BCC(3) 8

Broadcasting Committee

Response from Media Wales Limited

The Future Of Public Service Broadcasting In Wales

Newspapers and broadcasters have unprecedented opportunities to communicate with audiences using new technology. The print and broadcast sectors in Wales will be in direct competition as each attempts to exploit the potential of broadband internet and mobile phones to deliver information and entertainment and engage with individuals.

The industry has forcefully warned that at this time of intense competition publicly funded organisations such as the BBC have the potential to fragment the audience and undermine the commercial foundations of the regional media.

The Regional Newspaper Industry

The United Kingdom has a dynamic regional press, comprising 1,300 daily and weekly, paid-for and free newspaper titles, as well as 1,100 websites, 750 magazines, 36 radio stations and two TV stations. Nearly 50,000 people are employed by the sector.

The regional press has embraced the challenge of new delivery platforms and seeks to strengthen relationships with readers by giving them new options in how they receive their news.

Newspapers have invested in websites and are pioneering video streaming, podcasts, mobile phone services, blogs, e-editions and advertising sites. This has involved significant private sector investment at a time when digital television has given consumers unparalleled alternative news and entertainment options.

Competition for audiences and advertising will intensify following the digital switchover.

Despite the proliferation of new channels and other media services, none has made comparable investment in local news coverage and local information services. Regional publishers are at a critical stage in their evolution from local newspaper companies to local media companies.  Media Wales is this year investing in the development of an integrated multi-media news operation. Following studies of media companies in Europe and America, Media Wales has created a new 'single newsroom' model to drive news to all of its print and electronic channels with a major focus on the development of video and audio content online.

The regional press was concerned a large increase in the licence fee would have encouraged the BBC to replicate services provided by local media.

The industry has argued that public money should not be spent developing local websites which would not only replicate print and online content of the regional press but also threaten the crucial long-term role of regional newspapers in serving local communities.

It is in the interests of the BBC to have to have a strong regional press.

Many BBC stories are first spotted in local newspapers. Individuals and communities feel they have a direct line of communication with local newspaper reporters. No single national news organisation can match the diversity of contacts, expertise of reporters, trust and goodwill that newspapers have cultivated through decades of serving communities. The demise of local publications would inevitably result in fewer important stories achieving the regional and national prominence they merit and make it more difficult for the BBC to function as an effective public service broadcaster.

It is in the interests of the National Assembly to have a strong regional press.

Local newspapers allow democratic debate to take place at a grassroots level and enable citizens to raise issues which would not otherwise attract widespread attention. As such, they provide a crucial means by which people can hold public bodies to account and engage elected representatives in debate.

The regional press also enables people from a broad range of socio-economic groups to enter the media industry. Across the UK, 50,000 people work in the regional press. The sector remains the main trainer of journalists and has invested in giving new and existing staff the skills and equipment to thrive in the internet age.