SWANSEA EAST MS  MIKE HEDGES TAKES CAMPAIGN FOR SWANSEA SOUND TO SENEDD

SWANSEA EAST MS  MIKE HEDGES TAKES CAMPAIGN FOR SWANSEA SOUND TO SENEDD

Local MS Mike Hedges has taken the fight for the future of Swansea Sound to the Senedd where he has tabled a motion which he hopes fellow Members of the Senedd will sign to indicate support for local radio stations and in particular Swansea Sound.

Speaking from his Morriston Office, Mike Hedges MS said ….. ‘ Swansea Sound has been part of the local media scene for over 40 years, it has established itself a place in the hearts of the local community with its coverage of local news, sports and charity events. Everyone who remembers the winters of 1978 and 1982 will remember the role played by Swansea Sound and it’s snowline which enabled people stranded to contact relatives to reassure them they were safe and well.

People also know the station for the work done by one of its main presenters Kevin John who makes an immense contribution to the life of Swansea through his charity works.

People were beginning to think of the 50^th anniversary of the station in 2024 and how to mark this occasion so the shock of the proposals by Swansea Sound parents ccompany to effectively to close the station from September 2020 have come as a real shock.

I have had many people contact me with concerns and as Swansea Sound covers a much wider area than my contituency of Swansea East and indeed the city, I thought it would be an idea to offer other MS the opportunity to express support for Local Radio stations in general and in particular Swansea Sound.

The Statement of Opinion below is on the Senedd Website and has been circulated to MS to sign.

I hope that this can play a part in showing how much people value local radio stations and be part of putting pressure on Swansea Sound parents company to change it’s plans.’

OPIN-2020-0162 This Senedd strongly supports local radio stations in Wales.  (e)Tabled on 04/06/2020

This Senedd

a) strongly supports local radio stations in Wales.

b) believes that:

(i) local radio stations play vital roles in local communities, promoting local charities, sporting activities and local responses to national events;

(ii) local radio stations should have a majority of their programmes produced locally;

(iii) there are serious concerns about the proposals for Swansea Sound and calls upon the owners to reconsider their current proposals to change the local focus of the station and replace it with content syndicated with other stations based in England, greatly reducing the local content and focus of this station.