RIG Response to the BBC Trust Review of the BBC's National Radio

RIG response to The BBC Trust Review of the BBC’s national radio stations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

RIG response to the BBC Trust Review of the BBC’s national radio stations in Wales

About RIG

The Radio Independents Group is the trade association for independent radio and audio producers in the UK. RIG has over 100 member companies, and rough estimates put the overall value of the sector at over £25m1.

RIG has around 30 member companies based in Wales, making audio content for the BBC and commercial companies both in English and Welsh.

RIG also has 6 members in Scotland.

Overall comment on the Trust Review

RIG is pleased to see the BBC Trust carrying out this review into Nations Radio. We passionately believe in the ability of a thriving independent production sector to increase the amount of innovation, ideas and talent available to the licence fee payer. This applies as much to Nations radio as it does to the major networks. For example one part of Wales is not the same as another and independent producers, based around that nation, can play a major part in sharing voices and perspectives from all of those areas.

For the purposes of this consultation, RIG canvassed its members in both Wales and Scotland – there are currently very few producers making audio independently in Northern Ireland. On this occasion there have been no major comments to make about BBC Nations Radio in Scotland.

Therefore the response is concentrated on BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru.

We have sought to keep as closely to the remit of the questions as possible. We acknowledge the Trust statement that the issue of supply has been addressed separately, nevertheless it is inevitable that where we feel the services themselves are affected by issues relating to those services’ current level of involvement with independent sector, we have given that view.

Answers have been given separately to the questions concerning BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru ‐ the Trust will appreciate that on some matter the issues are similar but we have sought to keep repetition to a minimum.

1 RIG submission to BBC Trust Radio Network Supply Review, May 2010, p12

1 RIG response to The BBC Trust Review of the BBC’s national radio stations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

BBC Radio Cymru

1. How well are the BBC’s national radio stations performing on radio, on digital and online? a) To what extent are licence fee payers aware of and using the service?

Radio Cymru is currently dependent on the traditional Welsh speaking audience in North and West Wales. There is only one national Welsh language radio station and so it is almost impossible to find a Welsh speaker unaware of it is existence. However, audience figures in the south east are low2. So it would therefore appear that whilst the growing Welsh speaking audience is aware of Radio Cymru, it is choosing not to use the service.

It can be argued that the Welsh language media in general has not done enough to reach the potential audience of Welsh speakers in the south east. The previous census in 2001 showed a rapid growth in this potential audience3 and it is expected that this year’s census will show continued growth, suggesting a fundamental cultural and geographical shift in the Radio Cymru’s audience which has so far not been successfully targeted by any of the Welsh media.

The reasons for this development are the significant increase in the number of young people entering higher education over the past two decades, the existence of careers for those graduates along the M4 corridor and the growth in popularity of Welsh medium education in the south east. These developments have led to the evolution of an audience with quite different cultural expectations thano Radi Cymru’s traditional audience. b) To what extent is the service producing good quality content?

We are in a fast changing media economy where broadcasters no longer have a monopoly of access to the audience and so in future will no longer be as central to that economy. Radio Cymru can learn important lessons from fellow Welsh language broadcaster S4C’s policies over the past five years in this respect. Treating the independent radio production sector as genuine partners in a new media and creative economy means giving audiences access to a greater range expertise and talent, removing any limits to Radio Cymru’s ability to produce good quality content. Currently the reverse appears to be true ‐ genres such as comedy (a genre in which significant expertise and experience exists in the independent sector) have been taken in house, where comparable expertise does not exist.

c) Are the services making an effective contribution to the BBC’s public purposes including a contribution to the creative economy in Wales?

The BBC is under increasing pressure to ‘open up’ and work more with commercial partners, and has in part responded. The BBC’s partnership proposals have so far been concerned with collaborating with other PSB networks,y but equall the principle should apply to working more with the independent production sector. Increasing commissioning from the independent sector leads to a greater range of ideas and talent, and boosts the wider creative economy.

2 http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/cymru/gwybodaeth/rc_cynulleidfa.pdf 3 http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/census2001/Report_on_the_Welsh_language.pdf p39

2 RIG response to The BBC Trust Review of the BBC’s national radio stations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

In an increasingly fractured media sector, the broadcaster needs to trust creative and entrepreneurial talent to develop the market. A small nation such as Wales cannot afford to lock out creative talent, as it will either go elsewhere or simply leave the industry. The failings in Radio Cymru’s current commissioning process model can be seen in the relative ‘conservatism’ of much of the content produced, and resulting failure to attract new audiences.

Attempting to support the status quo is no longer the answer. Successful creative companies in a wider media economy can feed their experience and expertise back to Radio Cymru. There are currently not enough contestable slots for this to work effectively.

The radio industry in Wales will undergo substantial changes over the next five years as income from platforms apart from broadcasting continues to grow. This presents Radio Cymru with a golden opportunity to partner with specialist production companies not only to raise programme quality in specialist genres, but also to help grow the media economy in Wales. This process is undermined by the lack of contestable slots for the independent sector.

Without experience of business and the wider creative economy in Wales, it is understandably difficult for Radio Cymru to plan strategically and creatively, but this has led to an erosion of goodwill from the independent sector. Radio Cymru could take advantage of organisations such as The Radio Independents Group’s expert knowledge of how the media economy works to prepare for a media industry where broadcasting is no longer its sole focus. As the media economy moves away from a buyers market to a sellers market we need effective strategic thinking to enable creativity.

The effect of Radio Cymru’s current commissioning policy has been to limit the growth of the independent radio production sector in Wales. d) Are the services good value for money?

Radio Cymru faces the same problem that has confronted its television equivalent, S4C, namely an over dependence on a traditional audience and a service geared to satisfying that audience at the expense of others. There is a growing neglected potential audience in Wales that is eager for Welsh content but don’t receive a service which reflects their lives, interests and culture. This is one area where the independent sector can be invaluable, often being based in these communities and experienced in developing audiences. By underutilising the independent sector Radio Cymru is neglecting an opportunity to achieve better rvalue fo money. e) Are the services sufficiently distinctive from other BBC Services and commercial operators?

Radio Cymru’s in house departments produce the vast majority of its programmes. This has led to criticism of programmes sounding too alike4, and a schedule not reflective of a whole culture and not aimed at the whole potential audience. It is fair to note that this criticism hasn’t been limited to Radio Cymru, but rather is part of a perceived “cultural howlround” creating a “bureaucratically approved culture” (as S4C experienced when limitinge th number of its potential creative suppliers) in the whole of the Welsh language media.

4 www.cylchgrawnbarn.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=201:radio‐pop‐a‐radio‐ pawb&catid=73:mawrth&Itemid=299

3 RIG response to The BBC Trust Review of the BBC’s national radio stations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

Independent producers feel that Radio Cymru’s recent commissioning documents5 for the independent sector have lacked ambition. Radio Cymru can take advantage of the challenges offered by the online market to the traditional media. In a media world where broadcasters no longer control access to the audience, web content will influence not only the media economy in Wales, but also Welsh language culture. As audiences increasingly turn to Welsh culture beyond the control of publicly funded commissioning teams, they are discovering different Welsh voices, which are growing in importance because of the imperative on them to sell their content. Welcoming cultural entrepreneurialism can lead to a more mature relationship between Radio Cymru and the independent production sector and increased creativity, originality, and audience for the Welsh media. Radio Cymru can re engage with the audience by working with specialist independent production companies and can re engage with the audience by taking advantage of private sector innovation

2. Are the BBC’s plansr fo Radio Cymru robust and deliverable? a) Are the objectives clear and well communicated?

The BBC’s plans for Radio Cymru are not clear and well communicated; as a result the impression is created of a management team content to preserve the status quo. Independent producers feel that the lack of clear communication from Radio Cymru to the independent sector is undermining the independent sector’s contribution to the service. The discrepancies between Radio Cymru’s commissioning document for the independent sector and what is actually commissioned have led some producers to no longer take Radio Cymru seriously as a commissioning body. b) Are the plans based on a robust assessment of the audience needs as well as technological and economic developments in the wider market?

Despite a fast evolving media economy, the Welsh language media is still based on the 1982 model. With funding under pressure a combined strategy for Welsh language media is a necessity. It is highly regrettable that the only two national broadcasters in the Welsh language (S4C and BBC Radio Cymru), both existing for purely cultural reasons rather than any commercial need, do not have a combined strategy. The result of the lack of communication between the two broadcasters over the past five years is that successful drama, comedy, documentaries and entertainment programmes have failed to transfer from radio to television. Welsh culture and the Welsh audience is the poorer for this.

Conservative programming is clearly a turn off for the growing potential south east audience for both broadcasters. Following S4C’s very public recent troubles there is a real need to restore confidence in Welsh language entertainment and culture, and Radio Cymru is well placed to play a crucial role.

The evolving Welsh media economy is presenting independent production companies not only with an opportunity to strengthen their expertise in their field, but also to innovate and invigorate “unofficial” Welsh culture. To profit from this development Radio Cymru simply needs to trust expertise outside the BBC.

5 http://www.bbc.co.uk/cymru/gwybodaeth/safle/comisiynu/pages/platfformau_rc.shtml

4 RIG response to The BBC Trust Review of the BBC’s national radio stations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

To successfully face a challenging future media and cultural landscape both Welsh language broadcasters need to develop a joint, or at least joined up, marketing strategy. Reaching this audience will take more than traditional marketing methods. c) Are the plans aligned with other BBC objectives including the BBC’s quality first strategy?

Budgetary constraints have led to a perceived reduction in drama and comedy commissions by BBC Radio Cymru. These constraints could be eased by Radio Cymru entering into a new relationship with independent production companies and other Welsh language institutions. i.e. sharing information which enables producers to work more effectively and successfully. This already happens in the wider Welsh media economy where independent producers already work closely with local agencies such as the “Mentrau iaith” to reach a local audience for live shows and recordings, to fill local theatres so that productions actually become local events, and part fund comedy and drama productions. Radio Cymru has an integral role to play in this development by insuring that contestable slots are available for specialist genres. Many independent produces have commented recently that some of their ideas are held back because they’re currently “too creative” or “too ambitious” for Radio Cymru. d) Are there sufficient resources (finance, staff and decision making process) to deliver the plans?

The Welsh language media industry needs more informed and experienced decision makers in key posts. This would enable broadcasters and producers/content providers to work together equally to create a better long term "joined up" media strategy for the hWels language and culture, while also insuring far better value for money for the audience.

The same people being responsible for both managing in house production and commissioning from the independent sector leads to a conflict of interest in which the audience loses out.

Long term strategic planning is hindered by key personnel not being well enough informed about the wider creative industry and creative economy in Wales.

Problems for independent production companies are created through the apparent failure of the BBC to carry out its procedures in a timely and reliable fashion. Paperwork can be erratic, and often fails to reflect what has been discussed in commissioning meetings thereby slowing the whole process down. This may in part be down to resources, however it may also simply mean a need to revise and streamline those procedures.

A frequent comment from producers is that programmes have been broadcast before the contract arrives. Producers have faced the threat of having a commission withdrawn after the production work has started, but no contract has been agreed. I.e. while a series is being broadcast with no licence or contract in place. Lack of organisational skills is undermining the commissioning process. Late commissioning lead to a loss of pre production time, thereby undermining the quality of the programmes i.e. a programmes commissioned so late that the events due to be covered had already happened and a producer receiving a phone call from Radio Cymru demanding the delivery of a programme which they had forgotten to commission.

5 RIG response to The BBC Trust Review of the BBC’s national radio stations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

Conversations are taking place with BBC Audio & Music to address some similar issues at a UK network level, and RIG is seeking similar conversations with BBC Wales and Scotland to establish more efficient procedures, as a follow up to the Trust report on working with independent suppliers.

3. Should the service licence for these services be changed to drive performance or influence future plans?

Constraints on budgets are undermining drama and comedy production for Radio Cymru. The service licence should be revised to insure that this decline is reversed, enabling new and established talent to enrich the service, while also ensuring that Radio Cymru re engages with it is potential audience by partnering strategically for the long term with the growing independent production sector.

6 RIG response to The BBC Trust Review of the BBC’s national radio stations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

oBBC Radi Wales

1. How well are the BBC’s national radio stations performing on radio, on digital and online? a) To what extent are licence fee payers aware of and using the service?

Licence fee payers are aware of BBC Radio Wales. The Radio Wales audience has traditionally been concentrated in South East Wales. The service’s reach has been hindered by the problems of DAB coverage in Wales (indeed Radio Cymru and Radio Wales are not available on DAB to half the population). b) To what extent is the service producing good quality content?

Whilst BBC Radio Wales does produce good quality content, it can be argued that the service is not realising it is full potential. In recent years the lack of ambition and clarity in the Radio Wales commissioning document for the independent sector suggests an overdependence on in house producers and that the slots in the document are leftovers for the independent sector. However, we are hopeful that the recent appointment of a new editor will enable Radio Wales to re‐engage with a growing independent sector and it is expertise. c) Are the services making an effective contribution to the BBC’s public purposes including a contribution to the creative economy in Wales?

As we stated regarding Radio Cymru, the BBC’s partnership proposals should be widened to include working more with the independent production sector.

The radio industry in Wales will undergo substantial changes over the next five years as income from platforms apart from broadcasting continues to grow. This presentso Radi Wales (as with Radio Cymru) with a golden opportunity to partner with specialist production companies not only to raise programme quality in specialist genres, but also to help grow the media economy in Wales. This process has been undermined in recent years by the lack of contestable slots for the independent sector and “no go areas” for independents in some commissioning genres. d) Are the services good value for money?

Radio Wales offers good value for money, but the changes in the media economy in Wales and the end of broadcasters’ monopoly on access to the audience suggests that ein th coming years Radio Wales can offer better value for money by developing a closer working relationship with the independent sector and using their expertise in key genres. e) Are the services sufficiently distinctive from other BBC Services and commercial operators?

As the only national mainly speech radio service in the country Radio Wales is sufficiently distinctive from other BBC Services and commercial operators.

7 RIG response to The BBC Trust Review of the BBC’s national radio stations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

2. Are the BBC’s plans for Radio Wales robust and deliverable? a) Are the objectives clear and well communicated?

The BBC’s objectives are clear and well communicated, but the lack of slots for independent companies and recent unambitious commissioning documents are a barrier to many producers. As a small country, Wales cannot afford to lock out talent. b) Are the plans based on a robust assessment of the audience needs as well as technological and economic developments in the wider market?

Yes, although independent production companies have noted a reluctance to change the relationship with the independent sector as we move from a buyers market to a sellers market (an unavoidable result of broadcasters no longer controlling access to the audience) which could hinder the development of the creative economy in Wales. Once again we are hopeful that the appointment of a new editor signals a change. c) Are the plans aligned with other BBC objectives including the BBC’s Putting Quality First strategy?

The practice of creating “no go areas” for independent companies in Radio Wales’ commissioning document means that the Radio Wales audience are denied the opportunity of experiencing the work of talented programme makers in their field of expertise. Independents have the ability to ‘scale up’, and can therefore meet the demands of larger projects, including the type of ‘stand‐out moments’ that the strategy aims to achieve. ‘Putting Quality First’ should therefore mean fully engaging with independent suppliers. d) Are there sufficient resources (finance, staff and decision making process) to deliver the plans?

The fact that the same executives are responsible for in house production and commissioning from the independent sector leads to a conflict of interest in which in house producers are naturally favoured above independent production companies. We hope that the appointment of a new editor signifies a fresh start in the relationship between the independent sector and BBC Radio Wales.

As the non broadcast market for radio evolves and matures there is need for renewed cooperation between Radio Wales and its independent suppliers.