Cylchgronau Cymru

Chwiliwch trwy dros 450 o deitlau a 1.2 miliwn o dudalennau

Letter of the month SIR: The present state of broadcasting and television in Wales is a matter of concern for all Welshmen. In the early thirties southern Wales and the West of England formed one region for broadcasting purposes, with the result that neither Wales nor the West of England was satisfied with the broadcasting service given. From year to year, all complaints were met by the BBC with official statements that 'technical difficulties' prevented any other form of grouping. In 1934 the University of Wales set up a Committee to 'be the only recog- nised channel for Welsh opinion' in broadcasting matters. In 1935, as a result of representations by this Com- mittee, Wales was given a regional Welsh broadcasting station, and the 'technical difficulties 'disappeared. When television came to Wales, both the BBC and it v repeated the mistakes of the early days of broad- casting. The main B B C mast at Wen- voe serves southern Wales & the West of England. The Pontcanna studios of the T w w serve 'South Wales and the West'. Northern Wales in part receives the Granada television ser- vice from Manchester. Despite claims by both bbc and itv that they serve the whole of Wales, large tracts of the country have no effective tele- vision service of any kind. TELEVISION IN WALES But even if the whole of Wales were effectively served, what have the two television bodies to offer? The bbc present a programme in Welsh for about forty minutes at 1.0 pm on Sunday, and fifteen minutes of news in Welsh generally at 1.15 on weekdays, with five minutes of news in English at 6.15 pm (often a re-showing of the 1.15 films). In the matter of sport, despite the fact that it is the British Broadcast- ing Corporation, most of the time is allotted to England. In addition, plays are occasionally produced from the Welsh studios, but often with no significance for Wales. No pro- gramme in the Welsh language is televised after 2.0 pm on any day. In short, the BBC programmes in Welsh are televised at the most inconvenient times possible for the majority of viewers, and with little regard for the wishes of the people of Wales. The Independent Television com- panies (Granada and T w w) began by confining their Welsh programmes to the period between 4.20 pm and 5.0 pm-a time when only house- wives, as a general rule, could be expected to see them. Granada began with three programmes a week; now they have none. tww began with two programmes a week but at the present time they, too, have