Above: Tim Hartley with Ron Jones and Sara Moseley (Cardiff University)

'It's now or never', Ron Jones, Executive Chairman, Tinopolis Group, on the opportunities for Wales in a new BBC Charter.

Ron Jones pulled no punches in questioning the accountability of Wales' public service broadcasters, calling for a new BBC Service Licence for Wales.  In an event held jointly with Cardiff University School of Journalism, Jones was in conversation with Wales Centre Chair, Tim Hartley, at the National Eisteddfod in Llanelli on August 5th.  The town is home of the Tinopolis Group, which includes Mentorn Media, Sunset + Vine, Daybreak and other global production companies, and Jones is chair of the Welsh Government's Creative Industries Board.

Following a question on the BBC Charter renewal, Jones said that, "we need to be careful during the debate, and ensure that Wales gets a fair settlement".  He added that the outcome of the second PSB Review, in which Ofcom allowed ITV to make cuts in its service, resulted in a huge loss for Wales.  However, this was refuted by Huw Rossiter from ITV Wales, citing the success of ITV's nightly news service which attracts over 1.4 million viewers each month.

Jones praised Tony Hall's recent comments about widening the BBC's window of creative competition, and in response to a question from Huw Jones, Chair of the S4C Authority, suggested that the move would create significant opportunities for Wales' indies, provided they "behaved like businesses".  He added that it would also boost the creative industry sector in Wales which supports more than 80,000 jobs.  The recent decision by Pinewood to create a new studio in Wales, following incentives provided by the Welsh Government, also represented a significant opportunity.