Select committee: Welsh Affairs Committee
Recommendation 10
Fifth Report - Broadcasting in Wales
Published 27 Oct 2023
Paragraph 71
Addressed to Wales Office
Welsh Affairs Committee Broadcasting in Wales All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The broadcasting of sporting events is a matter of considerable public interest. It brings people together for a shared experience, providing a source of pride. The Broadcasting in Wales 43 danger of sports coverage going behind a paywall is that any additional short- term injection of money does not reach the grassroots and is offset in the longer term by reduced awareness of and participation in the sport. Therefore, live sports broadcasting should strive to reach the widest possible audience, which is best achieved through free-to-air coverage. This is especially so for Welsh rugby union, which needs to rediscover its soul and aim to reach the maximum number of people in Wales. We believe that maintaining a listed events system is in the public interest as it ensures that free-to-air broadcasters are able to ensure that all licence fee payers have access to nationally important sporting events. However, we do not believe that the listed events regime currently accurately reflects the importance placed by supporters on certain competitions. We recommend that the Government adds the Six Nations to Group A of the Listed Sporting Events, to ensure its status on terrestrial TV.
From: Welsh Affairs Committee, Fifth Report - Broadcasting in Wales (HC 620), paragraph 71, 27 October 2023
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 22 January 2024 (deadline 11 January 2024).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government welcomes the report and points to its Media Bill, while declining several recommendations, including a full review of the listed events list and a formal review of the Apprenticeship Levy.
- On the BBC and S4C partnership, it says it "would not be appropriate for the Government to oversee individual partnerships", but "agrees" they should maintain one suited to the evolving landscape. Through the Media Bill it is legislating so that fewer than 10 hours may be agreed, and if no agreement is reached "the current requirement of 10 hours will continue".
- On listed sporting events, it states it has "no plans to undertake a full review of the list" and does not think it "appropriate for Ofcom to have the ability to amend the list of events".
- On community radio funding, it says any increase to the base level of the Fund "will need to be considered in the context of wider economic conditions at the next Spending Review". It considers that retaining a focus on long-term sustainability "remains appropriate" for how the Fund is spent.
- On the licence fee, the government is "launching a review of the licence fee funding model", led by DCMS, which "will also consider the funding arrangements of Welsh and other Minority Language Broadcasting provided by the BBC".