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 £250,000. 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.

WWN background . . A few WWN programmes . . A WWN schedule . . WWN top tens
Picture: Executive producer Ernest Byrne, who had last worked in a similar capacity for Telefis Eireann, and previously with CBS in America,with whom he had started as camera man, then floor manager, and director.
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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.

WWN main studios were in Western Avenue Cardiff (telephone 72364).
Uniquely, its programme journal was produced locally, printed by the Caxton Press Oswestry.

The chairman was Dr B Haydn Williams (Flintshire Director of Education, and Chairman of the Council of the Royal National Eisteddfod). As the station opened he declared that the company was not in the business of "amassing large profits for themselves." Certainly that prediction proved accurate. The company was aiming to produce programmes of a high standard to "not only refect life in Wales and encourage Welsh talent, but would contribute towards unifying Wales culturally and socially."
He repeated, "noone is going to make a fortune, both by reason of the nature of the concession, and the capital structure of the company." The 19 directors held only 10% of the capital of £300,000. Over 1,000 ordinary Welsh people held shares of £100, £200, or £300.
Weekday programmes would be as follows:
from 6.05pm to 7pm News in Welsh and English and a 35 minute programme of discussion, sport etc reflecting Welsh life.
from 10.40-11.10pm weekdays, TWW programmes shown by them at 4.30pm.
other variations from the network "as are considered to better meet the needs of Wales."

John Baxter of TWW stated, possibly through gritted teeth, "we welcome this extension of ITV coverage to West and North Wales and the opportunity it gives for a greater part of the principality to be covered by the ITV service. TWW wish the new company every success and will continue to offer full co-operation for the benefit of Wales as a whole."

WWN's initial market from the one transmitter in operation was 595,000 homes. After one month it was estimated only about 46,000 homes were watching WWN. At its peak, just over a million homes were reached

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Welsh language series:
Yn Llwybrau- a religious series
Pawb A'I Bethau- edition of May 28th 1963 on Rev E Tegla Davies
Heno I'R Plant children's series. On May 29th 1963 at 6.15pm it included Anturiaethau Twdl (The Adventuires) of Twdl, Oriel Y Plant (Children's Gallery), and Camera
Golwg Ar Gymru - interviews with important Welsh people

Other series:
Moment for Melody- a Monday to Friday 10 minute slot at 6.50pm featuring songs by singers such as Myron Williams, Meredydd Evans, Trevor Hill (organ), and Richard Rees. Director: Havard Gregory
Welsh Sportlight with Barri Haynes
SouthWesterly- on May 31st 1963 Kenneth Griffith talked to T Glynne Davies about his early career in Tenby. Director: Hugh Salisbury

WWN documentaries:
Swansea (November 19th 1962) a history of the city with local interviews
Our Neighbours- The Irish (February 11th 1963)
This Teledu Cymru documentary was filmed in Eire and directed by Ernest Byrne. It showed the ancient history of the republic and its place in the world today. In the company's Cardiff studios, distinguished guests then discussed issues raised.
This had been planned as a series of six, but whether any further were made, who knows? Publicity suggested others to be made in 1963 would feature Belgium, France, Italy, Germany, and "probably" the United States
A Festival of Arts (Mar 10th 1963)
A Teledu Cymru preview of University of Aberystwyth's Annual Festival of the Arts, with Peter Anthony Walton secretary of the festival, Alderman Clifford Knight mayor of Aberystwyth, and Dr Thomas Parry principal of the university. Interviewer: Barri Haynes. Director: Ernest Byrne
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