Broadcasting Committee

Inquiry into Public Service Broadcasting

Plaid Cymru’s response to the National Assembly of Wales’ Broadcasting Committee’s enquiry

As background it is worth reflecting on the following passages from a motion on broadcasting passed in Plaid Cymru’s conference.

It noted:

1. the importance of broadcasting and the creative industries to the economy and culture of Wales

2. that broadcasters and the associated creative industries contribute substantially to the Welsh economy on a regional and sub-regional level and strengthen the cultural identity both within and outside Wales as well as being substantial employers

3. that broadcasting and associated industries are going through a technological, cultural and managerial revolution which will have a permanent and substantial effect on the operation of the industry and beyond and that it is essential if broadcasting and the creative industries as a dynamic and viable industry in Wales, as well as offering a first class public service, that firm steps are taken to protect the interests of these industries here in Wales.

Plaid believes:

4. that consideration should be given to securing access to fast broadband services as a right and the availability of such services should be considered on the basis of need rather than commercial considerations. This is essential in order to allow the development of the content creating industries. It should also be seen as a basic public service and should be available at a reasonable cost to businesses and homes.

5. that sufficient funding available to the broadcast media in Wales through both the medium of Welsh and English should be increased in order to allow it to continue to offer a broad range of services across several platforms and ensure that it can compete with other broadcasters across several platforms as the technology develops.

6. that the regional production quotas should be increased and that the regional flavour of the services which are available in Wales should be retained and that this should be one of the responsibilities of the new regulators.

To elaborate Plaid Cymru wishes to make the following observations.

Plurality

The most pressing issue is one of plurality in terms of general programming and in particular news and current affairs programmes.

The threat to cut or discontinue altogether the English language general programmes produced by ITV Wales is disastrous. It would leave most of the people of Wales with only one broadcaster to reflect its national cultural, economic and political life. Surely that is not a healthy state of affairs.

If ITV unilaterally cuts off the finance to such programming, an alternative method of financing must be sought via a levy. All options should be explored to secure this plurality of service.

Similarly the BBC has a monopoly on the national radio news service in Wales. It is not a criticism of the BBC that an alternative all-Wales news service would provide the choice and balance that is essential to an open and democratic community.

The development of community radio stations should be encouraged and seen as a useful tool in economic and social regeneration.

Serious consideration should be given to establishing an English language television service in Wales. This should be discussed in the light of the gradual demise of ITV Wales English-language programming.

S4C should be funded adequately to ensure that it can fulfil its public remit not only to provide a service to Welsh speakers but to encourage learners to integrate with the Welsh-language and Welsh-language culture.

Economic Opportunity

Broadcasting is a major industry. Its value to the economic well being of Wales is well understood. At present that benefit accrues mainly to Cardiff and its immediate environs. The founding of S4C saw the first real expansion of the independent sector in Wales mainly along the Menai corridor in Arfon and, again, in Cardiff.

We note the success of Llanelli based Tinopolis and believe that a vibrant decentralised independent sector is vital to ensure that talented, creative young people can develop their skills outside Cardiff. To mirror the overbearing position of London in UK broadcasting here in Wales would be disastrous.

Wales, the UK and Quotas

The so called "Barnett” formula is an inadequate tool to distribute public finance within the UK but at least it acknowledges the relative population balance within the UK. Welsh television and radio producers in general do not fare so well on UK networks.

After years of being under represented on the BBC UK network BBC Wales’ position is radically altered thanks to Dr Who and Torchwood. Whether this has resulted in major creative opportunities for Wales-based practitioners is another matter.

ITV’s position viz a viz Wales is a disaster area. In the last few years no network programming has come from Wales which has eroded confidence within the sector.

C4 has seldom reached the 5% target.

This represents a serious lost opportunity economically and the commissioning bodies should be pressed continuously to remedy the situation.

Going hand in hand with this commissioning free zone is the lopsided image of Wales as seen through the eyes of the London dominated media. It isn’t only the superficial coverage of politics but the funny/peculiar nature of the content/commentary in so far as Wales gets a look in at all. In this respect, however welcome the Dr Who/Torchwood productions may be, they hardly convey anything about life in this part of the world. This is not a criticism of these successful programmes: it merely underlines the lack of presence from Wales on UK screens. This state of affairs continues the suffocating domination of London and skews the understanding of UK citizens of life in Wales.

Accountability

Plaid Cymru believes that eventually the responsibility for the regulation of broadcasting in Wales should be transferred to a Welsh Parliament. At present Plaid Cymru does not believe that transferring the responsibility for S4C alone would not be desirable.

As the Welsh Assembly acquires greater powers and becomes a proper parliament the responsibility for broadcasting is an area that will require careful consideration. Greater legislative powers will be accompanied inevitably with greater fiscal devolution which would make such a transfer less contentious.

In the meantime, however there is a democratic deficit which has been addressed in part by the setting up of the Assembly Broadcasting Committee. Plaid Cymru believes the NAW should establish a process by which it can monitor and scrutinize broadcasting in Wales on a regular basis to maintain a formal dialogue with the industry and to comment on its development.

Broadband Access

Convergence across various previously separate platforms will bring its own opportunities but also will challenge (is already challenging) both the public and private broadcasters. The availability and quality of broadband connections in Wales is potentially a divisive issue.

It has been claimed that broadband services will free people from having to work in centralized conurbations. But what has become increasingly obvious is that there are areas in Wales, both urban and rural where the service is either unavailable or of such poor quality that it is useless. These "not spots” have to be dealt with and plugged in.

Furthermore, as we enter the next stage in the development of swift and increasingly sophisticated broadband connections large swathes of Wales will be left behind. Plaid Cymru believes that an extensive fibre optic network must be created.

Where private companies refuse to invest in the network the government should seek to use European funds to create the semblance of a level playing field between more affluent urban conurbations and the rural areas where the market will not or can not invest profitably. This should be a priority.