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Record year for Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales - "powerhouse of exceptional output"
A year of "evolution", "commitment", "new collaborations" and "engagement with
audiences" has put Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales in the strongest position ever in its 83-year
history according to figures released today.
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The Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales Annual Review 2005-06 - which presents a summary of the
Broadcasting Council for Wales's assessment of Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales's performance for the
year - shows that spending on Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales programmes has increased to record
levels.
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Money invested in programmes made by Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales for the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ's UK networks leapt
to more than £50m in 2005-06, having tripled in just two years.
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Professor Merfyn Jones, Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ National Governor for Wales, says: "During the year Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales enhanced its reputation as a powerhouse of
exceptional output for the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ networks.
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"This considerable achievement has
changed perceptions of Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales's capacity to contribute even more in coming
years, especially in the context of the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ's intention to develop more
production outside London.
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"It also builds the media industries and thus enhances the creative potential of
Wales - a very substantial contribution to the economy of Wales."
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The Broadcasting Council for Wales singles out Doctor Who - which is made in
Wales by Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales - saying that its "combination of heritage and
sophistication, together with the positive effect on family viewing, had been a
huge achievement for Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales".
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It also noted the success of the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales network productions Tribe, The Girl in the Café, Life on Mars, Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Cardiff Singer of the World, A Year at Kew and the
Emmy award-winning Broadway: The American Musical.
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Other significant successes highlighted in the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales Annual Review include:
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 Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales television programmes made for audiences in Wales again out-performed
the network programmes they replaced on Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ ONE Wales and Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ TWO Wales. Wales
Today continued to have more than double the audience of ITV 1 Wales News;
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Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales Welsh language television programmes continued to be the most-watched
on S4C;
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The number of people listening to the Welsh language service Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Radio Cymru rose for the second year running. The number of younger listeners to Radio
Cymru has risen by 50 per cent over the last decade. The most recently
published figures showed that more people were listening to the English language
service Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Radio Wales than at any time in the last two years;
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The Broadcasting Council for Wales commend the Here For You community strategy
for "enriching output across Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales's services, discovering new talent and
voices, forging new collaborations with external partners and engaging and
involving young people";
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Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales's online services in English and Welsh attracted a record average of
more than 800,000 unique users each week.
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Menna Richards, Controller, Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales, welcomed the Annual Review saying: "What the last year has shown is that a combination of energy and talent and, in
particular, a willingness to look outward, can seize any number of opportunities
to reveal to the rest of the UK the creative ability that flourishes here in
Wales.
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"With record investment in programmes, record numbers visiting our online
services, radio audiences growing and the success of the Here For You community
strategy in creating a more open Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ that reflects communities across the whole
of Wales, Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales can claim to be in the strongest position in its proud
history.
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"It's the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ thing. It's the way in which a huge broadcasting organisation can
be flexible enough to provide room for a process of cross-fertilisation that
puts more programmes made by Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales on the networks.
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"And, perhaps most important of all, in our various services on television,
radio and online in Welsh and English we play the single biggest role in
reflecting Wales to itself - not just on our own services but also in a
substantial contribution to the continuing success of S4C, with whom we are in
the process of finalising a new strategic partnership in the best interests of
Welsh language audiences."
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Notes to Editors
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The full Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales Annual Review 2005-06 is available online at bbc.co.uk/wales.
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The Broadcasting Council for Wales (BCW) reviews Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales programmes and
services on an ongoing basis and presents an annual report to the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Board of
Governors based on feedback from licence fee payers in Wales, audience research
and detailed discussions with the Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Cymru Wales Board of Management.
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The BCW
also recommends objectives for Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales.
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The BCW is chaired by the National
Governor for Wales, who sits on the Board of Governors.
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The BCW meets monthly
and has up to 12 members. These are selected by the Governors following an
open recruitment process.
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Members are non-executive and part time, and are
chosen to reflect a wide range of experience and interests.
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Ä¢¹½¶ÌÊÓƵ Wales Press Office
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