BBC Radio Wales is one of the most successful ‘local’ radio networks in the UK, with an adult weekly reach 500,000 adults and a record12% share at an annual cost of £10.4 million (£1.510 per hour). Commercial radio also flourishes, with Real Radio achieving a weekly reach of 388,000, Red Dragon & Capital Gold (Cardiff and Newport) reaching 369,000, MFM (Marcher Sound) 94,000. Other commercial stations include Coast (North Wales coast), Champion (Caernarfon), The Wave, Swansea Sound, Valleys Radio, Swansea Bay Radio, Radio Pembrokeshire, Radio Carmarthenshire/Scarlet and Bridge FM.
Moreover there is extensive Welsh language radio with BBC Radio Cymru enjoying a weekly reach of 6.9%, 168,000 (marginally down on the previous year). There is Welsh language programming on Radio Ceredigion (FM), Champion FM, Radio Carmarthenshire (FM), Radio Pembrokeshire, Radio Maldwyn, Coast FM and Swansea Sound.
However, notwithstanding the award of the XFM licence earlier this year, Wales has less choice in commercial radio than the rest of the UK and DAB still only covers some 67% of the population. Moreover BBC Wales can feel a very distant radio station to many Welsh areas.
Against that background, the development of eight community radio FM licences so far in Wales (including in Rhondda Cynon Taff) is entirely to be welcomed – although it will not be until there is a comprehensive structure of Welsh community radio stations that there will be a strong enough rationale for a community radio news gathering service. The Welsh Assembly Government announced a £500,000 community radio fund over five years and some monies have been available under European Union Structural funds. These figures should be at least doubled and supplemented by the DCMS.
Ofcom should also look to ensuring the cost of community licences is much reduced so that the one-off experiments that have so far been started – and have proved very successful – can be augmented into a Wales-wide comprehensive community radio structure.
I listen to Radio Wales all the time. Chris Needs is my favourite. Good article in Western Mail about him today
Andrew Jones, Cardiff 2007-10-30 09:33:46
As the person who established Wales's first community radio station - GTFM in Pontypridd - I fully agree with Chris's comments. Community radio must be developed here in Wales and the creation of the Community Radio Fund by the Welsh Assembly Government in November 2006 shows that the sector is being taken seriously. This is very much down to the fact community radio stations are seen as well placed to deliver important messages at grass roots level as well as truly local news, views and opinions. For their part the stations themselves must understand the importance of delivering this in an entertaining, informative and professional way. After all any radio station - big and small - needs an audience to survive!
, 2007-11-01 13:52:46
Radio Pembrokeshire no longer broadcasts any Welsh language programming.
Joe Davies, Ebbw Vale 2007-11-13 19:37:02
After listening to the "Archive Hour" programme on Radio 4 last Sunday evening entitled "40 Years of BBC Local Radio", it brought home to me how badly served we are in Wales by the BBC. Nearly every English County has a BBC local radio station that can discuss everything from local politics to the local charity event. This is very important in a democracy that grants access to the political decision making process at grass roots level. This is provided adequately in England and it works. How different it is here in Wales, try discussing your local council on Radio Wales or get a story aired about your latest charity or fund raising event - you'll be better off trying to get on Radio 2 than Radio Wales! Sadly that is the state of democracy in Wales and for the same BBC tax (commonly referred to as licence fee) we get only get Radio Wales which discusses nothing of local politics and the issues that face the population of Wales on a day to day basis. It produces a daily phone-in programme which has to be so general in its content to cover the whole of Wales that it never discusses anything of importance, only controversial issues, (or rugby!) and when it comes to politics for understandable reasons they never get below the Assembly Level. This is a travesty in this day and age, even the award of a second regional licence by OFCOM has rubbed more salt in the wounds. There was a hope that an all Wales talk radio station would be granted the licence and they did put together an excellent proposal - unfortunately we will now have to put up with more pop and pap from XFM which provides nothing original that can't be accessed on multiple other mediums both digital and analogue. Personally I couldn't care less how many transmitters it takes to cover Wales or how much it costs, we are part of the UK and fund the BBC so we should be provided for. There is little commercial opposition in Wales so BBC local radio should be very popular option its a pity the BBC are so short sighted that they can't see it.
Andrew Jones, Cardiff 2007-12-12 17:14:23
Just responding to the point made by Joe Davies.For all the reasons you put forward that is exactly why we all need to ensure that a strong and sustainable community radio sector develops here in Wales
