ITV Wales cuts run too deep - Mark Williams (Preseli Pembrokeshire Liberal Democrats)

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Preseli Pembrokeshire Liberal Democrats <bobkilmister@aol.com>

ITV Wales cuts run too deep - Mark Williams

September 25, 2008 12:00 AM
Originally published by Welsh Liberal Democrats

Ceredigion's Welsh Liberal Democrat MP Mark Williams has today expressed his disappointment at Ofcom's ruling to allow ITV to slash its Welsh programming by more than half.

Under the proposal, ITV will be able to cut Welsh news from 5 hours 20 minutes weekly to 4 hours, while non-news programming will be slashed from 4 hours to just an hour and a half a week. Mr Williams is a member of the Welsh Affairs Select Committee, that has recently carried out an inquiry into public sector broadcasting. Commenting, Mark Williams said: "This decision cuts the heart out of Welsh programming on ITV, and sets a very worrying precedent for the future. "While it is obviously true that ITV has been hit by a fall in advertising revenue, that shouldn't mean that Wales suddenly becomes invisible. "With the advent of devolution, there is if anything an even greater need for Welsh public service broadcasting, and we can't be left with a situation that leaves the BBC and S4C as the only options. "Plurality is needed in Welsh broadcasting and this decision pulls the rug from underneath Welsh viewers."

ENDS