Local AM wants more community-based media

10.52.36am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 8th Feb 2007

Welsh Liberal Democrat AM for Brecon and Radnorshire, Kirsty Williams, is backing her party's calls for greater support for community radio and television.

The local AM wants more funding, and less regulation, from Government, to help community media projects get started.

Ms Williams said: "It has always puzzled me that, despite such strong sense of community in many of our towns and villages, there is very little in the way of community broadcasting in Brecon and Radnorshire. Getting involved in community radio and television is a great way to learn new skills and meet new people, and can be a particularly valuable experience for young people and for the socially excluded.

"Enabling communities to produce, edit and present their own news is incredibly empowering, and that's why I want to see Government supporting new start-ups and pushing the Assembly's powers so that we can break down the barriers that prevent community media from reaching its full potential, including making expertise available to communities to guide them through the often complicated process of applying for, and securing, licences.

"The current arbitrary limits on revenue streams, sponsorship and advertising are holding community media back. Especially with digital switchover coming up, there is plenty of spectrum space available, so why not help get community radio and television on those frequencies to offer a voice to our communities?"