NOTE OF A MEETING BETWEEN THE SECRETARY OF LADY PLOWDEN (CHAIRMAN, INDEPENDENT BROADCASTING AUTHORITY) HELD AT GWYDYR HOUSE ON MONDAY 30 JULY 1979
Present:
Secretary of State 1 OFFICIAL PRESENT
Lady Plowden Sir Bryan Young (Director General) Mr Tony Pragnell (Deputy Director General)
1The Secretary of State said that the question of Welsh Language television and the Fourth Channel was a major political issue in the Principality. English speakers were just as concerned as Welsh speakers about it since the arrangements made would clearly influence both their viewing patterns. Over recent years a consensus had emerged which favoured Welsh language broadcasting being concentrated on the Fourth Channel. The Government were firmly committed to such an arrangement. The Election Manifesto, the Queen's Speech and his own subsequent speech to the Conservative Party Conference in Wales had endorsed this approach. While therefore it was by no means out of the question to move away from that solution, it was absolutely essential to do so on a basis which preserved as far as possible the consensus and provided a real answer to those who would allege that a change represented a shift away from support for the language in broadcasting.
2Once the new Channel was operating there was clearly a likelihood that some people's opinions would change. No-one questioned for a moment that increased Welsh language broadcasting would deprive people in Wales of programmes available in England. The objective, however, should be to ensure that people knew exactly where and when they could find (and avoid) Welsh programmes. Unless this was done the very significant problem of people in Wales turning their aerials to English stations would continue. Welsh broadcasting had to be removed from the main channels in his view, but he suspected that if people discovered that it remained on two rather than one channel there would be resentment.
3He had three personal targets:
- 1That the timescale for introducing the new programmes should be the same as that to which the previous Government had been committed;
- 2that there should be the same amount of broadcasting as they had aimed for;
- 3that the broadcasting should go out at peak hours.
