, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with Ofcom (2)
Okay. Can I turn to Lord Grade? I'm grateful, Lord Grade, for your time this morning. You were appointed in the spring of this year, I understand, and up until your appointment, you took the Conservative whip in the House of Lords. How can I trust you to…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with Ofcom (2)
Yes, but that's the easy answer, with all due respect.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with Ofcom (2)
I'm grateful to you for that. So, do you think that Wales is currently fairly and properly represented within that broadcast ecology, or do you think that there are improvements to be made, assuming that you've made recommendations for improvements? I assume…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with Ofcom (2)
I didn't suggest that you were, with due respect. What I said was you're a regulator, and that's different, because that means that you have tools where you can intervene in the market in order to ensure that there is fair representation. You've relied on…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with Ofcom (2)
Ofcom is very good at writing reports. We're always reading reports from Ofcom. I'm interested in what you're doing as a consequence of that report and that information and that knowledge. What have you been doing? How have you intervened in the market to…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with Ofcom (2)
Sure, but you are also a regulator. So, how has your regulation and your role as a regulator increased Welsh representation in UK broadcasting? You said it was a priority for you, so I'd like to know what you've been doing and what Ofcom have been doing to…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with Ofcom (2)
Yes, but sorry, that's S4C. I find it difficult if Ofcom could claim credit for S4C producing Welsh language programmes in Wales.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with Ofcom (2)
So tell me where you think you've had your greatest achievements in terms of Welsh representation.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with Ofcom (2)
I seem to remember, at the time, you said how excited you were to be joining Ofcom, and that your priorities included 'boosting broadband speeds in rural Wales' and 'enhancing Welsh representation in UK broadcasting'. I was wondering how that had gone.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with Ofcom (2)
It's good to see you all here this morning. I think, Mrs Marks, you were appointed in 2018.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with S4C (1)
I don't want to go down the route of intervention too much; accountability is more important, and how do we ensure parliamentary accountability, and not just accountability to Government and accountability to Westminster, because there are a number of things…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with S4C (1)
It's a very interesting answer. And you as an individual have been very generous with your time, coming here over a period of years to answer our parliamentary questions, and I think we appreciate that. But we do need structures in place that deal with a…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with S4C (1)
Thank you very much.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with S4C (1)
That's why I was asking the question.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with S4C (1)
Yes.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with S4C (1)
You were. I remember.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with S4C (1)
I'm not suggesting that there is intervention in terms of the Government—that's not my question, as it happens—but we have seen a decline in the English content that's created in Wales for Wales—Welsh content on ITV and on the BBC. We have seen a terrible…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with S4C (1)
You can see that in the content. But the question I had was in terms of independence in terms of management.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with S4C (1)
I think it's important and it has worked.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with S4C (1)
I don't have criticism of that and the way that S4C has created partnership—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with S4C (1)
And the second part of the question, of course, is the independence of S4C. As you know, I used to work for S4C 20 years ago, and one of the things that people wanted to defend then was the independence of S4C and its independence as a broadcaster, and…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with S4C (1)
In real terms?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with S4C (1)
So, what do you want?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with S4C (1)
I agree with you.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Public service broadcasting in Wales: evidence session with S4C (1)
So, if you don't receive what you require, it's not sustainable.
