Media 22
Task and Finish Group on the future outlook for the media in Wales
Response from Euryn Ogwen Williams
Three fundamental realities:
1. The digital world is not a development or supplement to the
analogue world.
2. Technology is only the catalyst for change. People make
the changes when they adopt the technology.
3. A devolved Wales is directly affected, both culturally and
economically, by the digital revolution.
The current change to people's ways of communicating is fundamental and is gathering pace.
Essentially, it is as much a philosophical challenge it is
political and technological. It raises issues of privacy, and
individual rights as well as economic issues.
Institutions isolate themselves from the change by concentrating on
protecting their status or economic power. Few analogue
institutions will survive in the digital world.
In the analogue world there were readers, listeners and viewers.
In the digital world it's about participation and everyone is
a stakeholder.
Devolution demands that the National Assembly engages fully in the
digital change and takes responsibility.
Media culture must be both innovative and responsive. The
mature independent production sector in Wales is a good base on
which to build to meet the challenge. Investment in digital
companies needs to be bold.
There are three elements in the digital chain
1. Content. Based on the creativity and effectiveness of the
production system.
2. Distribution. What broadcasters and publishers have
traditionally done and now includes all platforms, since consumers
and citizens control the use of content.
3. Carriage. Universal broadband and wireless access in towns
and cities are essential elements of digital communication.
The Welsh government needs to oversee this.
Funding S4C: It is perfectly reasonable to fund S4C from the
proceeds of the licence fee. It was funded by the IBA from
Net Advertising Revenue of ITV for the first ten years with the
Secretary of State as arbitrator in any dispute. There were none.
The principle is that the funding source does not impinge on
creative freedom and editorial control.
Public service radio and television have been at the centre of
Wales’ identity, social cohesion and creative ambition for
over 50 years. New legislation should define the role of the
National Assembly in overseeing its development in the future in
both languages.
The digital world is personal, local and global at the same time
and an economic force. Government engagement should be about
encouraging and developing creativity and not control.