Wales must have a fair BBC deal as cuts threaten to undermine Welsh culture, warns First Minister of Wales.

BBC Cymru Wales must have extra funding, First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, said today as he warned the broadcaster is now providing the “minimum acceptable level of provision” for English-language programming.

In a letter to Lord Tony Hall, Director General at the BBC, the First Minister highlighted the growing gulf in funding between Wales and other parts of the UK, adding that an additional £30m is needed to ensure programming that truly reflects the lives of people in Wales.

The First Minister said:

“Welsh audiences risk being dealt the worst deal of any nation in the UK, unless the BBC commits extra funding to Wales. That is the bottom line here, and I don’t think it is right that Wales should be done down in this way.

“BBC Wales is no longer able to provide quality comedy or drama specifically for Welsh audiences, due to a lack of resources – these should be the kind of programmes that reflect our lives and our unique culture.

“The BBC’s Audience Council for Wales’s recent annual review acknowledged that ‘cuts have brought BBC Wales’ non-news television provision closer to the cliff-edge’. This situation cannot continue – particularly when we see quite a different situation in Scotland, for example. Wales simply isn’t getting a fair deal.

“BBC Wales has become renowned for producing internationally acclaimed network productions such as Dr Who, Sherlock and Hinterland. We want to see this continue but, let’s be clear, this cannot be at the cost of investment in local services.

“That’s why I’m calling on the BBC to provide sufficient funding  for news and non-news programmes in English and Welsh. At least £30m is necessary if audiences in Wales are to get the quality of national content they expect and deserve”.

The First Minister also reiterated that funding for English language programmes should not be at the expense of cuts in funding to S4C and Welsh language programming:

“Again, let me stress that additional funding for English-language programming does not mean that funding allocated to S4C or to BBC Cymru Wales for its Welsh language programming should be top sliced. The BBC plays a vital role in providing Welsh language content and this must continue.”