Factsheet 1966: Independent Television in Wales / Teledu Annibynnol yng Nghymru 

30 August 2018 tbs.pm/66518

ITV programmes for Wales are provided by TWW Limited, the company appointed by the ITA to supply programmes for South Wales and the West of England from the Authority’s St. Hilary (Channel 10) station in the Vale of Glamorgan, opened in January 1958. Since 1965 TWW has been responsible for two distinct services, one serving South Wales and the West of England and the other, the Teledu Cymru service, providing programmes for Wales as a whole. The TWW region covers seventeen counties from Anglesey in the North to Devon in the South, a population of 4 million.

The Teledu Cymru service – the first unified ITV service for Wales – is broadcast from the Authority’s four transmitters at St. Hilary (Channel 7 since February 1965), Presely in Pembrokeshire (since September 1962), Arfon in Caernarvonshire (since November 1962) and Moel-y-Parc in Flintshire (since January 1963). These programmes are within reach of the great majority of the 2.7 million people living in Wales.

The main distinctive feature of the Teledu Cymru service is its Welsh language content, which in an average week amounts to over five hours of programmes, all in good viewing hours (5½-6 hours from autumn 1966). These programmes comprise news and topical items, serious discussions, music and light entertainment, panel and quiz games, religious discussions, and occasional drama and special features. In addition the service carries an hour or more of news and sports items in English and, in common with the Channel 10 service, relays all those English programmes of general interest to viewers in both Wales and the West of England. Of the 11½-12 hours of programmes produced by TWW each week for its two services about 9 are of special interest to Welsh audiences.

From the outset TWW has paid close attention to Welsh needs, and its Welsh Board meets regularly to discuss programme policy and other matters.

South Wales receives both TWW’s services, the Channel 7 (Teledu Cymru) service area being only slightly smaller than that of Channel 10.

The Principality is a country of mountains and narrow twisting valleys, and television signals are unable to penetrate to all these areas. Even in valleys comparatively close to transmitters a satisfactory picture cannot always be obtained. In well-populated areas this problem has been met by relay services which carry the signal by means of a wired system to subscribers.

During approximately the next three years the Authority will build six new small transmitting stations in Mid and North Wales to provide ITV programmes or to improve reception in and around the following towns: Abergavenny, Bala, Brecon, Ffestiniog, Llandrindod Wells and Llandovery.

One member of the Authority – since July 1965 Sir Ben Bowen Thomas – makes television in Wales his special concern. He is advised by a Welsh Committee of nine members which meets bi-monthly. The Secretary is Mr. L. J. Evans, the ITA Officer for Wales (Arlbee House, Greyfriars Place, Greyfriars Road, Cardiff. Cardiff (0CA 2) 28759).

 


 

Darperir rhaglenni Teledu Annibynnol i Gymru gan TWW Cyf. Hwn yw’r cwmni a benodwyd gan yr Awdurdod Teledu Annibynnol (ITA) ym 1957 i gynhyrchu rhaglenni ar gyfer de Cymru a gorllewin Lloegr.

Oddi ar 1965 bu’r cwmni yn gyfrifol am ddau wasanaeth gwahanol. Mae un yn gwasanaethu de Cymru a gorllewin Lloegr ar sianel 10; a’r llall – Teledu Cymru – yn rhoi rhaglenni i Gymru gyfan. Felly mae rhaglenni TWW iw gweld mewn 17 o siroedd, o Sir Fôn i lawr i Ddyfnaint – gyda phoblogaeth o 4 miliwn.

Teledu Cymru yw’r gwasanaeth cenedlaethol cyntaf unedig annibynnol i Gymru. Fe ddarlledir y rhaglenni o bedair gorsaf – St. Hilary (Sianel 7) Presely (Sianel 8) Arfon (Sianel 10) a Moel-y-Parc (Sianel 11) Y mae’r rhaglenni o fewn cyrraedd mwyafrif poblogaeth Cymru (2.7 miliwn).

Nodwedd pwysicaf gwasanaeth Teledu Cymru yw’r rhaglenni Cymraeg; darlledir pum awr bob wythnos mewn oriau da; cynyddir hyn i 5½ awr ar ddiwedd 1966. Cynnwys y rhaglenni yma newyddion, trafodaethau, cerddoriaeth, rhaglenni ysgafn, adloniant, rhaglenni cwis, trafodaethau crefyddol ac ambell ddrama. Heblaw hyn ceir awr neu fwy o newyddion a hanes chwareuon yn Saesneg a hefyd yr holl raglenni Saesneg sydd i’w cael ar Sianel 10 sydd o ddiddordeb i wylwyr yng Nghymru. O’r 11½-12 awr o raglenni a gynhyrchir gan TWW bob wythnos mae 9 o ddiddordeb arbennig i Gymru.

Felly o’r cychwyn rhoddodd TWW sylw arbennig i anghenion Cymru; ac fe gyferfydd Bwrdd Cymreig y cwmni yn gyson i drafod polisi a rhaglenni. Y mae de Cymru yn derbyn y ddau wasanaeth, Sianel 7 (Teledu Cymru) a Sianel 10.

Gwlad o fynyddoedd uchel a chymoedd culion yw Cymru ac anodd yw i ddarlun teledu gyrraedd yr holl leoedd hyn. Hyd yn oed mewn cymoedd sydd yn weddol agos at y gorsafoedd, anodd yn aml yw cael darlun boddhaol. Mewn ardaloedd poblog gellir datrys y broblem hon trwy gario’r signal trwy wifrau mewn pibellau.

Yn ystod y tair blynedd 1966-68 bydd yr Awdurdod yn adeiladu 6 gorsaf yng nghanolbarth a gogledd Cymru i gario’r rhaglenni i’r trefi hyn a’r cylchoedd, neu i wella’r derbyniad ynddynt: Abergafenni, Bala, Aberhonddu, Ffestiniog, Llandrindod a Llanymddyfri.

Y mae un aelod o’r Awdurdod, Syr Ben Bowen Thomas, sy’n aelod er Gorífennaf 1964 – yn gwneud teledu yng Nghymru yn bwnc arbennig iddo’i hun. Mae ganddo Bwyllgor Cymreig i’w gynorthwyo gyda naw aelod ac fe gyferfydd pob deufis. Ysgrifennydd y Pwyllgor yw Mr. L. J. Evans, Swyddog Cymreig yr Awdurdod. (Arlbee House, Greyfriars Place, Caerdydd. Ffôn 28759.)

 

You Say

1 response to this article

Paul Mason 1 September 2018 at 11:03 am

I would have thought that terrain permitting, Wales should have had its own ITV station, with Westward incorporating the TWW/HTV West from Bristol to Penzance.
The Wales West and North disaster could have been avoided.
Adverts might have posted a problem as an advert for a store or service in Builth Wells might be of little interest to viewer in Rhyl. Anyway that unified service now exists with ITV Wales and S4C. Iechyd Da!

Your comment

Enter it below

A member of the Transdiffusion Broadcasting System
Liverpool, Thursday 28 March 2024