BBC Wales Management Review 2017/18 Management Review 2017/18 – Wales “BBC Wales recorded its highest audiences for both factual and drama series in more than a decade.” If you wish to find out more about the BBC’s year – including full financial statements and performance against other public commitments – then please visit www.bbc.co.uk/annualreport Contents 01 Director’s introduction 02 Two minute summary 03 Service performance 13 The figures 14 The management team Front cover 15 Contacts Keeping Faith Management Review 2017/18 – Wales Director’s Introduction In the first year of new Charter Keeping Faith was in good company The year also saw significant growth reinvestment in Wales, the in the biggest year of Welsh drama in mobile and social media usage creative impact was immediate. for a generation, with the third and in Wales. The comedy short, Nige, With a focus on delivering major final series of Hinterland and the and the development of a new social landmark programming rooted in supernatural series Requiem also media service, BBC Sesh – inspired Wales for audiences everywhere, attracting audiences both in Wales by the success of The Social in I’m delighted that BBC Wales and across the UK. Scotland – both harnessed Facebook recorded its highest audiences In January, BBC Radio Cymru marked and YouTube to build impact with for both factual and drama series its 40th birthday year with the launch younger audiences. in more than a decade. of a second breakfast service, Radio Once again, I have been inspired by Valley Cops – a revealing account Cymru 2, across DAB and mobile the commitment of our production of community policing in the South devices. For the first time, the new teams – inside and outside the BBC. Wales Valleys – attracted an impressive service provides real choice to And it has been a real pleasure to 346,000 viewers on BBC One Wales Welsh language listeners – with see the new investment making and was later broadcast on BBC One the entertainment and music mix its mark immediately. across the UK. providing an alternative to the Post Cyntaf news service on There was similar success for Keeping BBC Radio Cymru’s main service. Faith – an eight part series jointly commissioned by BBC Wales and S4C, starring Eve Myles. The BBC One Wales screening attracted an average Rhodri Talfan Davies of 300,000 viewers per episode – Director, BBC Wales with a further 9.5m requests to view the series on BBC iPlayer. 1 Management Review 2017/18 – Wales Two minute summary Facts and figures about the performance and output of the BBC in Wales BBC Wales English language television BBC Wales on S4C Top Ten Series and Top Five Individual Top Ten Series and Top Five Individual Programmes 2017/18 Programmes 2016/17 English language series Series on S4C Valley Cops (2 eps) 346,000 Clwb Rygbi (Pro 14) 49,000 Keeping Faith 306,000 Cwpan China 39,000 Wales Today at 6.30pm 251,000 Pobol Y Cwm 38,000 Iolo’s Snowdonia (rpt) 247,000 Clwb Rygbi Rhyngwladol: Chwe Gwlad 27,000 X-Ray (Oct-Nov) 198,000 Yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol: Mwy o’r Maes 26,000 The River Wye with Will Millard 197,000 Yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol: Noson o Gystadlu 19,000 X-Ray (Jan-Mar) 183,000 Clwb Rygbi Rhyngwladol: Gemau’r Hydref 18,000 Wales Today at 10.30pm 169,000 Yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol: Seremoniau 17,000 The Royal Welsh Show 167,000 Pawb a’i Farn 15,000 Vets 24/7 164,000 Newyddion 9 14,000 English language programmes Programmes on S4C Hidden Cardiff with Will Millard 266,000 Syr Gareth Edwards yn 70 47,000 Shane: For the Love of the Game 240,000 Cewri Cwmderi 38,000 Sir Gareth Edwards at 70 236,000 Rygbi: Tonga v Cymru 28,000 The Miners Who Made Us 225,000 Newyddion y Flwyddyn 2017 27,000 Diana: The Last Princess of Wales 217,000 Camdrin Ed 22,000 Source: BARB Figures include any repeats in the same week The River Wye with Will Millard 2 Management Review 2017/18 – Wales BBC One Wales and BBC Two Wales We wrapped up the season with Make Wales Happy, a live programme hosted by Jason Mohammad and Alex Jones. A night of science and comedy which explored the mood of the nation and questioned how we can all be a little happier. Our programmes were an important platform for the major political debates of the year. The calling of a general election saw BBC Wales’ Leaders Debate Live with Huw Edwards take centre stage, bringing the main Valley Cops parties together to debate the issues that matter to the electorate in Wales. Meanwhile Twenty Years of Power This has been a remarkable year It is one of an increasing number of marked an important milestone for for BBC Cymru Wales’ English nations to network productions which Welsh devolution. BBC Wales Live language television. It started has seen an increase in the portrayal and The Hour have been a forum to with Keeping Faith, which received of Wales on BBC network television. bring people together and discuss record breaking linear and BBC Hayley, Young Welsh And…, Richard the key political questions of the day, iPlayer viewing figures and quickly Park’s Extreme Wales, and the Our whilst BBC Wales Investigates has became the BBC’s most successful Lives strand are other examples of delivered some of our most ambitious non-network programme with 9.5 an increasing portfolio of shows that investigative journalism in recent years. million hits on BBC iPlayer. play out across the BBC network. This year we revamped our Children Since then it has enjoyed a successful A Christmas highlight was In Need and Sport Relief programmes run on BBC One. Alongside the third Tom Jones and Beverley Knight’s and with Gabby and Alfie’s Big Six series of Hinterland it continues the Gospel Christmas – a show which Nations Kick Off series added a momentum for our high end drama first broadcast in Wales and then slice of entertainment to support slate and bodes well as we look ahead again on Christmas Day on BBC Two. our stunning Six Nations coverage to the future. and Scrum V strand. Sir Gareth 2018 began with an in-depth look at Edwards at 70 and Shane: For the As well as the success of Keeping our nation’s mental health. Charlotte Love of the Game proved especially Faith, observational documentary Church took a close look inside her popular with the audience. series Valley Cops was also a record brain and Rhod Gilbert explored his breaker and became the most viewed anxieties in his own unique way in Audiences have continued to enjoy the factual series for the past decade. Rhod Gilbert: Stand Up to Shyness. company of presenters and series they know and love. Among them were Kate Humble: Off The Beaten Track, Iolo’s Snowdonia, Rhod Gilbert’s Work Experience, The River Wye with Will Millard and X-Ray. These are programmes that celebrate and reflect the richness of communities across Wales. Rhod Gilbert’s Tom Jones and Beverley Knight’s Work Experience Gospel Christmas 3 Management Review 2017/18 – Wales BBC Wales on S4C The relationship between commissioned items on care Also, as part of S4C’s month of BBC Cymru Wales and S4C provision across Wales, as well as programming reflecting the Wales continues to be productive and extensive coverage as the ‘Beast 2017 Year of Legends, an archive collaborative and we value our role from the East’ snowstorms which based programme Cewri Cwmderi in supporting the channel in its affected the whole country. was presented by DJ and avid fan editorial and strategic objectives. Major news events further afield Huw Stephens. It looked back at Our news service Newyddion is were also covered and included the legendary characters over the years, integral to this and the end of year terror attacks in Manchester and with Magi Post being chosen as review, Newyddion y Flwyddyn 2017, London, the devastation of the Cwmderi’s most iconic character. illustrated the enormous range and Grenfell Tower fire and insightful Sport coverage continues to be an depth of stories covered for the coverage of the Catalan referendum integral part of our programme S4C audience. on independence. supply to S4C and as part of The first quarter was dominated As well as the regular run of the Legends season we celebrated by local election campaigning and programmes in the new year, another Welsh sporting icon. The 60 the announcement of a general special editions of the audience minute profile Sir Gareth Edwards yn election. Our main evening news debate programme Pawb a’i Farn 70 focussed on the man behind the programme Newyddion 9 broadcast were broadcast to mark 20 years legend, marking his 70th year with live from constituencies across Wales of devolution in Wales and personal insights from family, friends highlighting issues of relevance to International Women’s Day. and colleagues. As well as weekly local communities while Dewi Llwyd broadcasts of the Pro 14 competition, Fans of welcomed the return of the and Vaughan Roderick led our this year our coverage within Clwb omnibus edition to the S4C schedule comprehensive coverage of the Rygbi and Clwb Rygbi Rhyngwladol on Sunday afternoons General Election results in an on S4C included Women’s rugby and in January, the Tuesday and overnight programme broadcast internationals and coverage of the Thursday episodes moved to a simultaneously on S4C and Wales Tour to the South Sea Islands slightly earlier slot at 7.30pm.