As demands and direct action heat up over planned cuts in state funding at S4C, a cold blast of realism can be felt in more poor circulation figures for Welsh regional newspapers.
All five main titles report a further decline with the Western Mail & Echo seeing the largest percentage drop – WM is down a further 2000 average daily sales since figures were last published. The fall reflects an ongoing national trend with only 3 out of 87 UK regional titles registering an increase in circulation.
The totals also put a further question mark against government plans for new national and regional television channels to be broadcast via the FreeView platform and financed through advertising. Ministers insist the idea is viable but the industry is less enthusiastic. Their scepticism is reflected in a lacklustre bidding process which has seen very few big names showing an interest.
ABC Circulation Data – Feb 2011
South Wales Echo 33,725 ; -8.7%
Western Mail 27,495 ; -8.8%
South Wales Evening Post 40,999 ; -6.1%
South Wales Argus 23,738 ; -5.2%
Daily Post 31,946 ; -2.8%
5 Comments:
Surely the parlous state of the print media and further public spending cutbacks is the death knell for a Welsh language newspaper. I don’t give much hope for S4C either if it is forced to live on BBC license fee scraps.
The decline in newspaper sales is not a Welsh issue - it's one being experienced throughout the Western or 'advanced' world. It was discussed this very week with a lengthy report on Newsnight.
Consequently, the term 'Media' has to be re-evaluated in light of the alternatives to the print media now available.
The real worry here is that younger people, using the newer options, are less likely to use them to access News, with the result that increasingly people are less informed of what is going on around them and in the wider world.
This may suit politicians and others because it takes us towards a time when the bulk of the population is more concerned with the antics of 'Celebs' and let's those in control of our lives get on with it unchallenged, merely going through the motions of a 'democracy' reduced to a popularity contest every few years.
This won't stop the Plaido's from demanding a publicly subsidised Welsh language newspaper along with a television channel that barely gets triple figure audiences in some cases.
Thank you for that balanced and informed contribution, Saisophile. It's reassuring to be reminded that many of Wales's enemies are of your level.
What I don't understand is why Media Wales are now pushing the South Wales Echo in Swansea rather than pushing the Western Mail harder.
You're not going to budge the Evening Post as the local rag.
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