Q49 Chair: You spoke about a decline in plurality in Wales in the third review of public service broadcasting. Obviously it offers a range of services in Wales. Peter Davies : I am not sure I am qualified to comment on what the BBC offers. Q48 Chair: Do you think the BBC fulfils its charter requirement to offer diversity of all sorts of different opinions within the broadcasting that it does? Other people would argue that the editorial control rests with the head of news for a particular area or nation and that that is internal plurality dancing on the head of a pin a little bit. Some people might argue that the BBC has a single voice as an organisation.
I think it all depends on where the editorial control rests. Peter Davies : You can then get into debates about internal plurality. Peter Davies : I would not say it was adding to plurality, no, because it is still coming from the same place as the rest of the BBC. Q47 Chair: Would you say, then, that in offering all sorts of local news, which the BBC now does-BBC South East Wales, BBC Cardiff, all this sort of thing-that is adding to plurality, as I would define it anyway? But you are right they are not the same thing.
Peter Davies : I think plurality is a bit more to do with ownership and editorial control and a range of voices, so I think there is quite an overlap between diversity and plurality. We will try to get though them in about 40 minutes if we can.Ĭan I start off by asking you this: in one of the pieces of evidence, I have a quote from Ofcom talking about the importance of diversity in the media and plurality in news, would you agree that diversity and plurality are not the same thing? To me, diversity is about showing different opinions and representing different viewpoints, and plurality is just about making sure that there is more local news than there currently is. I thank you both for coming to the Welsh Affairs Committee to contribute to our inquiry on broadcasting. Mr Davies, very nice to see you again as well. We know each other quite well, of course, but this being a committee we will keep it formal. Q46 Chair: Mr Williams, very nice to see you again. Witnesses: Rhodri Williams, Director, Ofcom Wales and Peter Davies, Director of Content Policy, Ofcom, gave evidence. Members present: David T C Davies (Chair) Chris Davies Dr James Davies Carolyn Harris Gerald Jones Antoinette Sandbach Liz Saville Roberts Mr Mark Williams. Ordered by the House of Commons to be published on 14 December 2015. Oral evidence: Broadcasting in Wales, HC 450
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