Blow to Welsh Broadcasting

Following Jeremy Hunt’s announcement that the Government will be axing Wales Live, the planned new channel 3 news service for Wales, Shadow Welsh Secretary PETER HAIN said:

“Combined with the savage cuts to S4C’s budget, this is a huge blow to Welsh broadcasting inflicted by the new ConDem government.

“£12m had already been ring-fenced for this project, which was coming from a surplus in the digital switchover budget. Wales Live was an exciting and innovative concept that would have safeguarded hundreds of Welsh jobs and offered viewers a greater choice of TV news. A lot of people had put put a lot of work into getting it this far and it’s bitterly disappointing that the new Government has pulled the plug at this late stage.

“Creative industries in Wales are struggling and the media is in crisis, Welsh news on channel 3 is at serious risk of disappearing off our screens and it’s outrageous that the Tories and Lib Dems in Government are offering no support.”

Alun Davies, who chaired the Assembly’s Broadcasting Committee, called for an urgent government statement on the issue and is writing to the Assembly’s Presiding Officer asking for the committee to be re-established to review the position facing the provision of news in Wales.

He said: “Only a few months ago Kirsty Williams wrote on twitter that she thought the Tories would cancel IFNC contracts and “sell Welsh news down the river.”

“Well – with the support of her party, they have done just that.

“Kirsty also called on the Minister for Heritage to give assurances that he has lobbied the Department of Culture, Media and Sport to ensure the contract is signed.

“I want to know what discussions she has had with her Westminster colleagues because it doesn’t sound as if they have listened to her.

“Access to plurality in impartial news is essential in any democracy. This decision throws Wales’ needs into the long grass.

“The Secretary of State has confused local news serving the cities of England with national news serving the needs of Wales.

“It is shocking that this coalition government is so ignorant of our needs. They simply could not give a damn about Wales.

“I would have expected Kirsty Williams and Nick Bourne to have some influence in their parties but it appears that they have none at all. Under this government Wales is the forgotten part of Britain.”

Kirsty Williams on Twitter
“Believes that we need the Government to get on and sign the IFNC contracts before the Tories cancel them and sell Welsh news down the river.”
5:49 PM Mar 17th http://twitter.com/kirstyam

Kirsty Williams on 17th March
“I have concerns about the input of Welsh voices to those who will decide the successful bid today, but I hope that the Minister will be able to give us some
assurance that he has been in close contact with his colleagues in the Department for  Culture, Media and Sport about the importance of this project to ensure that Welsh voices have been heard and that he will do all that he can to lobby DCMS to ensure that the contract is signed before the general election. Otherwise, as we have just heard from the Conservatives, we are in danger of losing this proposal altogether. It is really important that it gets signed as quickly as possible.”
17 March 2010  (See attachment)

Eleanor Burnham (14th March) “The Welsh Liberal Democrats held a debate in the National Assembly showing our support for IFNC and our position has not changed. We believe that believe that high quality television and radio news and current affairs are essential components of an inclusive democracy.”