Ofcom reports on film and TV in Wales

Good rugby coverage, and the nation stays pretty happy.......

There was an interesting report in August 2019 from the regulator Ofcom, on the state of broadcasting in Wales:

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/160651/media-nations-2019-wales-report.pdf

It's all very bland -- the report is a mostly factual document, full of facts and figures relating to expenditure, output, viewing figures, trends etc -- with most data derived from 2018. One of the main points in the Ofcom Report is the clear shift away from scheduled listening and viewing to online streaming content.  This is of course part of a national trend, and one which is challenging for the industry.

Overall, Ofcom finds that the BBC, ITV Wales and S4C have performed reasonably well according to their different briefs.  But it's all about performance and delivery -- there is nothing at all about strategy or about the relationships of the broadcasters with the nation in terms of what people expect and what they deserve.  And there is nothing on the manner in which programming reflects the life and traditions of the nation, or about how Wales is portrayed to the world.  That's a pity -- nobody seems to be doing any strategic thinking......

Extract:

Local programming requirements / commitments

Both ITV and the BBC are required to produce programming for viewers in Wales.

Under the terms of its licence, which was renewed on 1 January 2015 for ten years, ITV has to deliver a minimum amount of programming which is “of particular interest” to people living in Wales. This is done through quotas for news and non-news/current affairs programmes.

These quotas require ITV to produce 4 hours of news and 1 hour 30 mins per week of regional non- news programming, of which 47 minutes must be current affairs.

The BBC, through the operating licence, which came into effect on 1 January 2018, must also fulfil regulatory conditions specific to Wales.

Among other things, this operating licence stipulates that in each Financial Year the BBC must ensure that:

in respect of BBC One Wales, that at least 275 hours are allocated to news and current affairs programmes; and at least 65 hours are allocated to non-news programmes;

in respect of BBC Two Wales, at least 175 hours are allocated to non-news programmes; and

in respect of BBC One Wales and BBC Two Wales taken together, the BBC must ensure that they provide a range of genres in their programming that reflects Wales’s culture.

Extract:

BBC to strengthen its programming and online services in Wales

New investment of £8.5m in BBC Wales, announced as part of the new Charter package for Wales, has enabled the broadcaster to strengthen its programming and online services across a range of platforms. In 2018, BBC iPlayer requests for BBC Wales’ content increased three-fold to 44 million in 2018, thanks to the success of a range of series including Keeping Faith, starring Eve Myles, andHidden. Both series, co-commissioned with S4C, were in the UK top ten of drama premieres on BBC iPlayer in 2018 and both will return with a second series to network screens.

This creative momentum also boosted the portrayal of Wales on network screens. Home-grown series such as Back in Time for the Factory, The River Wye and Hidden Wales performed strongly with UK audiences.

The development of BBC Wales’ new broadcast centre in Cardiff’s Central Square continues apace and is due to be fully operational by spring 2020. The BBC’s most open and accessible building will be open to the public and a wide range of partners in the creative sector. The building will offer a range of learning experiences, particularly to younger audiences with an aspiration to work in the creative industries.

Extract:

Welsh Assembly report on film and TV production

In May 2019 the Culture, Welsh Langage and Communications Committee published its report27 on film and major TV production in Wales and found that "there is a danger of losing momentum if we do not have sufficient skilled workers to support our growing screen industry". The culture committee said greater support would need to be given to the ‘indigenous’ film and TV industry, ensuring Welsh crews benefited from government investment.