Source · Select Committees · Welsh Affairs Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Acknowledged
Convene dedicated evidence session with Welsh broadcasting stakeholders during Media Bill Committee Stage.
Recommendation
Broadcasting holds an importance in Welsh national life that is unique among the nations of the United Kingdom. A distinctively Welsh broadcasting sector, underpinned by strong public service broadcasting, is a precious asset that must be allowed to flourish for the benefit of future generations. We welcome the Government’s Draft Media Bill with its explicit aim of supporting the sustainability of public service broadcasters, and we urge Ministers to listen to the specific concerns of the Welsh broadcasting sector as they take the Bill through the House. We would request that in its scrutiny at Committee Stage, the Bill Committee convene at least one evidence session exclusively with stakeholders from the broadcasting industry in Wales. (Paragraph 13) Public service broadcasters
Government response summary AI-generated
The government acknowledges the importance of the Media Bill and commits to continuing engagement with devolved administrations and stakeholders throughout its passage, but notes the Commons Committee Stage has already completed, thereby not committing to the specific request for a dedicated Welsh evidence session at that stage.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
The UK Government (‘the Government’) welcomes the publication of the Welsh Affairs Committee’s report into broadcasting in Wales, and is grateful to the Committee for its consideration of such an important issue. The Government recognises the incredibly valuable contribution that Wales makes to the UK’s broadcasting landscape and wider creative economy. We have a strong record of demonstrating our commitment to broadcasting in Wales to ensure that our broadcasting sector services all audiences of the UK nations and regions. In that context the Government outlines its responses to the Committee’s recommendations below. Of particular note is that, since the Committee’s report was published, the Government has introduced its Media Bill to Parliament. This will make the importance of programmes broadcast in the UK’s indigenous regional and minority languages – including the Welsh language – clear in legislation, by including it in our new public service remit for television. The Bill will make it clearer that public service broadcasters must contribute to this remit and will be accountable for the extent of their contributions. In addition, although negotiations between PSBs and TV platforms are conducted independently from the Government, we are aware that it has become increasingly difficult for our public service broadcasters to negotiate with the large global players to ensure that their services and content are carried and given appropriate prominence. That is why we intend to legislate to introduce a new online prominence framework via the Media Bill so that public service broadcasting content is made available and given protected prominence across major online TV platforms. This includes regional prominence for designated services from S4C in Wales. In doing so, our aim is to encourage healthy and effective commercial negotiations between PSBs and platforms, where both parties are able to explore mutually beneficial arrangements. These measures will help ensure that audiences are able to access culturally important minority language content for the decades to come. The Government hopes that the Committee will continue to welcome the new reforms outlined in the Bill.
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