Wales and West (Teledu Cymru)

Teledu Cymru (WWN)
was all but stillborn in September 1962. The Wales Television Association had the backing of prominent Welshmen, and its politico-cultural aims were one reason behind its downfall. The aim was to provide a Welsh language tv channel for the whole of the country. That the station, uniquely in Britain, failed, was down firstly to the ITA, who while reducing their normal charges, were unable to create a single station in Wales, since TWW were already allocated the main centre of population in the Valleys, and Granada established in the far north. It was further stipulated that the company produce 10 hours of original programming per week, a tough demand on a station serving a generally rural area. Further, by the time the station opened only one of the three transmitters promised were in operation. Eventually the region was covered by transmitters at Presley (Channel 8), Arfon (Channel 10) and Moel-y-Parc (Channel 11). Another major reason for WWN's failure was their poor management. The directors, in their zeal to provide Welsh tv, appear to have interfered excessively in the day to day running of the station. The senior management in their turn seem to have been dictatorial and at odds with their board. A recipe for disaster.
Three other groups had applied to run the station. The failed bids were from: Television Wales Norwest, fronted by Lord Tenby; Cambrian (North and West Wales) Television- the Marquis of Bute; and Cambrian Television- Lord Ogmore.

The station was opened by Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick (ITA Chairman) on September 14th 1962. Chairman Dr Hayden Williams welcomed guests including representatives of TWW and BBC Wales. The Lord Mayor of Cardiff said the new station would help keep the Welsh language alive. Programmes started at 5.30pm with Croeso, hosted by actor Clifford Evans. He spoke in Welsh and English, stating, "tonight there is a new voice in Wales, the voice of Teledu Cymru." After the ITN News, by tradition broadcast for an opening night from the WWN studio in Cardiff, there followed 55 minutes of original WWN programming, mostly in Welsh. Networked programmes followed, then at 10.40pm a tape of TWW's Crwydro'r Alban, a Journey in Scotland, was screened. The opening night concluded with a WWN film presentation, of the three year old American series Markham.
Monday 27th January 1964 was the day TWW officially took over the Teledu Cymru franchise, a consummation they had long coveted. The fee reported (in Aug 1963) was Ł250,000. Thus a channel that covered the whole of Wales was born. But the fact is that WWN had been ailing long before that, their final home grown Welsh language programme had been shown live on May 31st 1963. From June of that year, the Welsh language news bulletins were scrapped, and the only Welsh language programmes were all of TWW origin.
Photo: Production executive Michael Glynn, whose career started with his working for Muriel and Sydney Box. Other jobs included Granada Theatres, Adelphi Films, and British Lion, before he joined ABC as a floor manager, then in a similar capacity with TWW

WWN background . . A few WWN programmes . . A WWN schedule . . WWN top tens
Dinosaur TV menu

Photo: General manager Nathan Hughes, a Welsh speaker, who had been with A-R from July 1955, and then from March 1957 as Deputy Station Manager at TWW.