On the BBC's 100th year in Wales
, 13 February 2023
‘What a vista of possibilities is opened up in this wonderful discovery … Surely it marks the dawn of a new era – with what results, who can tell?’
With these words, the Lord Mayor of Cardiff, Alderman Dr J. J. E. Biggs, opened the Cardiff Station of the British Broadcasting Company at 5.00pm on 13 February 1923. Three months after the BBC began broadcasting from its London station with the call sign 2LO, Wales had its own station – 5WA – which brought a diet of music, talks, and religious services to listeners in Cardiff, the south Wales valleys, and over the Bristol Channel in parts of the west of England.
Humble beginnings
From humble beginnings in a small studio above a cinema in Castle Street, the BBC in Wales grew to play a major part in the life of the nation. Despite being placed in the so-called ‘West Region’ in the BBC’s Regional Scheme in 1930s, pressure from institutions, groups and concerned individuals from across Wales resulted in the establishment of the Welsh Region in 1937, giving the nation a clear sense of identity. Indeed, the historian, John Davies, once argued that Wales was an entity created by broadcasting.
The advent of television and the opening of the Wenvoe transmitter in August 1952 heralded a new era in the history of the BBC in Wales. However, as transmitters did not respect national boundaries, Wales was once again ‘tied’ to the west of England, which led to complaints on both sides of the channel. The decision to create a BBC Cymru Wales service in February 1964 was a step to resolve the issue. The BBC was required to produce 7 hours of Welsh-language and 5 hours of English-language programming for Wales. Further public pressure and an increased understanding of the needs of Wales on the part of the BBC’s management in London led to the establishment of national radio stations Radio Cymru and Radio Wales in the late 1970s. The establishment of S4C in 1982 changed the broadcasting landscape of Wales and the BBC continues to play a major part in the success of the channel.
The future
And what of the future for the BBC in Wales? Well, radio is holding its ground well in the multi-platform age. Wales had the greatest proportion of radio listeners than any other nation in the UK and loyalty to BBC stations is clear. Television, which came to Wales just over 70 years ago, faces challenges from streaming services but continues to inform, educate and entertain. There are threats from a UK government which questions the whole raison d’etre of public service broadcasting and the licence fee has been called into question (although that particular debate appears to have been put on the back burner … for now).
Whatever your views on the BBC, there is no doubting the central role has played in Welsh life for a century. Happy Birthday BBC Cymru Wales – and here’s to the next hundred years!
Professor of Media and Communication
The BBC 100 in Wales exhibition continues at National Museum Cardiff until 16 April 2023.
