Media Meltdown
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Editor John Osmond Assistant Editor Nick Morris Associate Editors Geraint Talfan Davies Rhys David spring 2008 Administration Helen Sims-Coomber and Clare Johnson Design WOOD&WOOD Design Consultants. wood2.com To advertise Telephone 029 2066 6606 media meltdown TV Wales is celebrating fifty years of broadcasting during 2008. In that time the Welsh franchise has gone through several permutations. First to hold it was TWW, Television Wales and the West. A decade later Harlech Television won control, later Institute of Welsh Affairs i 1–3 Museum Place becoming HTV Wales and the West. In 1997 HTV was taken over by United News and Cardiff Media which subsequently became part of Carlton in 2000. ITV Wales is now part of a CF10 3BD merged ITV, which owns all the ITV franchises in England and Wales. Driven by Telephone 029 2066 6606 commercialisation, each stage has seen a process of centralisation in which the distinctive E-mail [email protected] dimension of Welsh broadcasting has been eroded and diminished. How far can the Web www.iwa.org.uk process go before we see an end to any autonomous Welsh presence within commercial The IWA is a non-aligned broadcasting? independent think-tank and research institute, based in Cardiff with branches in north The question is important on a number of fronts. In purely economic terms ITV Wales and west Wales, Gwent, contributes more than £12 million of disposable income into the local economy and Swansea Bay and London. supports the equivalent of more than 670 jobs, according to a study carried out by the Members (annual subscription £40) receive agenda three times Welsh Economic Research Unit at Cardiff Business School in 2002. But, of course, the a year, can purchase reports at argument goes deeper than that. Welsh civil society, finding its voice in response to the a 25 per cent reduction, and receive invitations to IWA events. coming of the National Assembly, is dependent on effective communications. Moreover, there are democratic dangers in the reduction of news outlets, quite apart from the branches cultural loss in seeing vehicles of expression shut down. North Wales Secretariat c/o Huw Lewis So how near is the threatened end of ITV Wales? Unless there is a concerted campaign the 6 Maes yr Haul Mold answer could be very soon, perhaps not long after 2010 when Wales will be the first of the Flintshire CH7 1NS Telephone 01352 758311 UK nations to have switched entirely to a digital television service. Three contributions to Gwent Secretariat this issue of agenda on the future of the Welsh media make the same point from different c/o Chris O’Malley perspectives. Professor Richard Wyn Jones, of Aberystwyth University, remarks, “With the University of Wales Newport Caerleon Campus P O Box 179 sad decline of ITV Wales as a serious provider of news and current affairs, the BBC is, Newport NP18 3YG Telephone 01633 432005 effectively, the monopoly supplier of news and current affairs programming.” In his article IWA Chair Geraint Talfan Davies asks, “Is Wales going to be reliant only on the BBC for the West Wales Secretariat c/o Margaret Davies bulk of broadcast news provision? Is ITV going to be allowed to withdraw completely from Principal’s Office Trinity College Wales?” And Elin Haf Gruffydd Jones, again from Aberystwyth University, observes, “ITV’s Carmarthen SA31 3EP commitment to Wales has already been reduced, with non-news Welsh production down Telephone 01267 237971 from four to three hours per week from January 2009.” Swansea Bay Secretariat c/o Beti Williams Department of Computer Science In the new multi-channel digital world, with its fierce competition for advertising revenues, University of Wales Swansea Swansea SA2 8PP the ability of a channel like ITV Wales to sustain public service news and current affairs 1 Telephone 01792 295625 broadcasting is being undermined. In the next few months the regulator Ofcom is Wales in London embarking on a review which will address this dilemma. Supported by the Welsh Assembly c/o Robert Ll. John First Base Government the IWA is currently undertaking an audit of the Welsh broadcast and print 22 Ganton Street media. The objective is for this contribute to a much needed debate to mobilise opinion London W1F 7BY Telephone 020 7851 5521 around an optimum solution to a critical problem for our fledgling Welsh democracy. spring 2008 opinion politics and policy 4 spine for the dragon john osmond examines the case for upgrading north-south road links 8 news communications 16 murphy’s law alan trench looks at the crowded in-tray of the new Secretary of State for Wales 18 facing reality eurfyl ap gwilym says London decisions have 10 information gap a perverse impact on richard wyn jones calls the Assembly’s funding for a media commission options to examine welsh communications and 21 smouldering democracy bonfire nick morris reflects 12 shrinking coverage on the reverberations economy health of the WDA’s demise Y geraint talfan davies R two years ago 26 kick start 32 re-balancing the O foregrounds an T S richard livsey addresses health budget R imminent debate on E the challenge of malcolm prowle looks V the future of Welsh O creating innovative, at the case for more C broadcasting indigenous enterprises private sector funding 14 converged world in the nhs 29 local trading elin haf gruffydd jones john ball makes the on connections between case for establishing a the welsh language welsh stock exchange press and webcasting 2 23 random politics 34 berlin wall gary hicks says, lyndon miles on the like the poor, the ongoing effort to bridge lottery will always be the health and social with us services divide spring 2008 newsflash Cover Picture: coming up… ITV Wales early evening news Wales Tonight presenters • Assembly To Senedd Andrea Benfield and Jonathan Hill Tuesday 29th April, 9.00am to 1.00pm All Nations Centre, Cardiff Keynote Speakers: Barry Morgan, Archbishop of Wales; Sir Emyr Jones Parry, Chair, Constitutional Convention; Professor Laura McAllister, University of Liverpool; John Osmond, Director, IWA; Alun Davies AM; Helen Mary Jones AM; social policy 61 breizh touch Mike German AM; Nick Bourne AM. andrew lincoln explores 45 missing targets the paradoxes facing • Making Business Sense of anne crowley and the Breton movement Sustainable Development stephen davies chart for autonomy within Tuesday 12th June, 9.00am to 4.00pm progress in eradicating the French unitary state Park Thistle Hotel, Cardiff child poverty in wales Keynote speakers: Dr Einir Young, culture Welsh Institute of Natural Resources, 48 social Bangor University; Felix Gummer, entrepreneurs 65 lie of the land Corporate Affairs Director, Tesco; gareth bickerton david meredith Dr Stewart Davies, Director, Serco describes a unique fund celebrates the life of a Integrated Services and Business aimed at promoting off- favourite artist Commissioner with the Sustainable beat initiatives Development Commission; Chris Hillyer, 68 house party Twelfth Man Marketing; Naresh environment rhian davies previews Giangrannde, Transition Towns initiative; the 75th anniversary Rhiannon Rowley, Managing Director, 50 climate change Gregynog Festival Abaca; Jan Cliff, Director, Sundance challenge Renewables; Phil Cooper, Venture Wales; einir young puts the 70 emerging drama Angharad Davies, BT Wales; and Frank Assembly Government’s roger owen says a O’Connor, Ecodesign Centre Wales. sustainable development successful national theatre aspirations under the will need a civic identity • A Cultural Quarter for Newport microscope with which to engage Thursday 26th June, 8.45am to 2pm Riverfront Arts Centre, Newport Keynote speakers: Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM, Minister for Heritage; Fred Manson, former Director of Regeneration and education Environment, Borough of Southward; Chris Freeguard, Managing Director, 37 congenital tribalism Newport City Council; Anne Carlisle, gethin williams probes Deputy Vice Chancellor, Newport the past in search of University; Rosemary Butler AM, Deputy lessons for the future of 53 supergrass last word Presiding Officer, National Assembly higher education in Wales phil cooke describes how a Welsh food 72 grand slams innovation could help all round just published… education special curb global warming peter stead • A Strategy for the Welsh Economy 40 gwynedd’s furore 56 on yer bike John Ball. £10 alwyn evans offers lee waters on changing advice on primary • Europe: United or Divided by Culture? our travel habits school amalgamation Anthony Everitt. £10 • The Welsh Health Battleground 3 43 siôn cwilt europe Academy Health Wales. £10 gareth ioan on a 59 self-determination • Assembly to Senedd successful campaign anwen elias surveys the John Osmond. £10 to amalgamate some Basque quest for greater small rural schools autonomy within Spain more information: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recorded or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher, Institute of Welsh Affairs. ISSN 1464-7613 www.iwa.org.uk opinion spine for the dragon John Osmond heads north on the A470, john osmond examines the case for just south of Merthyr. upgrading north-south road links “An important point to be considered in any discussion of section between Caersws and Machynlleth. This became a road provision in Wales is the effect of the virtual non- trunk road in 1950. The 1946 Act designated the section existence of alternative modes of transport.” between Cardiff and Llangurig as the A470. However, the Bob Daimond, in The National Assembly Agenda, IWA, 1998. north-south route was also served by eleven other trunk roads. “Minister, the volume of traffic does not warrant it.” In November 1972 the Secretary of State for Wales, the late Welsh Office advice to Secretary of State for Peter Thomas, announced that the north-south Trunk Road Wales Jim Griffiths on dualling the A48 across between Cardiff and Llandudno should be given the number south Wales, 1965.