As 'Made in North Wales TV' launches today, language campaigners have called for broadcasting to be devolved in order to secure more Welsh language programmes on local television.
Only 30 minutes of Welsh language programmes – out of 99 hours of weekly broadcasting – will be on the new channel which goes live on air from its headquarters in Liverpool today.
Heledd Gwyndaf, Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, commented:
"Simply speaking, [the broadcasting regulator] Ofcom should be abolished, and a Welsh regulator established instead which is tasked with promoting the Welsh language. The obvious and foreseeable problems with Made in North Wales TV, which is broadcast in Liverpool and not locally, are part of a pattern of behaviour by Ofcom. As a body it favours the needs of big business rather than the local community and the Welsh language. It's similar to what we have seen on local commercial radio services. It's a completely unacceptable."
"From the lack of Welsh language presence on commercial radio, local TV and the serious cuts to S4C to the lack of content about Wales in the media, it's clear that London is not managing the media for the benefit of the people of Wales. Decisions about the media in Wales should be made by the people of Wales. It's time to devolve broadcasting. It's also clear that Wales suffers from a democratic deficit, because British broadcasters confuse people by reporting on stories which affect England only. These democratic problems will intensify if Ofcom allows local television for Wales to be produced in England.