Category: ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½; Wales
Date: 11.10.2005
Printable version
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Wales Controller Menna Richards says that Wales would be one of the principal beneficiaries of a rise in the TV licence fee, with the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ proposing increased investment in Wales.
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Commenting on the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s case for an increase based on RPI plus 2.3 per cent a year from 2007, Menna Richards said the additional money would support ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Wales's promises to enhance its services across the board.
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She said ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Wales would be able to:
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Strengthen its core services on ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Wales television, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio Wales and ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio Cymru and ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Wales online;
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Increase the opportunities for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Wales to make programmes for the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s television and radio networks;
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Create local television services in both languages in Wales;
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Reinforce the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s commitment to Welsh language services;
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Extend the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Wales community strategy, through its community studios, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ buses and 'Here for You' - special seasons of broadcasting and events from local communities all over Wales;
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Create more opportunities for user-generated content such as the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Wales Digital Storytelling project that enables viewers to make their own mini television programmes.
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"These licence fee proposals would enable the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ to deliver significant investment into Wales, providing many opportunities for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Wales to be an even more important part of audiences' lives, both in Wales and on the networks," said Menna Richards.
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An increased licence fee would also enable the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ to meet its proportion of the costs of making digital terrestrial television (Freeview) available throughout Wales by the end of 2009, and of launching a non-subscription digital satellite service (Freesat), making Wales one of the first regions in the UK to complete the switchover from analogue to digital.
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Professor Merfyn Jones, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ National Governor for Wales, added that the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s proposals have been subjected to detailed scrutiny:
"The Governors have changed the way we work, to ensure that ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ management is more accountable to those who pay the licence fee.
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"The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ listens more carefully now than it has ever done to what people say about its services, and audiences in Wales will have a stronger voice than ever under the new ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Charter.
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"I believe the case that the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ has set out will open up a host of opportunities for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Wales - and will enable us to respond to our audiences across Wales in a way that is both cost-effective and relevant and responsive to their needs."
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