing more on production than broadcasting with the acquisition of Boom Cymru and creation of Shiver Cymru. Also S4C is moving it's HQ out of Cardiff to Carmarthen, while they revealed their commercial revenue fell from around £10m a year to £2m once they stopped broadcasting C4 content. In hindsight I'm surprised some sort of revenue sharing deal wasn't agreed to enable C4 and S4C to broadcast in Wales, with S4C receiving a share of C4's broadcasting revenue. A shame they haven't got the revenue stream from SDN now - I'm guessing the money from selling it to ITV has long gone, if it even operated at a profit in the first place. (I though what QVC paid for a slot would pretty much fund S4C alone, though estimates for a slot on the mux range from around £2m to £10m).

I'm intrigued by the idea of putting Welsh news on Radio 1 and Radio 2. Not a bad shout, though the problem is that this would presumably only work on FM and online. Digital services remain national.

ITV's take on things (and video report) here:

http://www.itv.com/news/wales/2017-02-01/assembly-committee-delivers-report-on-broadcast-industry-in-wales/

Seems fair cop really. What is the point in relocating network production to Wales when it makes no difference on screen? Dispersion of employment? Never really got it.

Also ITV quite rightly getting criticised for the lack of Wales represented on network, unfairly overlooked on its regional stuff IMO.

Didn't there used to be Radio 1 Wales opt outs?

That's where Huw Stephens started - think it was Thursday nights in the nations.

The nations had opt outs on FM one night a week (Thursdays) for the Sessions in the Nations. This ended in 2012. Radio 2 has never had any regional opt structure. Radio 4 once did though, when it started it inherited regional programming from the Home Service and many of them lasted until local radio stations went live. The last regional variations were for the South West before local radio launched in 1983.

BBC Wales had a pop up station BBC Radio Cymru Mwy running for 15 weeks at the end of last year - and I was quite surprised they found the funding for that really - you'd think they'd strengthen the existing services instead.

ITV didn't take too kindly to the Welsh Assembly's comments but I think the biggest problem with ITV Cymru Wales is that although IMO their regional programming has strengthened over the last couple of years or so it still is all very much regional programming, whilst historically BBC Wales (though not quite so much lately) have offered viewers in Wales programming of a network quality (i.e. scripted drama and comedy) specifically targetting the audience in Wales.

It was rather messy in the West of England, because the main Wenvoe FM transmitter serves both South Wales,
and Somerset, Avon, and bits of Dorset and Wiltshire. The relay stations in those English areas had to be re engineered for R1 to be fed with the English version. Played havoc with RDS in car radios too. Someone's bright idea, without understanding the technical implications. To a lesser extent the same issue existed with Sandale serving Cumbria and the Solway Firth area, and Llangollen serving Cheshire and Merseyside.

By the sound of things ITV Wales will be grumpy because they are meeting their commitments, and possibly going slightly beyond them, but with no real gusto. They've got their local news, they've got the political show and they've got a few more opt-outs but that's about it. AMs are probably looking at STV with quite a bit of jealousy, even though its production has fallen off a cliff in recent years too.

Radio 1 did have that opt-out but, aside from the other issues raised, the nations weren't available on DAB and nowadays presumably wouldn't be available on Freeview either. It would be an extra service and a lot of listening is still on FM, but it's not exactly future-proof.

You don't fancy a Welsh Six by any chance? 😉

I guess STV probably exceed their quota with Scotland Today as apart from that they don't really seem to opt out any more than Wales do. I do think Wales could do with a more analytical news programme later in the evening but ITV have made it quite clear from their attitude with Border and UTV that they don't see the value in an extended 10.30pm bulletin.

It's the English regions that are short changed though by having their 30 minutes of non-news quota across the week seemingly incorporated into the news, which kind of defeats the point.

I believe STV does exceed their quota with Scotland Today, but it still pushing its luck with its prime time quota. To be fair to ITV there have broadcast Representing border, ITV could have just simulcasted Scotland Tonight on ITV border scotland.

R1 nations on Freeview would be fairly easy to provide and would perfectly match the TV regions.

On DAB no, the BBC national mux is an SFN and every transmitter has to carry exactly the same stations ( Though research has been done in Germany on opt out provision......)