, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
But it has enormous value.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
But the Media Bill will put you on smart tvs as well.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
Well, you're making money out of me. I enjoy the programming that you make and particularly some of the dramas that you make network-wide. I think they're excellent. And Phil's work here in Wales is first class. I want to see more of it, if I'm quite honest…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
Excellent.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
And it was great to see Tredegar band in the BBC Proms.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
Oh, I know, I know.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
I agree with that.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
No. I agree.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
I agree with that.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
The BBC is a participant as well as a recipient of these debates, and I think it’s important that the BBC—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
And nobody's come up with an alternative. But there are two things I'd like to ask you on the licence fee. First of all, I would support a considerable uplift in the licence fee to deliver on the public service remit that you have. But I'm also aware that…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
—and that this is the last round of the licence fee.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
Yes. Can I take us back to the licence fee? I'm a strong supporter of the licence fee. I think for the whole of my life somebody's been making a speech saying it's not sustainable—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
I don't think any of us have got any issue with any of that. I'm probably one of the few people who does watch BBC Alba every so often, and it's a great service for what it is. I accept the differences between the two countries and I don't think you can be…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
Okay. But on the proportionality, we're talking about the same ballpark. And I think that's really important, the point that Llyr's raised there, and really fundamental. Because I accept the point that you make—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
I just want to focus in on answering Llyr's question, because I agree it's important. Is the £72 million versus £36 million a correct figure on English language content?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
That's Welsh language content, isn't it? We're talking about English language content here.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
But the numbers that Llyr quoted are correct.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
I'd like to push you a little further, if I could, on that, because you're absolutely right. No decision is settled and we can always revisit things, and we can always learn and learn from each other in different ways. I'd be interested if, for example, the…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
I accept that.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
Which is insufficient in itself.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
Yes, I get that.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
Yes.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
That's fair. There was a really interesting conversation that took place about five or six years ago with Tony Hall, who I thought was a first-class director general, and we had a really interesting conversation about different routes, if you like. And in…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with BBC
Okay, that's fair.
