As you may have read by now, Adam Price MP has called for the BBC centrally to sit up and take notice of Wales and Welsh issues in its news programming, and I am delighted to have supported these calls on radio today.
Adam is quite right in highlighting the fact that the historic events that have taken place in public life in Wales over the last few months have gone unnoticed at a UK-wide level. The fate of Shambo received far more news coverage than the historic Assembly coalition talks. This is not to undermine the story surrounding Shambo, but to argue that there needs to be a comprehensive strategy in place for the development of stories affecting Wales on network news. Wales, of course, continuse to be side-lined in the UK newspapers, and town names are often misspelled by Journalists who have, more than likely never set foot in Wales.
As Wales matures as a democracy and as a civic society, the BBC continues to live in pre-devolution Wales. It appears the BBC needs to be dragged kicking and screaming into 21st Century, post-devolution Wales. The SNP Executive are calling for broadcasting to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament, and Plaid's long term aim is to transfer the responsibility for the regulation of all broadcasting in Wales to the National Assembly. This includes calling for S4C to come under the authority of the Assembly, making sure that its funding is ring-fenced and secured.
I of course agree that BBC Wales does a wonderful job with the resources it has, but the BBC centrally needs to be in tune with reality on the ground in Wales.
If talks with the BBC prove unsuccessful with regards enhanced provision on network news programmes, then we must develop a comprehensive news programme like that of which exists through the medium of Welsh and on Radio Wales/ Radio Cymru currently. This is an important argument, and one which already has the support of the Audience Council in Wales. If Welsh people pay over £175 million for a television license, then we must see a news broadcasting system which reflects that investment.
2 comments:
Not just Shambo. Pressing the wrong button in plenary is also considered a UK network story too. Constructing a different shaped Welsh government is clearly not.
On your main point though, I remain to be convinced that the 6 or 10 o'clock news should change to a Wales-based focus. I would much rather BBC network gave us a fair share of time and attention. BBC Wales has risen to the challenge of devolution and I think BBC network has to - when it comes to Scotland - just not when it comes to Wales.
To take a different tack from the one in your post, we always seem to be in Scotland's shadow when it comes to grabbing a share of UK news output. This was true during the election as well as the during the process of government making. The Scots often seem to have a better story (could be partly down to powers, position of Scots in UK media) or at least one that is reported more widely. Like you I don't blame BBC Wales, it is about position on network.
When the UK media covers the Assembly election it is never with as much emphasis or detail as in Scotland.
I know this is a bit glib, but as well as tackling the UK news issue we also need to tackle the Scottish one. We need to de-couple our election from that of the Scottish Parliament for a start. I can't help thinking Welsh politics would be helped if at some point everyone fell out in the Assembly and we had to have another election - we can dissolve within 4 years now under the Government of Wales Act 2006 and at least by introdcuing a different electoral cycle that might take our election out from the shadow of Scotland's.
Chuffed to see you quoted on the BBC website - keep up the campaign! I want to know what's going on in Wales, but the news never reports the Welsh Assembly. There needs to be a change.
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