BBC Wales

BBC Cymru Wales

Headquarters	Llandaff, Cardiff
Broadcast area	Wales
TV Stations	BBC One Wales BBC Two Wales
Radio Stations in this area	BBC Radio Wales BBC Radio Cymru
Websites	BBC Wales (English) BBC Cymru (Welsh)

BBC Wales (Welsh: BBC Cymru) is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.^[1]

Outside London, BBC Wales is the largest BBC production centre in the United Kingdom, partly due to its slate of Welsh language programmes. The BBC Wales television channel debuted on 1 February 1964 to much fanfare (short television promotions proclaimed: "Wales gets its very own TV service in 1964!").^[2] However the BBC had been producing television programmes in Wales since the mid-1950s. The first TV production studios were established in a converted church (since demolished) in Broadway, Cardiff. The entrance was in Sapphire Street off Clifton Street. The first programmes were produced and transmitted live from in a tiny temporary studio - later to become part of the scenery-dock whilst two proper studios were created within the structure of the church. One was a medium-size drama and music studio and the other a discussion and news studio from which the daily Welsh language magazine "Heddiw" and the daily English Language news programme "BBC Wales Today" were produced from 1962 on. In this pre-videotape era film was played into programmes from a telecine machine in Bristol or London until telecine was actually installed in Broadway. Film processing for news was carried out by a firm called Park Pictures in Cardiff until BBC processing was installed in Stacey Road.

Prior to 1964 BBC Wales had had to share its television channel with the West of England as the Wenvoe transmitter near Cardiff also served viewers in the West of England. The 20 minute slot for tv news at six each evening was therefore split between "Wales Today" and the West of England news programme "Points West". The establishment of the BBC Wales dedicated channel in February 1964 (transmitted from a new mast built alongside the main transmitter mast at Wenvoe) enabled a full length "Wales Today" to be broadcast for the first time along with other Welsh and English-language programming for Wales.

Overview

BBC Cymru Wales building in Bangor, Gwynedd, North Wales.

BBC Cymru Wales produces television programming in English and Welsh both for the "opt out" sections of the BBC One and Two network feeds, and for the dedicated Welsh-language channel S4C.^[1] Perhaps its best-known Welsh-language programme is the soap opera Pobol y Cwm, which has run since 1974. BBC Wales also operates two radio stations: BBC Radio Wales in English and BBC Radio Cymru, which broadcasts in Welsh and is aimed at a younger audience. The national television news programme Wales Today is the world's longest running daily television news programme - and was confirmed as such by Director General Michael Checkland in a speech to Cardiff Business Club. The Welsh language news service Newyddion, produced by BBC Wales for S4C, combines international and UK news with the national news of Wales.

Another popular Wales-screened programme is the drama series Belonging, which as of 2009 has run for ten seasons since 1999. An English language programme, Belonging is produced in-house by the BBC Wales drama department and screened on BBC One during an "opt out" slot from the main UK network feed. As with other such "opt outs", however, it is available to viewers elsewhere in the UK via the digital satellite platform.

As well as providing these dedicated services for Wales, BBC Wales also provides programming for the BBC's UK networks. In recent years, its drama output has been particularly successful, including the 2005 revival of the classic science-fiction series Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood (2006). In addition, BBC Wales commissions other drama output for the BBC network from independent producers, such as Life on Mars (2006–07). The BBC National Orchestra of Wales was based at Broadcasting House in Cardiff, but moved to BBC Hoddinott Hall at the Wales Millennium Centre in January 2009, and performs regularly throughout Wales and internationally.

It was announced in March 2009 that the BBC will move the filming of shows such as Casualty and Crimewatch to studios in Cardiff^[3] following an announcement stating they were going to concentrate on more programmes being made in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, instead of most of them being made in London.

Programming

Produced in-house by BBC Cymru Wales

For Wales

• Wales Today (1962-present)
• Week In Week Out (1964-present)
• Pobol y Cwm (1974-present)
• Newyddion (1982-present)
• Satellite City (1996-1999)
• Belonging (1999-2009)
• The Bench (2001-2002)
• First Degree (2002)
• High Hopes (2002-present)

For the UK

• The District Nurse (1984-1987)
• Border Cafe
• He Knew He Was Right (2004)
• Doctor Who (2005-present)
• Doctor Who Confidential (2005-present)
• The Chatterley Affair (2006)
• Torchwood (2006-present)
• Torchwood Declassified (2006-present)
• Tribe (2007)
• The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007-present)
• Top Dogs (2009)

It was announced in March 2009 that the BBC will move the filming of shows such as Casualty and Crimewatch to studios in Cardiff.^[4]

Commissioned from independent producers by BBC Cymru Wales

For Wales

• Coal House (2007–2008)
• The Wright Taste (2008)
• Crash (2009-present)

For the UK

• Shakespeare: The Animated Tales (1992, 1994)
• Casanova (2005)
• The Girl in the Café (2005)
• Life on Mars (2006–2007)
• Wide Sargasso Sea (2006)
• This Life + 10 (2007)
• Ashes to Ashes (2008-present, spinoff of Life on Mars)
• Merlin (2008-present)
• Being Human (2009-present)

References

External links

BBC portal

Wales portal

• BBC Wales at BBC Online
• BBC Cymru at BBC Online

v • d • e Media in Cardiff Television and film studios BBC Wales • ITV Wales • S4C • BAFTA Cymru • Dragon International Film Studios Television series and films Doctor Who (2005–) • Torchwood • The Sarah Jane Adventures • Caerdydd • Gavin & Stacey • Human Traffic • Tiger Bay Press Western Mail • South Wales Echo • Y Dinesydd • Gair rhydd • Buzz • Metro • Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies Radio BBC Radio Wales • BBC Radio Cymru • Red Dragon FM • Gold • Real Radio • Xpress Radio • Radio Cardiff

v • d • e Economy and Industry of Cardiff Company and Organisation Headquarters 118 118 • Admiral Insurance • Clark's Pies • BBC Wales • Bell Insurance • Elephant.co.uk • ITV Wales • Lisol • Peski Records • Placid Casual • Plastic Raygun • Principality Building Society • Brains Brewery • S4C • The Barcud Derwen Group • ULTra • Veritair • WJEC • Wales Social Partners Unit • Welsh Assembly Government • Welsh National Opera Company and Organisation Major Location Legal & General • HBOS • Zurich Financial Services • ING Direct • The AA • British Gas • SWALEC • BT • British Airways Engineering Retail St. David's Centre • Queens Arcade • Capitol Centre • Arcades • Red Dragon Centre • Cardiff Bay Retail Park • Capital Retail Park • Culverhouse Cross Hospitality St David's Hotel & Spa • Copthorne • Marriot • Hilton Regeneration and Development Cardiff Bay • Cardiff International Sports Village • Cardiff International Pool • Cardiff Bay Development Corporation • St. David's 2 • Leckwith Development Tourism Wales Millennium Centre • St Fagans National History Museum • National Museum • Cardiff Castle • Senedd • Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre • Techniquest 19th and 20th Centuries Tiger Bay • Cardiff Docks • Coal Exchange • South Wales coalfield