Ok, it’s a niche market but the decision to axe live Assembly coverage on S4C2 is a retrograde step.
As well as inevitably leading to redundancies in the BBC’s Political Unit in Cardiff Bay, the move compounds the trend of reducing the amount of coverage of the changing policy agenda in Wales at a time when politicians are contemplating holding a referendum.
It may not be mourned in the pubs of Wales, but it is part of a piece – and it is not a pretty piece.
daran 5:59 am on 18 July, 2009 Permalink
A strong point succinctly put. The lack of attention this change has received is of some concern
Angela el 2:20 pm on 18 July, 2009 Permalink
That is retrograde ,what happened to openness and a new inclusive government
What are they scared of ? Who decided that ?May be it should be shown in the pubs , it may just wake the latent political discourse that was to be found in places like the Lamb in Merthyr at one time
Is this a case for citizen media to take over
MH 10:49 pm on 18 July, 2009 Permalink
In some ways I am disappointed too, for exactly the same reason that Angela gives. There was something good about being able to see exactly what was happening in the Senedd at any time, it made it immediate and transparent.
Yet that said, I have tended to watch what happens on Senedd.tv … and that is going to continue. It’s a bit of a small picture, but it’s fine. But there’s a generation for whom the internet is an alien concept, and broadband coverage in Wales is still patchy.
As I understand things from Vaughan Roderick’s blog, the BBC is going to launch a replacement internet service called Democracy Live in the Autumn. I don’t know if that will just be a clever way of disguising cuts, or whether it will be a breakthough in terns of “on demand” viewing on a new, but every bit as useful, platform. We’ll have to wait and see.
David Jones 8:33 pm on 20 July, 2009 Permalink
Does anyone know how much money this will save the BBC ?
It seems curious that this type of simple relaying service should actually cost any jobs.
This fortnight I have mostly been reading…. – Freedom Central 9:10 pm on 20 July, 2009 Permalink
[...] will no longer be showing the Assembly proceedings live. According to the Bevan Foundation this may not be mourned in the pubs in Wales, but is ‘a retrograde step’. With ITV cutting back [...]