4. What assessment has the First Minister made of the importance of local radio stations in Wales? OQ55455

I thank Dr Lloyd for that. The Welsh Government recognises the importance of local radio stations in ensuring that the people of Wales have access to vital local news and information, which has been crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic.

First Minister, this week saw the final ever Sunday Hotline, presented by Kev Johns on Swansea Sound. The hotline had run for decades and was well valued by local residents, providing a unique opportunity for people to raise local issues of concern and to question local politicians. Sadly, the station will leave the airwaves in September, as part of a rebranding exercise. Now, there are more than enough UK-wide or regional networks, all reporting the same news, with the same presenters. What we are lacking is truly local radio that reflects local people's lives. Do you therefore agree that one way of reversing this loss is to devolve broadcasting to this Parliament and to develop our own local commercial radio station footprint here in Wales?

I agree with the points that the Member has made about the importance of local broadcasting. I appeared on the Kev Johns programme myself once, in the company of my colleague Mike Hedges, and a very good experience it was—a very skilful broadcaster, with a real rapport with his local audience, and very well able to convey the things that were of most concern to them.

My understanding, Llywydd, is that, though Swansea Sound will no longer operate in its name, the purchaser of the Wireless Group's local radio stations has not asked Ofcom for any change in the remit of that station. It will therefore be required, when it does reopen, to fulfil the original format, and that includes commitments relating to Welsh language programming and local news and information. And we will certainly be expecting Ofcom to ensure that those commitments are delivered in the way that the new station will operate, both for the benefit of Swansea residents and for those who surround that area.

The wider debate, Llywydd, is one we've had many times here on the floor of the Senedd and in Senedd committees. Our immediate focus is on making sure, as I say, that the obligations on the new owner to deliver a local service that successfully reflects the unique language, culture and concerns of the communities that the station serves—that those commitments are delivered upon. And we will be focusing on that, as I say, directly in communication with Ofcom itself.

First Minister, we've seen the great benefit of regional, local and indeed community radio during this crisis, bringing great comfort to many people as they have had to spend so much time at home, with local news and features. And I just wonder if you can do more to use procurement, help with training grants, and also public health messages, and putting as many as possible through these routes. The Welsh Government in the way it acts economically can help these vital networks.

Llywydd, I agree with all of those points. We've used our advertising budget during the coronavirus crisis directly to place advertising with local radio, including Swansea Sound. We've done our best to offer as much access to those local outlets as possible so that they can use their platforms to make sure that people have the information that they need. And in the daily press conferences that we have been holding, Llywydd, we've had 12 local broadcasters regularly taking place—again, including Swansea Sound. And I, myself, have given interviews to 20 different local radio and local newspapers over the last three months, again just to make sure that they have direct access to the Welsh Government so we can support them in the work that they do.

We've repurposed our independent community journalism fund and seven publications in Wales have shared in £76,500 of funding to support them in the financial challenges they face, and we have helped two stations to have access to Ofcom's £400,000 community radio fund. Ofcom intend to launch, quite soon, the second iteration of that fund, and the Welsh Government will work with community radio stations in Wales to make sure that they have the best chance of securing funding from that source as well.

So, I agree with David Melding about the importance of the things that we can do to help, and I hope that I've been able to demonstrate that, in all the different things we're able to do, we have very much had local print and broadcasting outlets at the forefront of our thinking during the pandemic.