BBC 'only news provider' by 2010

There are worries there will be no alternatives to BBC Wales

A group of MPs has warned that English-language news viewers in Wales could have no choice of broadcaster by 2010.

The Welsh Affairs Select Committee said ITV's "bleak financial outlook" meant the BBC would be the only news provider within a year.

It has called for UK government funding for a second high quality English-language news service.

Ofcom director in Wales Rhodri Williams said having only one news provider was akin to former "East European regimes".

The committee said it was concerned that the lack of an alternative voice to BBC Wales was leading to an "information gap".

It is a matter of some concern that English-speaking Welsh children are neglected by English-language broadcasters other than the BBC Dr Hywel Francis MP

It said ITV Wales would produce just four hours of national news a week in 2009, and the BBC would "likely be the only provider of news programmes for English speakers in Wales by next year".

Committee Chairman Dr Hywel Francis MP said the future was "bleak" unless urgent action was taken.

He added: "It is not only news provision which is facing an uncertain future; where is the variety of music, drama and comedy programmes for the home audience?

"And it is a matter of some concern that English-speaking Welsh children are neglected by English-language broadcasters other than the BBC.

"Whilst we are encouraged that the government's Digital Britain report addresses the broader issues of lack of plurality in national and regional news services, immediate action is required to tackle the specific needs of the English-speaking audience in Wales."

'Dictatorships'

The report also claimed that the lack of plurality has already led to a poor standard of political coverage in Wales, and the situation could worsen.

It said: "We believe that much of the coverage of political debate in Wales by both ITV Wales and BBC is of relatively poor quality."

The report was compiled following a short inquiry which involved one oral evidence session and nine written submissions.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales, Mr Williams said the matter was an "urgent issue".

He said: "It's important that people who care about plurality in news and in general programming in Wales respond positively."

'Democratic society'

"Having only one provider of news is something people would associate with previous Eastern European regimes or other dictatorships in far flung corners of the world.

"Having a variety of sources of news, as this report makes very clear, is a clear component of democratic society - that you can have different takes on something.

"It's as if, in terms of Fleet Street newspapers, you only had The Times or you only had The Guardian. I don't think that anybody would think that that's a good thing."

A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport: "Our Digital Britain report this summer included proposals for new independently-funded news consortia which will be piloted in Wales.

"This will ensure that Wales has an alternative news service to that provided by the BBC, a clear indication that concerns about a variety of providers of news in Wales are already being addressed by the UK government."