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Welsh media review urges change Consortium picked to run ITV news
(29 minutes later)
A review of the Welsh media has proposed changes to "get better value" for £300m of public money. A north Wales newspaper group and Northern Ireland TV company is the preferred bidder to provide news for ITV Wales.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) chose Wales Live, a consortium run by UTV and NWN Media.
Wales Live said it aimed to bring a "fresh and authoritative" service with the existing ITV Wales news team.
Meanwhile, a review of the Welsh media has proposed changes to "get better value" for £300m of public money.
The creative industries report investigated how public funds could generate jobs and wealth from media.The creative industries report investigated how public funds could generate jobs and wealth from media.
It recommends the establishment of a Digital Wales Board and Creative Industries Fund.It recommends the establishment of a Digital Wales Board and Creative Industries Fund.
The report's publication coincides with news that the UTV/NWN media consortium has won the contract to provide ITV Wales' news service. Wales Live will reflect fully the needs of a devolved nation in conjunction with local and community media across both north and south Wales David Faulkner, managing director of NWN Media
The creative industries review was commissioned by the assembly government and carried out by Professor Ian Hargreaves, a former director of BBC news and current affairs. The report's publication coincided with news that the UTV/NWN media consortium has been chosen as the preferred bidders for the £12m contract provide ITV Wales' news service.
His report's recommendations include the establishment of a digital Wales board and a creative industries board, both to be led by an experienced individual from outside government. Two-year pilots to run regional news in Wales, Scotland and the Tyne Tees/Border region, were adopted by the UK government after ITV raised concerns that local news had become too expensive for them to produce.
My review suggests a number of ways in which Wales can get better value for the large sums of public money currently being spent Prof Ian Hargreaves As well as running the ITV channel in Northern Ireland, Belfast-based UTV also have radio stations including Talk Sport, while NWN has newspapers including the Leader in Wrexham, Flintshire and Chester and weekly papers in Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire.
It also calls for the creation of a new creative industries fund to replace the assembly government's current creative IP fund.
Other proposals include a serious overhaul of business support services to creative industries.
Professor Hargreaves also stressed the importance of further developments around the new BBC drama village in Cardiff Bay, particularly the corporation's own plans to consider developing a new media city to replace the existing studios in Llandaff.
Assembly government ministers say they've already begun work to implement some of the recommendations.
Prof Hargreaves said: "Five years ago Wales was right to focus on growing the creative sector, but not all of the interventions have been as effective as they should have been.
"My review suggests a number of ways in which Wales can get better value for the large sums of public money currently being spent.
"Handled in the right way, this is a very promising sector for quality jobs and economic growth."
The launch of the creative industries review.
Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said the assembly government wanted to ensure the creative industries sector is in the strongest possible position for long term growth.
He said: "We need to ensure that our approach meets the needs of the sector... we were concerned, and parts of the sector were telling us, that what we were delivering was not meeting our aspirations.
"We also believed that more could be done to create the right environment to allow the Welsh creative industries to reach its full potential...
"Our aim is a vibrant, thriving creative industry, from TV, film, online to music."
Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones said there is an urgent need to "improve the coherence" of assembly government support so the Welsh media industry can maximise opportunities.
ITV news pilot
The report coincides with news that the contract to provide a pilot news service for ITV Wales has been won by the 'Wales Live' consortium, comprising Belfast based media company UTV and Welsh newspaper publishers NWN Media.
The 'Independently Funded News Consortia" (IFNC) approach to ITV regional news, piloted for two years in Wales, Scotland and the Tyne Tees/Border region, was adopted by the UK government after ITV raised concerns that local news had become too expensive for them to produce.
The UTV/NWN media consortium was awarded the £12m Welsh contract by the UK government's department for culture, media and sport (DCMS).
Chair of the independent selection panel Richard Hooper said: "We were attracted to UTV's very strong philosophy of hard news."Chair of the independent selection panel Richard Hooper said: "We were attracted to UTV's very strong philosophy of hard news."
Mr Hooper added that judges also liked the consortium's emphasis on community websites and the importance placed on newspapers, "so that the North of Wales is not forgotten". Mr Hooper added that judges also liked the consortium's emphasis on community websites and the importance placed on newspapers, "so that the north of Wales is not forgotten".
UTV Television's Managing Director Michael Wilson said: "With our partners NWN Media, we look forward to delivering a fresh and authoritative news service to the whole of Wales across TV, online and radio with the current ITV Wales news team." Michael Wilson, managing director, UTV Television said Wales Live aimed to deliver a "fresh and authoritative news service to the whole of Wales across TV, online and radio with the current ITV Wales news team".
David Faulkner, managing director of NWN Media said it would "reflect fully the needs of a devolved nation in conjunction with local and community media across both north and south Wales."
Welsh Secretary Peter Hain welcomed the DCMS decision, saying Welsh viewers "need a choice" of TV news providers.Welsh Secretary Peter Hain welcomed the DCMS decision, saying Welsh viewers "need a choice" of TV news providers.
The UK government say around 60 existing ITV staff will transfer to Wales Live which will use existing facilities in Cardiff as well as creating a new North Wales news hub at Mold. The UK government has stated around 60 existing ITV staff will transfer to Wales Live which will use existing facilities in Cardiff as well as creating a new North Wales news hub at Mold.
North Wales News and Swansea Sound news staff will also supplement news coverage.North Wales News and Swansea Sound news staff will also supplement news coverage.
Disappointment was expressed by rival bidders Tinopolis and Taliesin news, which includes the existing ITV Wales news team. Disappointment was expressed by rival bidders Tinopolis and Taliesin News, which includes the existing ITV Wales news team.
Tinopolis Executive Chairman Ron Jones said: "This was a chance to drag Wales' news into the 21st Century and radically change the news provision in Wales for the better." Tinopolis executive chairman Ron Jones said: "This was a chance to drag Wales' news into the 21st Century and radically change the news provision in Wales for the better."
Serious overhaul
Meanwhile, a creative industries review was published.
Commissioned by the assembly government, it was carried out by Professor Ian Hargreaves, a former director of BBC news and current affairs.
His report's recommendations include the establishment of a digital Wales board and a creative industries board, both to be led by an experienced individual from outside government.
It also calls for the creation of a new creative industries fund to replace the assembly government's current creative IP fund.
A review of Welsh media says "better value" could be had for £300m of public money.
Other proposals include a serious overhaul of business support services to creative industries.
Prof Hargreaves also stressed the importance of further developments around the new BBC drama village in Cardiff Bay, particularly the corporation's own plans to consider developing a new media city to replace the existing studios in Llandaff.
Assembly government ministers say they have already begun work to implement some of the recommendations.
Prof Hargreaves said his review suggested ways Wales can get "better value" for the large sums of public money currently being spent.
"Handled in the right way, this is a very promising sector for quality jobs and economic growth," he said.
Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones said there was an urgent need to "improve the coherence" of assembly government support so the Welsh media industry can maximise opportunities.