Item 4, then, is a statement by the Chair of the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee, ‘The Big Picture, an Initial Look at Broadcasting in Wales’, and I call on the Chair, Bethan Jenkins.

Diolch. Ar 1 Chwefror, cyhoeddodd Pwyllgor Diwylliant, y Gymraeg a Chyfathrebu ei adroddiad, sef ‘Y Darlun Mawr’, yn nodi ein safbwyntiau cychwynnol ar ddarlledu yng Nghymru. Ym mis Medi y llynedd, yn fy natganiad cyntaf i’r Cyfarfod Llawn fel Cadeirydd y pwyllgor, dywedais y byddai’r pwyllgor yn ymroddedig i ddwyn darlledwyr a chyfryngau eraill i gyfrif. Byddai’n bwyllgor a fyddai’n sicrhau bod y cyhoedd yn cael eu gwasanaethu’n briodol gan ddarlledwyr, ac yn bwyllgor a fyddai’n sicrhau y byddai darlledwyr yn atebol yn gyhoeddus am eu cyfrifoldebau a’u hymrwymiadau i Gymru.

Ers hynny, rydym wedi treulio amser yn ymgyfarwyddo â’r materion o bwys a’r cefndir. Rydym wedi cymryd tystiolaeth lafar gan y BBC, ITV, S4C ac Ofcom, a chan yr Arglwydd Tony Hall, cyfarwyddwr cyffredinol y BBC. Rydym hefyd wedi gwneud nifer o ymweliadau. Rydym wedi dweud yn glir ein bod yn bwriadu edrych ar bob agwedd o ddarlledu a’r cyfryngau yn ystod y Cynulliad hwn. Noder, er enghraifft, i ambell sylwebydd nodi nad oes llawer o ddefnydd digidol gennym wrth ddadansoddi’r cyfryngau yng Nghymru. Rydym yn fodlon ystyried hyn a materion eraill fel rhan o ymchwiliadau’r dyfodol. Rydym eisoes wedi dechrau ymchwiliad i gylch gwaith, cyllid ac atebolrwydd S4C, a fydd, gobeithio, yn ddylanwadol wrth i Lywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig gynnal adolygiad o’r sianel yn ddiweddarach eleni.

We also intend to take a more detailed look at local media and local news journalism, at commercial radio, and at the portrayal of Wales on UK broadcast networks. ‘The Big Picture’ report sets out our take on the main themes that have arisen from our initial work in this area. As its title suggests, it is not intended to be a detailed analysis of every issue that is of concern, but a foundation for the more focused work we intend to do in the future. Nevertheless, it makes some important recommendations and raises a number of concerns. I will be happy to answer Members’ questions on any of the matters in the report, in the time available. I want to draw attention to a number of them—a number of the recommendations—that I think are particular important.

Portrayal of Wales—BBC: first of all, and perhaps most important, the BBC director general has made a firm commitment that BBC Cymru Wales will receive extra funding for English language broadcasting in Wales. So far, Lord Hall has not put a figure on how much that extra funding should be. We have. We’ve recommended that an additional £30 million should be provided annually for English language drama and broadcasting about Wales. This is not a new recommendation. The previous Assembly’s Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee and the Institute of Welsh Affairs’ media policy group have previously made similar recommendations. Funding of this amount could allow a doubling of the output and allow BBC Wales the chance to produce more quality programmes that earn a place on the BBC network. Lord Hall will appear before the committee in March, and we expect him at that time to announce significant extra funding for English language broadcasting in Wales, and we will use the £30 million figure as a benchmark against which to judge how serious he is.

Portrayal of Wales—ITV: if Wales is to be adequately represented on broadcast networks, we cannot expect the BBC to take sole responsibility. Other public service broadcasters also need to step up to the plate, particularly ITV Cymru Wales. It would be unfair not to recognise their recent, albeit limited, success in securing network commissions. But the fact is that the approach taken by ITV Cymru Wales, and by ITV generally, has not led to Welsh voices being adequately represented on the ITV network. The channel’s approach to commissioning has failed to capture the richness of Welsh communities, and there are considerable aspects of Welsh life that are not portrayed either on the ITV network or on ITV Cymru Wales. We have recommended that ITV Studios adopts a more proactive approach to developing programmes for broadcast on the ITV network, including setting specific goals for developing network output for Wales that reflects life in Wales.

While I would not necessarily expect all committee recommendations to be accepted without comment by those they affect, I, and other members of the committee, were intrigued by ITV’s very defensive public response to this particular recommendation, not only in their corporate response, but in their press analysis, also. For all that it has to take account of commercial realities, the fact remains that ITV Wales is a public service broadcaster with a responsibility to properly reflect the community it serves. So, I am glad to hear that ITV have said that they do intend to continue to engage constructively with the important work of the committee, but I have to say that I did not find their response to this recommendation particularly constructive.

Cyllid S4C: rydym yn poeni’n arw am effaith ddifrifol y toriadau parhaus i gyllideb S4C. Torrwyd y gyllideb o 36 y cant mewn termau real ers 2010. Bydd yn dioddef rhagor o doriadau termau real o tua 10 y cant yn y cyfnod yn arwain at 2021, er gwaethaf ‘elfen o sefydlogrwydd’ oherwydd i gyllid ffi’r drwydded aros yn gyson. Mae hyn wedi cael effaith sylweddol ar yr hyn y mae S4C yn gallu gwneud. Er enghraifft, mae 57 y cant o raglenni bellach yn ailddarllediadau o’i gymharu â dim ond 20 y cant pan lansiwyd y sianel. Mae hyn yn amlwg yn llawer rhy uchel ac yn destun pryder sylweddol iawn i ni fel pwyllgor.

Soniais yn gynharach fod y pwyllgor eisoes wedi dechrau ymchwiliad i gylch gwaith, cyllid ac atebolrwydd S4C, er mwyn cyfrannu at adolygiad Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig o’r sianel yn ddiweddarach eleni. Bydd angen inni ystyried dyfodol S4C yn y man, yn dilyn adroddiad Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig, ac nid cyn hynny. Byddai unrhyw doriadau i gyllideb S4C cyn yr adolygiad yn annerbyniol yn ein tyb ni.

Craffu ar ddemocratiaeth leol—cynigion y BBC: yn fuan ar ôl i’n hadroddiad gael ei gyhoeddi, cyhoeddodd y BBC gynlluniau i helpu i wella’r gwaith o graffu ar ddemocratiaeth leol yn y Deyrnas Unedig drwy wreiddio newyddiadurwyr mewn sefydliadau cyfryngol lleol. Bydd hyn yn golygu 11 o newyddiadurwyr lleol newydd—un i bob dau awdurdod lleol yng Nghymru. Mae unrhyw gam a gymerir i wella’r gwaith o graffu ar ddemocratiaeth leol yn amlwg i’w groesawu. Fodd bynnag, roedd y pwyllgor yn pryderu mai un o ganlyniadau anfwriadol y dull hwn fyddai lleihau ymhellach nifer y gohebwyr mewn ystafelloedd newyddion ledled Cymru.

Mae gwir angen inni weld rhagor o fanylion am y cynnig hwn, er mwyn penderfynu a yw wedi mynd i’r afael â’r pryderon a fynegwyd gennym. Yn lle hynny, fe wnaethom ni argymell math o wasanaeth mwy penodol y gellid ei ddarparu i sefydliadau cyfryngau lleol ar faterion lle mae newyddiaduraeth leol wedi dirywio, fel yn y llysoedd a’r cynghorau—gwasanaeth ‘wire’.

Our report covered a wide range of other matters, such as a news opt-out for Wales on BBC network radio, scrutiny of the appointment of the new BBC board member for Wales, the prominence of S4C on the electronic programme guide, the accountability of broadcasters to the National Assembly and how Channel 4 can improve its portrayal. I hope to be able to take questions from those in the Chamber today, and of course, we are awaiting the response from the Government and we hope to be able to table a debate in the future on this particular area of interest, considering that we have a committee dedicated to looking at communications here in Wales, and want to keep the focus strongly on what broadcasters and the industry are doing here in Wales.