大象传媒

The 大象传媒鈥檚 Annual Report and Accounts for 2011/12, published today, set out the 大象传媒鈥檚 main achievements for audiences in Wales over the last year.

Programming highlights from the year included The Story of Wales presented by Huw Edwards, which was the second most popular of any 大象传媒 One programme shown in Wales in the year. This year also saw the first programmes made at the new 大象传媒 drama production facility Roath Lock in Cardiff Bay, with Casualty joining Sherlock, Merlin and Upstairs Downstairs. The 大象传媒鈥檚 longest-running soap opera, Pobol y Cwm, has had a good year since it moved production to Roath Lock, maintaining high audiences of 51,000 per episode following five years of sustained growth.

In news, more than half of all adults in Wales (1.4 million) watched at least one 大象传媒 Wales Today bulletin each week, up from 1.2 million last year. And in a National Assembly for Wales election year, 大象传媒 Radio Wales toured the country exploring the issues. Elsewhere, 大象传媒 Cymru Wales provided comprehensive coverage of the 2011 National Eisteddfod in Wrexham on Radio Cymru, S4C and online, which was greatly appreciated by audiences across Wales.

This year the 大象传媒 and S4C reached an agreement on the future funding and governance of S4C, which will be mainly funded from the licence fee from 2013. The arrangements protect the editorial and managerial independence of S4C, while ensuring accountability to the 大象传媒 Trust for the licence fee funding spent by the service.

大象传媒 Trustee for Wales Elan Closs Stephens said:

鈥淭he 大象传媒 in Wales has gone from strength to strength this year with some great programmes for audiences in Wales and across the UK, and the new facility at Roath Lock shaping up to be a production powerhouse. The new agreement reached between the 大象传媒 and S4C is also good news for Welsh-speaking audiences with more opportunities for collaboration in future.

鈥淟ooking ahead, we will continue to reflect the needs and concerns of Welsh audiences as the changes following the 大象传媒鈥檚 new strategy Delivering Quality First are implemented across the 大象传媒.鈥�

A review of 大象传媒 performance in Wales carried out by the Trust鈥檚 independent advisory body, Audience Council Wales, also published today, welcomed the opening of the new Roath Lock production facility on time and on budget, and the new S4C agreement.

The Council also set out priorities for the Trust to consider for the forthcoming year, including increasing the amount of comparative news stories highlighting policy and legal differences across the UK鈥檚 nations; and the need to safeguard and strengthen the 大象传媒鈥檚 core services aimed specifically at Wales.

The Audience Council expressed deep concern about the lack of DAB coverage for 大象传媒 Radio Wales and Radio Cymru, and concern about the impact on the 大象传媒 Wales opt-outs from 大象传媒 Two following the planned introduction of a 大象传媒 Two HD channel. However it did acknowledge the work that had gone into increasing FM coverage of 大象传媒 Radio Wales, bringing it above 80 per cent for the first time this year.

Notes to Editors

The 大象传媒鈥檚 Annual Report and Accounts for 2011/12 can be found at: www.bbc.co.uk/annualreport

The Audience Council Wales Review can be found at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/who_we_are/audience_councils/wales/annual_review.html