Welsh media to come under Assembly spotlight

30 September 2011 A new inquiry by the National Assembly for Wales will examine the current state of the Welsh media sector and what can be done to help it.

A task and finish group set up by the Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee will be looking at all forms of media in Wales, from newspapers, to television, radio and online and asking what people think the future holds. The inquiry comes at a time when six Welsh towns and cities have been named potential bases for a new generation of local television stations, both ITV and BBC Wales have consistently cut local TV programming budgets and local newspapers continue to struggle. “The timing of this inquiry is significant as the media industry in Wales continues to struggle with funding and uncertainty,” said Chair of the task and finish group Ken Skates AM. “The scope of what we are looking at is deliberately broad as the research suggests there is no single solution to the challenges the sector faces.” “We would like to hear from anyone who is either involved with or has an opinion on the Welsh media - from hyperlocal to national level and across all forms. “A sustainable, creative and informed media is crucial to our society and we will be very interested to hear what people have to say.”