Assembly to quiz BBC Director-General on critical report.
The BBC’s Director General Mark Thompson will be quizzed about accusations that the BBC is ignoring Wales at the next meeting of the Assembly’s Broadcasting Committee on Monday June 16th.
Mr Thompson will give evidence to the Committee along with Janet Lewis-Jones, the BBC’s National Trustee for Wales and Sir Michael Lyons Chair of the BBC Trust, who commissioned the report, as part of its inquiry into public service broadcasting in Wales.
The report, which includes an independent assessment by Professor Anthony King of the University of Essex, found that the BBC’s news and current affairs coverage did not reflect the transformation that has taken place in Welsh politics and national life and that Wales has been largely ignored by the BBC national news since the onset of devolution.
Chair of the Committee Alun Davies said: “The issues raised in the report aren’t about Wales or Scotland or Northern Ireland, they’re about the quality and standards of journalism within the BBC and it’s a devastating critique of those standards.
“It’s possibly the most disastrous report for the BBC since Hutton and I will be very interested to hear Mr Thompson’s response, along with those of the trustees.
“The committee will certainly be looking forward to hearing how the corporation is planning to address the issues raised in the report in future. “
The Committee is undertaking an inquiry into public service broadcasting in Wales, focusing on the future of public service broadcasting in Wales in the English and Welsh languages and the impact of digital switchover and the creation of new delivery platforms,on the production and availability of programming and digital content from Wales and in Wales.
The meeting takes place in Committee Room 3, The Senedd at 12.30pm.
Further information about the committee and its inquiry can be found here: http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-committees/bus-committees-third1/bus-committees-third-bcc-home.htm