| Headquarters | Broadcasting House, Llandaff, Cardiff |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Wales |
| TV stations | BBC One Wales BBC Two Wales |
| Radio stations in this area |
BBC Radio Wales BBC Radio Cymru |
| Websites | BBC Wales (English) BBC Cymru (Welsh) |
BBC Cymru Wales (also known as English: BBC Wales or Welsh: BBC Cymru) is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.[1]
Outside London, BBC Wales is the largest BBC production centre in the United Kingdom, partly due to its additional slate of Welsh language programmes for BBC Radio Cymru and the Welsh language television channel S4C.
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The original BBC Wales television station (now known as BBC One Wales) debuted on 9 February 1964 to much fanfare (short television promotions proclaimed Wales gets its very own TV service in 1964!).[2] However, the BBC had been producing television programmes in Wales since the mid 1950s.
The first production studios were established in a converted chapel (since demolished) in Broadway, Cardiff. The first programmes were produced and transmitted live from in a temporary studio, later to become part of the scenery-dock, while two proper studios were constructed within the structure of the church. These studio played host to drama and some entertainment programmes as well as news and current affairs including the daily Welsh magazine programme Heddiw and the English language news programme Wales Today. In this pre-videotape era, film was played into programmes from a telecine machine in Bristol or London until telecine was actually installed in Broadway. Film processing for news was carried out by a firm called Park Pictures in Cardiff until BBC processing was installed in Stacey Road.
Prior to 1964, BBC Wales shared its television station with the West of England as the Wenvoe transmitter near Cardiff also served viewers in both southern Wales and the Westcountry. The 20 minute slot for regional news each evening was therefore split between Wales Today and the West of England's Points West. The establishment of a dedicated BBC Wales channel transmitted from a new mast built alongside the main transmitter mast at Wenvoe enabled a full length Wales Today to be broadcast for the first time along with other Welsh and English-language programming for Wales.
Today, BBC Cymru Wales produces television programming in English and Welsh both for the "opt out" sections of the BBC One and Two network feeds, and for the dedicated Welsh-language channel S4C.[1] Perhaps its best-known Welsh-language programme is the soap opera Pobol y Cwm, which has run since 1974, and as such is the BBC's longest-running television soap opera. BBC Wales also operates two radio stations: BBC Radio Wales in English and BBC Radio Cymru, which broadcasts in Welsh. The national television news programme Wales Today is one of the world's longest-running daily television news programmes, having been on air since 17 September 1962. The Welsh language news service Newyddion, produced by BBC Wales for S4C, combines international and UK news with the national news of Wales.
BBC Wales also provides programming for the BBC's UK networks. In recent years, its drama output has been particularly successful, including the 2005 revival of the classic science-fiction series Doctor Who and its spin-offs Torchwood (2006) and The Sarah Jane Adventures (2007). In addition, BBC Wales commissions other drama output for the BBC network from independent producers, such as Life on Mars (2006–07). The BBC National Orchestra of Wales was based at Broadcasting House in Cardiff, but moved to BBC Hoddinott Hall at the Wales Millennium Centre in January 2009, and performs regularly throughout Wales and internationally.
It was announced in March 2009 that the BBC will move the filming of shows such as Casualty and Crimewatch to studios in Cardiff[3] following an announcement stating the BBC will concentrate on more programmes being made in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, instead of most of shows being made in London.
Work on the BBC Wales Drama Village in Cardiff Bay began on 24 June 2010. The 170,000 sq ft (15,800 sq m) site will eventually house productions including Casualty, Pobol y Cwm and Doctor Who. The village is part of the BBC's commitment to double television UK network production from Cardiff by 2016. Once the studios, offices and external filming lots are fully fitted out, filming will begin for Casualty and Pobol y Cwm in autumn 2011.[4]
It was announced in March 2009 that the BBC will move the filming of shows such as Casualty and Crimewatch to studios in Cardiff.[3]
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