Thomas Tales

ITV Wales has rejected calls to keep signed headlines for deaf people on its flagship news programme.

This evening will be the last time that headlines on Wales Tonight are accompanied by an in-vision signer, after ITV announced that they would be dropping the service from their regional news programme in Wales.

The decision has angered organisations representing deaf people, prompting four leading groups to write to Elis Owen, the national director of ITV Wales, calling for a change of heart.

RNID Cymru, the Wales Council for Deaf People, the British Deaf Association Wales and the National Deaf Children's Society have told Mr Owen that 'replacing signed headlines with sub-titles is not adequate'.

They added that they believe ITV's actions 'reflect a poor customer service to viewers and an unacceptable lack of understanding of the different communication methods used by deaf and hard of hearing people in Wales'.

Click Play to hear Elinor Smith from the RNID Cymru:



Groundbreaking Service

ITV began broadcasting signed headlines in 1986 when HTV Wales initiated the groundbreaking service for deaf viewers.

An ITV spokesman said: 'ITV Wales will maintain the flagship news programmes Wales Tonight and bulletins during the week and at weekends, but in line with all other ITV regions, we are discontinuing the signed 20 seconds headlines every weekday.'

The issue was raised at the National Assembly on Tuesday, where First Minister Rhori Morgan said ITV was showing 'a consistent pattern whereby it is trying to wriggle out of its public service broadcasting obligations'.

Mr Morgan added: 'There is no possible justification for dropping the signed news service just beacuse it may not be available in all of the English regions or in Scotland or Northern Ireland'.

Click Play to hear the First Minister respond to Lorraine Barrett AM in the Senedd:



'Limited Powers'

The broadcasting regulator Ofcom says it was not consulted by ITV before the decision to drop signed headlines was taken, and that the broadcaster was not required to do so.

Rhodri Williams, director of Ofcom in Wales, said: 'Ofcom appreciates that sign language users in Wales will regret ITV Wales' decision to end sign presented news headlines on Wales Tonight. However, Ofcom's powers in this area are limited.'

Mr Williams also denies that there is any connection between the regulator's approval of ITV's reduction in regional news output and the removal of signed headlines from its regional news programmes.

'While Ofcom has agreed a reduction to the minimum required amount of news on ITV Wales, this affects only some daytime bulletins, rather than the 6pm programme. It is entirely unrelated to the issue of signing,' he said.

Signing will be phased out of ITV's other regional news programmes over the next week. There are currently signed headlines or summaries on the ITV regions in: Wales, Border, Meridian and Thames Valley, West, and West Country.

A student radio station is about to open its programming to thousands of new listeners.

Xpress, which is run by students at Cardiff University students' union, broadcasts music and chat for 17 hours a day on the internet, and in the students' union building on Park Place.

The team running the station have successfully applied for a restricted service license (RSL) from the broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, which allows them to transmit their programmes on the 87.7FM frequency across Cardiff and the surrounding area for the next four weeks.

According to the radio station's manager, Gareth Rees, the RSL will give them a much bigger audience than they usually get online because commuters in their cars and radio listeners scanning for new channels could start tuning-in to Xpress.

Click Play to hear an interview I did with Gareth earlier today.



Xpress is on air on 87.7FM across Cardiff from Monday, February 9 for four weeks.

You can listen online by clicking here.