Thursday 25 September 2008

Disastrous ITV Wales Cutbacks

The news of Ofcom's report is disastrous for the Welsh media industry. Scaling back regional programming will undoubtedly result in more job losses and lower quality television as well as less coverage of Welsh affairs.

It comes after job losses at the BBC, Trinity Mirror and just a week after news that Big Issue Cymru is to close its operation in Cardiff to move to Scotland. Under Ofcom's proposals ITV Wales will be severely downgraded, leaving BBC with a near-monopoly. Ofcom's light-touch regulatory approach has clearly failed both the industry in Wales and the viewers. My personal view is that Ofcom should be abolished and that its responsibilities for regulating the media in Wales should be devolved to the Assembly.

Facebook users can join a group I have set up to campaign against these cuts.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Scotland tried to get responsibility devolved during 1998 and were given their marching orders, and I quote "broadcasting is a matter which is reserved to the UK Parliament and Government."

Hansard record at .....
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199798/ldhansrd/vo980716/text/80716-32.htm

dotcommentator said...

Fine to campaign against this - but where is the money to sustain the services actually going to come from?

Unknown said...

Dotcommentator, as you should know, the 103 slot on the electronic programming guide still has value. That slot should be given free to the company that provides a decent number of hours of Welsh public service broadcasting. These cuts are primarily a failure of weak regulation from Ofcom.

Ofcom should be abolished and Rhodri Williams (Head of Ofcom Wales) should be sacked. Then a new regulator should be established responsible to the National Assembly with some genuine powers to do something.

Anonymous said...

Ofcom is next to useless. It should be insisting that there is a strong alternative to BBC Wales. But they've left the people of Wales down. Scrap them!