Welsh Television Channel

HC Deb 30 October 1980 vol 991 c334W

Mr. Marlow

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the Welsh television channel will be funded.

Mr. Brittan

The Broadcasting Bill will establish a Welsh Fourth Channel Authority to run the fourth channel in Wales. Clause 11 of the Broadcasting Bill, as amended in the House of Lords, provides for the BBC to supply the authority with Welsh language programmes free of charge. Clause 15 provides for the remainder of the Welsh authority's outgoing to be met by payment from the IBA to the authority of agreed sums raised from the ITV contractors. Essentially these outgoings will be the costs of acquisition of Welsh language programmes from the IBA Welsh contractors and from independent producers, and of the acquisition of English language programmes to make up the service, and of administration.