The future is bright for BBC Wales

Harold Schiffman hfsclpp at gmail.com
Tue Dec 11 14:54:48 UTC 2007


The future is bright for BBC Wales
Dec 10 2007 by David Williamson, Western Mail

BBC Wales Controller Menna Richards is determined the broadcaster will
be as strong a defining cultural force in the 21st century as it has
been in the past. She tells David Williamson why she believes BBC
values are unique in a multi-channel world BBC Wales Controller Menna
Richards is determined the broadcaster will be as strong a defining
cultural force in the 21st century as it has been in the past. She
tells David Williamson why she believes BBC values are unique in a
multi-channel world SINCE devolution began, commentators have warned
that for the Assembly Government to be held to account, the electorate
must understand the sheer scale of powers which have been transferred
from Westminster to Cardiff Bay. They have complained that anyone who
only watches the main evening news programmes would have no idea that
politicians in the Senedd are now responsible for health and
education.

While the fate of Shambo the Bull received global news coverage during
the summer, many AMs complained the coalition negotiations received
scant national reporting. Menna Richards, Controller of BBC Wales,
admits she "bristles" when she hears a broadcaster refer to a policy
in England as if it will affect the entirety of the UK. She said,
"There are clearly issues around how network news reports on the
devolved nations, both Wales and Scotland. The BBC Trust has set up a
review ... So clearly there is concern within the BBC.

"I think devolution means everybody in broadcasting has to think
differently about how stories are covered. If you are dealing with a
health or education story and you are based in London you need to
think, 'Does this apply in Wales and Scotland?'"

Immediate challenges to the BBC will come in the form of 1,800
redundancies across the corporation as the broadcaster adapts to a
smaller funding settlement than it had hoped for.

And Wales will also see the loss of BBC2W when analogue television
comes to an end – a matter she puts down to a "technical decision"
about the lack of digital bandwidth.

But she insisted, "There will still be a distinctly Welsh BBC2 with a
huge amount of English-language television programmes produced by BBC
Wales for Welsh audiences."

Politicians will watch closely for any sign that English-language
programming is shrinking.

She remains stridently optimistic about the corporation's future in
Wales. A particular goal is to increase the share of UK-wide
programmes it produces.

"The success of things like Doctor Who, Torchwood, The Sarah Jane
Adventures, Tribe, Kew Gardens – all those very successful series on
BBC1 and BBC2 – I believe BBC Wales is very well placed to attract
even more network production to Wales," she said.

The presence of such productions has helped create a "reservoir of talent".

"One of the great things about Doctor Who – and this is one of the
things Russell T Davies [the show's Swansea-born writer] was very,
very committed to – was the idea of developing local talent," she
said.

"So writers, directors, behind-the-screen production staff, even
people you see on screen, are local people."

The goal now is to create distinctly Welsh dramas which will appeal
beyond local programming.

She enthused, "Something like Torchwood, which is very specifically
based in Cardiff, does a great deal to create an impression of what
Cardiff is like. One of our ambitions is to develop more and more
drama which is based in Wales.

"There are a number of series in development and we hope they'll be
commissioned."

Staff at the BBC have been sent on courses to underscore the
importance of the relationship of trust which should exist between the
broadcaster and the viewer. This is in response to the series of
scandals about faked competition-winners and phone-ins.

Ms Richards does not expect people to differentiate between BBC Wales
and the broader network when expressing shock.

She said, "The idea the BBC let people down is shared widely across
the whole UK."

The shockwaves this sent through the corporation are similar to the
trauma brought about by the Hutton Inquiry in 2004. When it ruled that
the Government had not "sexed up" a dossier about Iraq's supposed
weapons of mass destruction, director general Greg Dyke and the
chairman were forced to resign.

She said, "I think people were very nervous [and] sensitive to
criticism. I think the BBC was rocked by all of that."

But she is adamant that investigative reporting is not cowed, and
defends the poaching of ITV Wales news anchor Lucy Owen.

She said, "I think Lucy wasn't dragged kicking and screaming. I think
she voluntarily came to work for the BBC and I'm delighted she did."

The traditional BBC values of entertaining, informing and educating
are alive in the multimedia age, she insists, pointing to the success
of the reality series Coal House, which transported modern-day
families back to life in 1927.

Such programmes are proof, she argues, that people will continue to
pay the licence fee without protest.

She said, "Who else is going to do Coal House? Who else is going to do
Planet Earth?"

Keep up to date with the news. Receive our free E-Newsletters

Have your say on the latest news and sport in our Forums

 Share this article
del.icio.us Digg this Newsvine (What's this?)
News from Wales

Teenagers held over baby knife threat raid
TWO teenagers have been arrested following a robbery in which a
kitchen knife was held to a baby's throat, police said today. Read

Army chief faces sack over restaurant bill
THE most senior Army officer in Wales has been suspended following an
allegation that he had made a fraudulent expenses claim, we can reveal
today. Read

Nanny on baby murder charge bailed
Migrants a boost to Wales, not a worry
Double Nobel prize honour for Wales
More Welsh news

Sponsored Links
Ads by Google

North Wales People Search
Find anyone in North Wales, PA. Get current address, phone, & more!
www.usa-people-search.com

Six Nations Tickets
Secure online booking Competitive pricing
www.hertsboxoffice.co.uk

Site Tools
Print
Email a friend
RSS feed
Rate this story
How do you rate this story?

1 2 3 4 5 Average rating:

      Average rating: 3.0

(4 ratings)

Your rating:

1 2 3 4 5 Average rating:

          Average rating:



Related Stories
Life On Mars in academics' sights
Nov 16 2007
Well done Coal House, you kept it real
Nov 16 2007
Related Tags
bbc wales, menna richards
(What's this)
Sponsored Links
Ads by Google

moving to UK?
Safe & reliable service. Stress free move at very competitive rates
www.moving2UK.com

10 Rules of Fat Burning
Lose 9 lbs every 11 Days with these 10 Easy Rules of Diet & Fat Loss.
www.FatLoss4Idiots.com

Home North Wales
See current Real Estate listings in North Wales, PA. Search now!
homegain.com

UK 1901Census
Superior Transcripts, not just indexes, find your ancestors fast.
www.TheGenealogist.co.uk

Meet North Wales Singles
Meet singles in North Wales. We are 100% free for everything!
www.datehookup.com

Welsh Surname Apparel
Apparel combining Welsh surnames and Welsh dragon designs.
www.cafepress.com/name_game

Quick Vote
Would you consider working abroad?


 I already do

 5.5%

 Yes, I'd do anything to escape the UK

 50.9%

 Only if I could speak the language

 11.8%

 Why not, everyone else seems to be moving here

 16.4%

 No, there's too much I'd miss about the UK

 13.6%

 No, I'd worry that I wouldn't be welcome

 1.8%





Most Popular
Top RatedEmailed
Boxing: Khan demolishes Earl in Bolton
Cliff Morgan: He's the greatest
Rhondda reinvents Star Wars to Taff Wars
Scotland the star as Swans shine at home
Hain under pressure over donations
Firm fined for safety breaches
Carnage and hope in Pakistan
Patients abusing free drug policies
Welsh woman tipped for the top in Oz
Welsh Monopoly aims to get families talking
Your icWales
Get involved...
We want your local stories, videos & pics.

Send your stories
Send your pics
Send your videos


 Select a City   --- England --- Ashford Aylesbury Braintree
Basingstoke Bath Bedford Birmingham Blackburn Blackpool Bradford
Bournemouth Brighton Bristol Cambridge Canterbury Carlisle Chelmsford
Chester Chorley Colchester Derby Dover Durham Exeter Gloucester
Harrogate Horsham Ipswich Kent Hull Lancaster Leeds Leicester
Liverpool London Luton Maidstone Manchester Middlesbrough Milton
Keynes Newcastle Northampton Norwich Nottingham Oxford Plymouth
Portsmouth Preston Salisbury Scarborough Sheffield Southampton
Southend Stafford Stoke Stratford Sunderland Swindon Taunton Thanet
Tunbridge Wells Warwick York   -- Scotland -- Aberdeen Dundee
Edinburgh Glasgow   -- Wales -- Swansea Cardiff
 I need a flatshare

 I have a room




ic Wales Classifieds
jobs in Wales
cars in Wales
homes in Wales
your dream date
shopping listings for Wales
book an ad

Homes
Find your new home:

Minimum price £   20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,000
60,000 70,000 80,000 90,000 100,000 110,000 120,000 130,000 140,000
150,000 160,000 170,000 180,000 190,000 200,000 225,000 250,000
275,000 300,000 325,000 350,000 375,000 400,000 425,000 450,000
475,000 500,000 550,000 600,000 650,000 700,000 800,000 900,000
1,000,000 1,500,000 2,000,000 3,000,000

Maximum price £   20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,000
60,000 70,000 80,000 90,000 100,000 110,000 120,000 130,000 140,000
150,000 160,000 170,000 180,000 190,000 200,000 225,000 250,000
275,000 300,000 325,000 350,000 375,000 400,000 425,000 450,000
475,000 500,000 550,000 600,000 650,000 700,000 800,000 900,000
1,000,000 1,500,000 2,000,000 3,000,000

Located in



Hot jobs
Factory/Production Manager
Modplan Ltd, Crumlin, - apply now!

Policy and Advocacy Officer
Oxfam Cymru, Cardiff, £25,980 - £32,035 apply now!

Substance Misuse Development Officer
Bridgend Association of Voluntary Organisations, CF31, £22122 - £24565
per year apply now!

Children's Home Manager
Landsker Child Care, CF34, £22000 - £32000 per year apply now!

Business Development Manager
TYF, Tretio, - apply now!

Designer - Closed Die Forge & Tooling
Doncasters, Thornhill, - apply now!

International Sales Executive
GDS International, CF10, - apply now!

Site Supervisors M & E and Civil
WM Public Sector - apply now!

Customer Service Representatives
118 118, Cardiff, - apply now!

Search for more jobs


Copyright and Trade Mark Notice (c) 2007 owned by or licensed to Media
Wales Ltd. icWales™ is a trade mark of Media Wales Ltd. Please read
our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Statement before using this site.

Site sections: Wales News Business RugbyNation FootballNation Cardiff
News Blaenau Gwent News Cynon Valley News Merthyr News Neath News
Pontypridd & Llantrisant News Port Talbot News Rhondda News Rhymney
Valley News Bridgend & Maesteg News Blogs Forums Competitions Expats
Buy & Sell Shopping E-editions Magazines Photosales Dating Popular
tags Accessibility Contact Us Site Map
Our sites: jobswales.co.ukhomeswales.co.ukmotorswales.co.uk
publicjobswales.co.uk ic Wales Dating

icWales, the best source for Welsh news, sport, business and
entertainment. Powered by the Western Mail, South Wales Echo, Wales on
Sunday and Celtic Weekly Newspapers. Produced by Media Wales Ltd.


http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/wales-news/2007/12/10/the-future-is-bright-for-bbc-wales-91466-20227305/
-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to
its members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner
or sponsor of
the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who
disagree with a
message are encouraged to post a rebuttal. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)
*******************************************



More information about the Lgpolicy-list mailing list