Following the recent BBC Wales Annual Review 2005 to 2006, it has been anounced that BBC Wales is now in its strongest position ever in its 83-year history. The results have been put down to a year of evolution, commitment, new collaborations and engagement with audiences.
This includes the number of people listening to the Welsh language service BBC Radio Cymru which rose for the second year running. The number of younger listeners to Radio Cymru has risen by 50 per cent over the last decade. The most recently published figures showed that more people were listening to the English language service Radio Wales than at any time in the last two years.
Menna Richards, Controller BBC Wales, welcomed the Annual Review saying:
?What the last year has shown is that a combination of energy and talent and, in particular, a willingness to look outward, can seize any number of opportunities to reveal to the rest of the UK the creative ability that flourishes here in Wales. With record investment in programmes, record numbers visiting our online services, radio audiences growing and the success of the Here For You community strategy in creating a more open BBC that reflects communities across the whole of Wales, BBC Wales can claim to be in the strongest position in its proud history.
?It?s the BBC thing. It?s the way in which a huge broadcasting organisation can be flexible enough to provide room for a process of cross-fertilisation that puts more programmes made by BBC Wales on the networks. And, perhaps most important of all, in our various services on television, radio and online in Welsh and English we play the single biggest role in reflecting Wales to itself ? not just on our own services but also in a substantial contribution to the continuing success of S4C, with whom we are in the process of finalizing a new strategic partnership in the best interests of Welsh language audiences.?