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�鶹Լ�� Radio Wales at 40

2018-11-13T10:00:00+00:00

It was 6.30am on 13 November 1978 when �鶹Լ�� Radio Wales began its journey, with its first broadcast to the nation.

The breakfast show in those days was called AM, and included a mix of news and current affairs, local issues, sport and popular culture. The first voice on the station was Anita Morgan; Teleri Bevan was at the helm as station editor, and the main news story of the day was rugby, with Wales having just played New Zealand at the Arms Park in Cardiff.

Since then, Radio Wales has established itself as part of the social fabric of Wales. It has become an important forum for national debate and current affairs with a unique mix of local, national and international news. It’s become a focal point for Welsh cultural and sporting events bringing top quality commentary and coverage from around the world. It’s an important platform for Welsh bands and artists to get their music heard and championed by the presenters who are experts in their fields. And throughout this, it remains rooted in Wales, with voices from all parts of the country coming together on this national platform.

Naturally, the way we work has changed over the years. The huge old machines that we used to use in the early days would take up entire rooms, and we used to be tied to the studio. But nowadays, the technology means that we can be far more flexible. We can link up with studios across the world far more easily, and we can go out to meet with audiences with little more than a microphone. And we can hit the road, as we’re doing this week, taking our 40th birthday celebration bus across Wales to meet our audiences and say thank you for the forty years of support that they’ve given us.

During this time, it’s not just the way we broadcast that’s changed, but also the way audiences listen to Radio Wales. Many of our audiences still tune in through FM radios, and we’re pleased to have been able to boost the station’s FM coverage last month so that we now reach 400,000 more people. More and more people are now listening on DAB radios and online. And the �鶹Լ��’s newly launched app �鶹Լ�� Sounds lets listeners tune in on their phones and lets Radio Wales offer podcasts and other content alongside our schedule.

But despite changes to the way we broadcast and listen to the radio, �鶹Լ�� Radio Wales’ core message has remained consistent. We are committed to providing quality news, sport and entertainment for Wales. And as we celebrate our fortieth year, we continue to do that. The station is attracting the biggest names in broadcasting, producing more content from different parts of Wales and working with partners to bring great programmes to audiences across the country.

We’ll be marking our birthday with a variety gala at Swansea’s Grand Theatre on 22 November, for an evening hosted by Radio Wales’ Owen Money and joined by special guests including Gabrielle, Only Men Aloud, John Owen Jones, Mike Bubbins, Hannah Grace and many more. I hope to see you there!

The Voice of a Nation: Colin Paterson on �鶹Լ�� Radio Wales at 40

2018-10-23T08:19:31+00:00

This is a big year for �鶹Լ�� Radio Wales. On 13 November, we celebrate the station’s 40th birthday, and this has given us an opportunity to listen to our audiences, reflect on what the station means to them, and to redefine the way we communicate with them.

On-air, that has given us the opportunity to celebrate with some special one-off events. During our birthday week in November, we’ll be taking to the roads on our 40th birthday celebration bus to meet as many listeners as we can in communities the length of breadth of Wales. We’ll also be broadcasting a number of special celebratory programmes and the centrepiece to our celebration will be a night of music and comedy at Swansea’s Grand Theatre, hosted by Owen Money.

But there are also some big changes happening off-air as we extend �鶹Լ�� Radio Wales’ reach on FM further than ever before. Over the years, audiences have told us that they are often frustrated by some �鶹Լ�� Radio Wales FM blackspots. By the end of the month we will have extended FM coverage to an additional 400,000 people across Wales, and around 550 additional miles of road. Areas set to benefit from the boost to Radio Wales on FM include Welshpool, Llandrindod Wells, Ruthin, Brecon and the A55 and A470 road networks as we bring the area of Wales where Radio Wales is available on FM up from 79% to 91%.

Changes will impact on some �鶹Լ�� Radio 3’s listeners who may have to retune or access Radio 3 digitally in order to continue to access the station.

Also in November, �鶹Լ�� Radio Wales will be part of the launch of �鶹Լ�� Sounds. �鶹Լ�� Sounds is our brand new audio app and website, bringing together live and on-demand radio, music and podcasts into a single personalised app. Your �鶹Լ�� Sounds app will be completely unique to you, as it’s designed to learn from your listening habits. Along with the FM reception extension, �鶹Լ�� Sounds is another exciting development, making it easier to access �鶹Լ�� Radio Wales and other �鶹Լ�� services.

As a national broadcaster, �鶹Լ�� Radio Wales has an important role to play in giving a voice and a platform to the people of Wales. As we celebrate our 40th birthday, we will continue to listen to our audiences and implement the changes that they want to see. And I’m pleased that as we celebrate our birthday, we have been able to make changes that if you’re at home or in the car, more listeners than ever can tune in to enjoy the unique mix of entertainment, music and sport Radio Wales has to offer.

Radio Cymru 2

2018-01-29T10:00:00+00:00

(L-R) News presenter Heledd Siôn, Huw Stephens, Caryl Parry Jones, Dafydd Meredydd, Lisa Gwilym

A few days ago, I saw it for the first time. There it was, slap bang between Radio Cymru and CBeebies radio on the iPlayer Radio app dial - Radio Cymru 2. It’s small, it’s very simple but it makes me incredibly proud. Why?

Because five years ago, having just been appointed to a new job as Editor of Radio Cymru, the �鶹Լ��’s national radio service for Welsh speakers, the response I got more often than not was “I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes!” Close second came the other favourite, usually uttered with an unnerving, sympathetic smile: ”You can’t win.”

The concern of avid listeners, non-listeners and ex-listeners, expressed over and again, was that Radio Cymru ‘has to be all things to all people’ . How can you be Radio 1, 2, 3, 4, 4 Extra, 5 and 6 ... without alienating as many listeners as you gain and ending up falling between rather more than just two stools?

Well, for 40 years, Radio Cymru has given it one heck of a shot. We remain the number one station of choice among more fluent Welsh speakers and have an audience whose station loyalty is as inspiring as it is impressive in terms of hours spent tuning in week after week. We broadcast every day from first thing in the morning until midnight and talk to listeners live from studios in Cardiff, Carmarthen, Aberystwyth and Bangor every week day.

When we claim to be ‘Llais Cymru’ – the voice of Wales - the whole of Wales, we mean it. Radio Cymru’s news, sport, magazine programmes, features, documentaries and drama are appreciated and award-winning – but the listeners aren’t daft. The appetite was genuine, the question was the right one to ask. How could we compete with a huge choice of stations who were increasingly focussing on offering one sound, seamlessly, all day long and doing it brilliantly? How could we future-proof Radio Cymru in a digital age, where technology is global, English is the lingua franca and content in minority languages struggle to be heard? How could we offer programmes to a wider range of listeners, in appetite as much as age, without causing others to switch off?

Take my own family. I was brought up in a Welsh-speaking home and it was only when I heard a fellow Welsh-speaking student listening not to Radio Cymru but Radio 1 – Radio 1! – that it dawned on me not everyone’s radios had been exclusively set to 96.8FM throughout their childhood. My parents remain loyal listeners. My partner is London-born and learned Welsh having moved here a decade ago. My children are bilingual and when they do listen to the radio at all, they don’t believe in cosying up to their mother by sticking to Radio Cymru. One half wants news and analysis in the morning and switch off at the threat of music. The other half sigh loudly and won’t listen unless there’s music, a laugh and a chance to be involved via social media. They all want to do it in Welsh.

And from today, 29 January, that’s exactly what they’ll get to do – make a choice of listening in Welsh. For the first time ever, listeners across Wales who want to tune in to a Welsh language radio service can choose – news, sport and anlysis with the Post Cyntaf team on Radio Cymru on FM and all digital platforms, or the Sioe Frecwast on Radio Cymru 2 on all digital platforms, available across Wales. And yes, it’s one new programme but that doubles the choice. Think Radio 4 and Radio 2.

From Monday, wake up and sing out loud with Daf and Caryl; on Friday ask Huw Stephens (yes, that’s Radio1’s Huw Stephens) to say happy birthday to your Mum; expect the unexpected and luxuriate in the best of Welsh music with the two Lisas, Angharad and Gwilym, on the weekend.

With choice, doors start to open. Radio Cymru can concentrate on doing what it does even better first thing in the morning offering national and international news, from a Welsh perspective. On Radio Cymru 2, there’ll be a breakfast show and all the sounds you’d expect from a lively, engaging, presenter-led programme.. We’ll open the door to those who are full of ideas for trying out some new voices or pop-up weekends, who’ll take Radio Cymru 2 by the scruff of the neck and reach out to an audience who tell us that ‘my Welsh isn’t good enough for Radio Cymru’. Radio Cymru 2 will speak their Welsh and will want to hear from them too.

Last year, we marked 40 years since the �鶹Լ�� took that vote of confidence in Welsh language broadcasting and launched �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru. Here we are again – another vote of confidence, taken in 2017, delivering real choice on air in 2018. It’s been no mean feat bringing Radio Cymru 2 to air – ‘diolch’ to the Distribution and Radio Music Multi-Platform teams for searching for technical solutions when things got tough.

From today, the choice will be yours; the pleasure and challenge of bringing Radio Cymru 2 to life will be ours.

Betsan Powys is Editor of Radio Cymru

Radio Cymru 2 service launches with the daily Sioe Frecwast breakfast programme, Monday, January 29, at 6.30am.

You can listen to Radio Cymru 2 on digital radio. Many digital sets will automatically update and will discover Radio Cymru 2 without any assistance. But if not, listeners can select the Auto Tune or Auto Scan option to add Radio Cymru 2 to their list of stations.

You can also listen live - and to any episode during the previous 30 days - on the �鶹Լ�� iPlayer Radio app and bbc.co.uk/radiocymru2

Radio Cymru 2 will also be on TV:

Freeview, YouView, BT TV, & Talk Talk TV – channel 721
Sky, channel 0154; Freesat, channel 718 (and 735 outside Wales)

Fe ges i nghip-olwg cyntaf arno ychydig ddyddiau’n ôl. Dyna lle roedd e, reit yn y canol rhwng Radio Cymru a CBeebies ar yr ap iPlayer Radio – botwm glas Radio Cymru 2. Mae’n fach, mae’n edrych - wel, run fath â phob botwm arall ar yr ap - ond mae ei weld e yno’n g'neud i fi deimlo’n hynod o falch. Pam?

Wel, bum mlynedd yn ôl, a finne newydd gael fy mhenodi i job newydd fel Golygydd Radio Cymru, yr ymateb ges i yn amlach na pheidio oedd “Fyddwn i ddim eisiau bod yn dy esgidiau di!” Byddai eraill yn dod draw gyda gwên ddidwyll gan amla ac yn llawn cydymdeimlad: “Fedri di ddim plesio pawb.”

Yr hyn oedd yn poeni gwrandawyr brwd, cyn-wrandawyr, a phobl na fyddai fyth wedi breuddwydio gwrando oedd bod yn rhaid i Radio Cymru ‘fod yn bopeth i bawb’. Sut allwch chi fod yn Radio 1, 2, 3, 4, 4 Extra, 5 a 6 ... heb golli’r un nifer o wrandawyr ag y byddech chi’n eu hennill? Y peryg cwbwl amlwg yn y pendraw yw plesio neb.

Ers 40 mlynedd, mae Radio Cymru wedi gneud jobyn aruthrol o warchod y teyrngar, tra’n mentro taflu’r rhwyd yn ehangach. Radio Cymru yw dewis cyntaf siaradwyr Cymraeg rhugl. Mae teyrngarwch y gynulleidfa i’r orsaf, o ran yr oriau maen nhw’n eu treulio yn gwrando wythnos ar ôl wythnos yn anhygoel, yn ysbrydoledig.

Ry’ ni’n darlledu bob dydd, o’r peth cyntaf yn y bore tan hanner nos, yn siarad gyda’n gwrandawyr yn fyw o stiwdios yng Nghaerdydd, Caerfyrddin, Aberystwyth a Bangor bob dydd. Nid siarad gwag yw dweud mai ni yw ‘Llais Cymru’ - Cymru benbaladr.

Mae newyddion, chwaraeon, rhaglenni cylchgrawn, nodwedd, dogfen a dramau Radio Cymru wedi ennill gwobrau ac mae pobl yn eu gwerthfawrogi – ond hyd yn oed tra’n gwerthfawrogi, roedd y gwrandawyr yn gweld ymhell. Ro’n nhw’n gwbwl ymwybodol ei bod hi’n mynd yn anos i Radio Cymru gystadlu â dewis aruthrol bellach o orsafoedd sy'n canolbwyntio ar gynnig un llais, un swn, yn ddi-dor drwy’r dydd ac yn llwyddo i wneud hynny’n dda. Sut felly roedd modd i ni ddiogelu Radio Cymru at y dyfodol mewn oes ddigidol, lle mae technoleg yn fyd-eang, Saesneg yn iaith gyffredin, a chynnwys ieithoedd lleiafrifol yn cael trafferth i grafangu’i ffordd i’r brig? Sut mae cynnig rhaglenni i ystod ehangach o wrandawyr, o ran chwaeth ac oedran, heb ddarbwyllo eraill i droi cefn ar yr orsaf?

‘Styriwch fy nheulu i fy hun. Cymraeg oedd iaith yr aelwyd. Dim ond pan glywais i gyd-fyfyrwraig Gymraeg ei hiaith yn gwrando ar Radio 1 – Radio 1! – wrth wneud ei gwaith y sylweddolais i nad oedd setiau radio pawb wedi’u hoelio i donfedd 96.8FM pan yn blant. Mae fy rhieni’n dal i fod yn wrandawyr ffyddlon. Un o Lundain yw fy mhartner ac mae e wedi dysgu Cymraeg ers symud yma ddeng mlynedd yn ôl. Mae’n ei chael hi’n haws dilyn rhai rhaglenni nac eraill. Mae’r plant yn ddwyieithog a phan fyddan nhw’n gwrando ar y radio, d'yn nhw ddim yn credu mewn crafu i’w Mam drwy aros yn ddi-ffael gyda Radio Cymru. Felly, un teulu ond tra bo rhai eisiau clywed y newyddion a’r dadansoddi yn y bore ac yn ochneidio o glywed y record gynta, mae'r lleill yn diawlio ac yn gwrthod gwrando o gwbwl oni bai fod 'na gerddoriaeth, dipyn bach o hwyl a chyfle i gyfrannu drwy'r cyfryngau cymdeithasol.

Waeth beth eu chwaeth, yr iaith maen nhw am ei chlywed, yw’r Gymraeg.

Ac o’r peth cyntaf bore ‘ma, dyna’n union fydd ar gael iddyn nhw – y gallu i wneud dewis wrth wrando yn y Gymraeg. Am y tro cyntaf, bydd gwrandawyr ledled Cymru sydd eisiau gwrando ar wasanaeth radio yn y Gymraeg yn gallu dewis – newyddion, chwaraeon a dadansoddi gyda thîm Post Cyntaf ar Radio Cymru ar FM a phob platfform digidol, neu’r Sioe Frecwast ar Radio Cymru 2 ar bob platfform digidol, sydd ar gael ledled Cymru. Ac ie, un rhaglen newydd ydy hi ond mae hynny’n dyblu'r dewis - rhywle tua Radio 4 a Radio 2 falle.

O ddydd Llun ymlaen, beth am ddeffro a chanu fflatowt gyda Daf a Caryl? Ddydd Gwener, gofynnwch i Huw Stephens (ie, yr Huw Stephens sydd ar Radio 1) i ddweud pen-blwydd hapus wrth Mam, pob lwc i’r plant, penwythnos hapus i’r athrawon. A thros y penwythnos, byddwch yn barod i fwynhau’r annisgwyl yng nghwmni’r ddwy Lisa, Angharad a Gwilym, wrth iddyn nhw chwarae'r gerddoriaeth Gymraeg orau.

Mae drysau’n agor wrth gynnig dewis. Gall Radio Cymru ganolbwyntio ar gynnig gwasanaeth hyd yn oed yn well peth cyntaf yn y bore, torri straeon perthnasol, diddorol ac adrodd ar newyddion cenedlaethol a rhyngwladol o bersbectif Cymreig. Ar Radio Cymru 2, bydd y sioe frecwast fywiog yn help i ddeffro gyda gwên. A chredwch fi, fe fyddwn ni’n agor y drws led y pen i’r rheiny sy’n llawn syniadau ac yn awyddus i’w rhannu, sydd am roi cyfle i leisiau newydd gael tro arni, i greu sain fydd yn unigryw i Radio Cymru 2. Dyma’r rhai fydd yn mynd â Radio Cymru 2 at gynulleidfa newydd, at gynulleidfa sy’n haeddu cael ei chosi, un sy’n dweud o hyd nad yw eu Cymraeg nhw’n ddigon da i wrando ar Radio Cymru. Bydd Radio Cymru 2 yn siarad eu hiaith nhw ac yn barod i wrando arnyn nhw hefyd.

Llynedd, roedd Radio Cymru’n dathlu 40 mlynedd ers i’r �鶹Լ�� gymryd y cam hyderus hwnnw ym maes darlledu yn y Gymraeg, a lansio gorsaf radio Gymraeg. A dyma ni unwaith eto – cam hyderus arall, un sy’n dangos ffydd o’r newydd, yn rhoi dewis go iawn ar yr awyr yn 2018. Mae wedi bod yn gryn gamp i ddod â Radio Cymru 2 yn fyw. Diolch o galon felly i’r timau yn Llundain a Chaerdydd fu’n chwilio’n ddi-droi-nôl am atebion technegol newydd, blaengar pan ddaeth problemau i’n herio ni.

O heddiw ymlaen, chi fydd piau’r dewis; ni fydd â'r pleser a’r her o ddod â Radio Cymru 2 yn fyw.

Betsan Powys, Golygydd Radio Cymru

Aberfan programmes dominate nominations at British Academy Cymru Awards

2017-10-09T14:31:00+00:00

On Sunday 8 October, �鶹Լ�� Radio 1 presenter, Huw Stephens hosted the 2017 British Academy Cymru Awards at St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

Here is a round up of �鶹Լ�� Wales' wins at the award ceremony, which honours excellence in broadcasting and production within film, games and television in Wales, in a year when programmes marking the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster featured highly among the nominations.

Aberfan: The Green Hollow

A film poem to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster won three awards: Television Drama, Writer - Owen Sheers (pictured), and Breakthrough Award - Jenna Robbins.

Aberfan: The Fight for Justice

The story of Aberfan's decades-long battle for justice after a coal tip crashed down on a village in south Wales won the awards for Single Documentary, and Presenter - Huw Edwards.

�鶹Լ�� Young Musician 2016 Grand Final

Coverage from the climax to the competition won the Live Broadcast award.

The Greatest Gift

With unprecedented access to the transplant teams at the University Hospital of Wales, the series which followed the incredible journey from one person's death to others receiving their organ donation, won the BAFTA Cymru for Factual Series. Find out more about the series from producer Carrie Smith.

Michael Sheen: The Fight for my Steel Town

The actor returned to Port Talbot to see the impact hundreds of job losses at the steelworks is having on families. The resulting documentary received the BAFTA Cymru for News and Current Affairs.

Sherlock

Will Oswald won the award for Editing The Six Thatchers episode of the detective drama.

Other �鶹Լ�� related successes on the night included �鶹Լ�� Films' The Library Suicides, Director: Fiction - Euros Lyn and The Lighthouse, Special and Visual Effects. There were also awards for Damilola Our Loved Boy, Lady Chatterley's Lover and Kimberly Nixon who received Best Actress for her role as Holly in �鶹Լ�� One drama Ordinary Lies.

Abi Morgan won the Sian Phillips Award, read her blog Writing 'River' for �鶹Լ�� One at the �鶹Լ�� Writersroom website.

Congratulations to all the winners of the 2017 British Academy Cymru Awards, a full list of winners can be seen on the BAFTA Cymru website.

�鶹Լ�� Writersroom Wales

2017-03-24T16:12:11+00:00

�鶹Լ�� Writersroom launched in Wales today (24 March) with a one-day festival in Cardiff. Development Producer Rachel Williams explains what this means and some of Writersroom's plans for Wales.

I like a challenge but when we decided in February to combine the launch of �鶹Լ�� Writersroom in Wales with the first �鶹Լ�� Welsh Writers Festival, I did wonder if I’d taken on too much! But as the day of the event dawns I’m glad that we’ve made it happen so fast. We all know the writer's mantra ‘show don’t tell’ – this day long festival is a way we can show the breadth of what the �鶹Լ�� Writersroom does – with sessions on TV drama, Continuing Drama, Radio Drama, Comedy, writing for Children’s programmes and a room dedicated to digital storytelling.

But most importantly we wanted to bring the Welsh writing community together to find out – how can we help? What is needed? How can we make �鶹Լ�� Writersroom a success in Wales? This isn’t about us preaching to you – this is the start of a conversation that we want you all to be an active part of.

Wales has story in its veins; I grew up surrounded by natural storytellers and characters and we've seen some of these reflected on screen, brilliant homegrown drama from Hinterland to Torchwood to Stella. But there's room for more versions of ourselves – multi-cultural Wales, the urban estates, (not just rural!) North Wales, middle class Wales… drama and comedy where our Welshness can either be central or incidental. We are here to help writers tell these stories and, most importantly, get them made.

Wales is a bilingual country and the story is slightly different with Welsh language drama and comedy – co-production has opened up some real opportunities and there is already some fantastic drama on S4C such as 35 Diwrnod, Hinterland and Y Pris. We are keen to support writers who write in Welsh and we are going to work with a Welsh language script editor who can be across submissions and help facilitate workshops and events in Welsh.

We want to show writers that there are many ways to get their story out there and it makes sense for a writer to try their hand at other forms and to experiment with different ways of telling stories. Look at the reach of radio drama like James Fritz's Comment is Free (winner of both the Imison Award and the Tinniswood Award 2017) or Matthew Broughton’s Tracks (which was produced by �鶹Լ�� Drama in Wales for Radio 4). A key aim of �鶹Լ�� Writersroom in Wales is to help join up all the existing producers who are working with and developing writers and to try to create more opportunities by partnering with them. For instance, we will be working with National Theatre Wales to run an intensive twelve-week writers’ development programme - ‘Welsh Voices’.

We're also pushing to create new opportunities at both nation and network level, places where writers can hone and develop their craft, where talent has a chance to incubate and find their voice. This year we are supporting It's My Shout with a two-day script development workshop. We will also be working with �鶹Լ�� Wales in finding and developing the next generation of comic voices for shortform content.

The Writers festival will be the first event of many events that we will put on to support and develop the Welsh writing community. �鶹Լ�� Writersroom Wales will also run sessions at the Llandudno Craft of Comedy conference at the end of March and at Machynlleth Comedy Festival in April. We also plan a fully bi-lingual launch and writing workshop in North Wales.

I'm looking forward to meeting and working with you in the months to come!

Rachel Williams is �鶹Լ�� Writersroom's Development Producer for Wales

This post originally appeared on the Writersroom website

Read also �鶹Լ�� Writersroom launches in Scotland

40 years of Radio Cymru

2017-01-03T11:02:44+00:00

Forty years ago today, Radio Cymru – the one and only Welsh language national radio station – was born. It broke free from the world of opt-outs, where you might emerge from listening, say, to the Archers and stumble across a Welsh language documentary, before being safely returned to Radio 4 Wales. Creating a radio station that broadcast fully in Welsh was long overdue said its fans; it was in danger of becoming a ghetto for Welsh language programming said others. But while they analysed, Radio Cymru got on with it and set out to persuade its listeners that VHF - FM had a future.

If you spoke Welsh, then Hywel Gwynfryn’s breakfast show ‘Helo Bobol!’ was for you. In our house, we spoke Welsh so we listened to Hywel and to Radio Cymru – it was that simple. When there were birthdays to be celebrated, you did it with requests on Radio Cymru. When heavy snow was falling and you needed to know which shops had bread on the shelves, or waited with baited breath for news of school closures, you did it with Radio Cymru.

News bulletins on that first morning were delivered by journalist Gwyn Llewelyn, who brought stories from every single corner of Wales, some big, some very small, local and from all four corners of the country. We still broadcast every weekday from Cardiff, Bangor, Carmarthen and Aberystwyth, not because it makes life technically any easier but because if you want to speak to the whole of Wales, you need to be there, live there and work there.

And from those early days, on �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru, ‘�鶹Լ��’ stood for ‘Y Bobol Biau’r Cyfrwng’ –‘the people own the media’.

That doesn’t mean the people have always agreed with us. Over the years both musicians and poets, who play a huge role in the station’s success, have been ‘on strike’ and refused to broadcast on Radio Cymru. The ‘B’ in ‘�鶹Լ��’ has stood for considerably less complimentary words along the years. Yet as Radio Cymru turns forty, you’ll be hard pressed to find a national radio station that has more loyal listeners, or who believe ‘their’ station is more precious.

Where else would you find a programme where audiences turn up in village halls and pubs to hear teams of poets going head to head? ‘Talwrn y Beirdd’ is a jewel in our crown not just because it’s brilliant and entertaining stuff, but because no-one else does it like we do. If you’d tuned in to our digital pop-up station, RC Mwy, launched on the iPlayer Radio app to mark our 40th anniversary, you’d know that the Welsh language music scene is thriving – thanks in no small part to Radio Cymru.

And it’s thanks to a succession of Radio Cymru commentators that the language has kept up with the changing vocabulary of football and rugby over four decades. Without them, I’m not sure Dylan Griffiths would ever have stood in the Stade de Bordeaux last June, microphone in hand and screamed “Bale … Bordeaux … Bendigedig!”

Yet there is an uncomfortable reality to face. The Welsh language is under pressure. There’s competition from digital stations who barely notice national boundaries. For my children and for their friends, Welsh language culture is one part of a patchwork of influences that straddle, Welsh, British and international cultures. It’s not that simple any more.

So as we celebrate, Radio Cymru will look back and make the most of forty fantastic years of archives. But more importantly, we’ll look ahead and hand in hand with our listeners, we’ll have a ball.

Betsan Powys is Editor, Radio Cymru.

Read 'Former Radio Cymru presenters on air for 40th anniversary' on the �鶹Լ�� News website.
Listen to Radio Cymru.

(Even more) Wales at Euro 2016

2016-07-06T11:00:00+00:00

�鶹Լ�� Wales Football Correspondent Rob Phillips has been following the Welsh team at Euro 2016 and, when he gets a chance, he’s been writing updates for his followers and friends on Facebook. We've put together a third set of edited highlights from Rob’s week at the Wales base in Dinard, Brittany, and on the road following the team. Can there possibly be a part four? Well it is Rob's birthday today so you never know...

Sunday 3/7/16 - two days after the quarter-final v Belgium

It's Sunday… So it must be the launderette in Dinard…

You don't know how good it feels to be able to write those words. 'Phenomenal' is one of the superlatives which springs to mind. What a weekend! I expect you might have heard Wales are through to the semi-finals of the European Championships (you really don't know how good it feels to be able to write those words - 'absolutely phenomenal' springs to mind).

Friday night was yet another unforgettable experience, something which appears to be happening every few days at the moment. And it's not just we Welsh who are enjoying it. After travelling back to Brittany from Lille yesterday we had a bit of a celebration last night, which involved a decent meal, watching the penalty shoot-out, and a few drinks with the rest of the media covering Wales. There was a slight air of disbelief among us all, but the barman was convinced Pays de Galles were heading to Paris…

Fast forward to the launderette and an elderly gentleman and I had a somewhat testing conversation (since he didn't speak much England and I spoke even less French - if only I had listened more to my French teacher Mr Burns in Pontypridd Grammar). Anyway, one phrase I did manage to pick up was ''Pays de Galles - Finale!'' - which I took to mean Wales are going all the way to the Euro 2016 final in Paris next weekend. We shook hands on it (so did his partner), so it's almost official.

Today marks a month on this journey now (started at Heathrow, on to Sweden and then France) and the little incidentals take on a new meaning. Whoever would have thought I'd need more toothpaste today? Be honest, you didn't did you? Neither did I. There we go, it must be historic! (Before you ask, yes, it's the same stuff they sell in Wales... Don't be so surprised!).

Gareth Bale spotted in a shop window in Dinard, Brittany

Anyway, on the way to get the toothpaste (for sensitive teeth, I'm that sort of soul), came across this extraordinary signed picture of Gareth Bale. Don't get distracted by the space suit next to it - Tim Peake has had his day in the sun - or should that be stars - the point is, there was no price on the stunning Gareth Bale picture. So I went inside and asked the shop owner, "how much?" ''Not for sale,'' he said....''not until after the final!''

Not dull, this feller. He had correctly worked out the price would rocket (sorry!) if Wales reached those heady heights or even won the whole thing.

His smile was almost as broad as that of the launderette owner who paid a visit while myself and Iwan Roberts were waiting for our respective tumble dryers to finish. As I have noted previously, I suspect his retirement plans are well in hand…

Off to a press conference soon and then to Lyon tomorrow for Wednesday's showpiece. I've given up trying to predict what will happen. You can put nothing past this amazing Wales squad, the new heroes of France. If Wales win on Wednesday, it'll be easy to go with the cliche 'over the moon'.

Maybe that shop owner was really onto something… How much was that space suit?

Monday 4/7/16 - two days before the semi-final v Portugal

This place - yes, and the launderette in town - has basically been home (Chez moi - as they say in France) for the last month. Dinard has been a joy, the people have embraced the Wales squad and all who follow them. Frankly, one of the many major decisions Chris Coleman and his staff have got right in this tournament was being based here on the beautiful Brittany coast. This community and its people will always have a special place in the memory of those who have been here.

I move to Lyon today and - hopefully - on to Paris on Thursday. If Wales can actually continue this fairytale journey all the way to the Euro 2016 final, then the squad will return to Dinard on Thursday - to a no doubt even more rapturous reception than they have had so far (and that's saying something). I am sure more than just myself want to return one day soon.

But for now I say "Farewell Dinard" - you and your charming people have been a delight. You have played your part in an already wonderful Welsh story. Thank you. Bon Chance!

Listen to Rob’s commentary on �鶹Լ�� Radio Wales, followed by the regular post-match phone-in, Call Rob Phillips.
Read the first installment of Rob's Euro 2016 diaries on the About the �鶹Լ�� Blog and the second installment
Read Jon Jacob's blog about how �鶹Լ�� Radio Five Live introduced him to the world of football

Share Your Welsh in 2016

2016-02-09T14:00:00+00:00

What’s your aim for 2016? Climb Mount Kilimanjaro? Do a triathlon?Recreate a miniature Titanic using just lollipop sticks?

The new year sees many a resolution come and go so this January, �鶹Լ�� Radio Wales made it their mission to help keep one aim on track by launching ‘Share Your Welsh’.

Born and bred in Wales, I’ve often lamented that I should have learnt my mother tongue, but so often distractions and excuses have got in the way.

It was this thought - bolstered by the admissions of fellow sheepish colleagues - that made us here at Audio Always think about how we could reach out to those who felt a similar draw. And as an independent radio production company, how could we engage with this audience?

Working with �鶹Լ�� Radio Wales, we designed a campaign to inspire, encourage and support Welsh learners by sharing simple words and phrases every day, success stories from across Wales (and beyond) and helpful hints and tips to get us all on the right track.

We heard from so many incredible Welsh learners proving that learning a new language amidst a busy lifestyle can be done. Whether they be like Hugh from Ellesmere who wanted to learn a language that harked back to childhood holidays or 99-year-old Helena who is still winning awards for her Welsh at the National Eisteddfod.

We also featured helpful and sometimes inventive initiatives that can help people improve their vocabulary - such as welsh language walks around Barry with Ruth from Valeways to The Deck cafe in Cardiff Bay who play basic Welsh phrases in the loos of their café.

We quickly realised that learning Welsh isn’t just for those of us born here, as proved by surgeon Dr. Phillip Moore from Barbados who loves surprising the patients at Ysbyty Gwynedd with his Welsh skills. We also spoke to Lidia Lammardo who hails from Argentina, lives in Belfast and travels to Cardiff for Welsh classes.

The project also gave us a chance to explore how Welsh is developing alongside different industries including technology, leisure and emergency services.

For technology, we visited Canolfan Bedwyr in Bangor to check out their speech recognition software and even heard from Google Translate’s Chief Engineer, Macduff Hughes, about his love of the language and his efforts to represent Welsh online.

A huge part of Share Your Welsh was getting out and speaking to listeners across Wales. When I mapped everywhere we’d visited, it was great to see how many communities had been involved.

Map of Share your Welsh project

Whilst our main aim was to reach out to �鶹Լ�� Radio Wales listeners, the campaign also stimulated activity across other areas of the �鶹Լ�� including S4C’s Dal Ati, Pobol Y Cwm, Radio Cymru and more.

This external content is available at its source: https://twitter.com/�鶹Լ��WalesSport/status/693040546017734657

It also allowed us to talk directly with people who were getting involved through social media. We encouraged those connected with the campaign to get involved using #shareyourwelsh which trended a few times during the project.

This external content is available at its source: https://twitter.com/AbbyPobydd/status/687632480346726405

This external content is available at its source: https://twitter.com/ffrwti/status/685551556461215744

This external content is available at its source: https://twitter.com/DaiBanjo/status/692342744786812928

Some of our posts got a lot of attention online, helping �鶹Լ�� Radio Wales to connect with even more people.

This external content is available at its source: https://twitter.com/�鶹Լ��RadioWales/status/691609740628103172

And even though Share Your Welsh was focused on the month of January, the content will remain a valuable online resource for learners in the future. So if you’ve a desire to brush up on your Welsh or learn from scratch: rhoi cynnig arni (give it a go).

Chelsea Dickenson, Content Producer, Audio Always producers of Share Your Welsh for �鶹Լ�� Wales

Read also Share your Welsh in 2016 with Huw & Dot
Find out more at the Share Your Welsh website

�鶹Լ�� Cardiff Singer of the World: "Don't come to compete, come to sing!"

2015-06-09T14:18:20+00:00

Jamie Barton, winner of Cardiff Singer of the World, pictured with her trophy at the 2013 final

Like everything, �鶹Լ�� Cardiff Singer of the World, or simply “Cardiff Singer” as it’s always known, had to start somewhere, and it started in the brain of Mervyn Williams, then �鶹Լ�� Wales Head of Music. He was mulling over what type of event would be a good curtain raiser for the wonderful new St David’s Hall that was being built in Cardiff in 1982.

His eureka moment was the idea of an international singing competition where various television broadcasters would each field a talented young classical singer who would come to Cardiff to take part in Cardiff Singer of the World.

From the very beginning, Mervyn’s vision was not one of a gladiatorial combat, but of a festival of singing. “Don’t come to compete!” he said, “come to sing!”

It’s the same spirit that infuses the competition today. Yes, there is a competition, and yes, there is a winner, but really, for the audience, at home and in the St David’s Hall itself, there is a feast of wonderful music and singing. That’s the main thing. It’s an extraordinary thing too – the singers who come to Cardiff aren’t ordinary people. They have trained all their lives for this, and they and their families will have sacrificed time, money, a social life and many other things that the rest of us take for granted, to achieve the astonishing level of ability that they bring to us. For just under 20 minutes, they get to show their brilliance to some of the greatest experts in the world of classical singing, in front of a discerning, albeit supportive, audience, and to the millions watching and listening around the globe

Cardiff Singer has grown into a considerable endeavor. Now over 30 years old, it’s seen a lot of famous singers pass through its doors, (not just the winners). And like any other considerable endeavor, once one competition finale is over, we’re already well into the planning for the next one; searching for singers to take part, as well finding conductors, accompanists and jurors, is a continuous process.

Nowadays we run the search for future participants ourselves, via a selection process of DVDs submitted, followed up by live auditions to find the brilliant 20 singers who come to take part.

The small team in the office, now based at the �鶹Լ�� Wales headquarters, in Llandaff, north Cardiff, is a busy and happy one. Maybe it’s because of the nature of the competition, but it seems as if we’re always singing – although admittedly operatic arias are not the order of the day – we’re more likely to burst into music-hall ditties like, “My Old Man Said Follow The Van”, or “Boiled Beef and Carrots!”, all in noisy, cod-cockney voices. As we’re in an open plan office, this can lead to a lot of pursed lips and violent typing of instant messages between our non-Cardiff Singer colleagues, but they’re a tolerant bunch on the whole.

Getting Cardiff Singer on air is also a complicated process. With a production team numbering well over a hundred there’s a lot of organising to be done. The programme is a mix of live and pre-recorded output, so it takes a bit of remembering who’s doing what, when. The ‘Main Final’ is always “live” or “as live” (i.e. slightly deferred but un-edited) and that can present all sorts of unique challenges.

One year, the Final was broadcasting straight after some live sport – crucial cricket interspersed with Tim Henman at Wimbledon. We waited to hear when we could go on air conscious that the nature of both those sports of course is that no-one can really tell when they will finish.

As Executive Producer, waiting to tell everyone when Television Centre in London were ready to ‘come to us’ I found myself on the phone to Presentation at TV Centre (who run the channel from minute to minute), waiting to hear what was happening.

“Well, we’ll take the end of the cricket and then we’ll go to Wimbledon to see the end of Tim Henman’s match – so there’s no saying when we’ll be ready to come to you.”

Since I had a concert hall full of 2,000 people, and an orchestra waiting to go on stage, this wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear…

Pres(entation): We reckon it’ll be about 45 minutes or so
Me: WHAT?!!
Pres: No wait, the cricket’s finishing, we’re going to Wimbledon now… no saying how long that’ll be…
Me: (on phone to stage manager with other ear) OK, tell the orchestra to stand by, we can’t send them on yet.
Pres: OK coming to you in 5 minutes
Me: (to stage manager) Get the orchestra on now!
Stage Manager: But you just said…?
Me: I know – just send them on!
Pres: Coming to you in 90 seconds…
Me: What??? – Okay – orchestra on. Safety Announcement, NOW!
Pres: 30 seconds – just showing a trail for Casualty – 25 seconds
Stage Manager: Orchestra going on. Safety Announcement going on
Pres: 20 seconds…
Me: Get the stage presenter off as soon as you can – the safety announcement’s all we’ve time for – no niceties or jokes!
Pres: 10 seconds…
Stage Manager: Orchestra all on, safety announcement nearly finished
Me: Get the presenter off now!
(During this the TV Director, via talkback, is briefing TV presenter Petroc Trelawny and his guest; the Production Assistant in the gallery is counting down to opening titles, the orchestra leader and the conductor are waiting to be cued on...)
Pres: 5...4…3…2…You’re live…

Well, we got there, and we always do. Such is the thrill of live television. Planning a big competition like Cardiff Singer is a challenge to which we bring the combined experience of incredible people across the �鶹Լ��. And we’ll go into this year’s Grand Final knowing that the Wimbledon championship is yet to happen too.

David Jackson is Artistic Director, �鶹Լ�� Cardiff Singer of the World

Find out more about �鶹Լ�� Cardiff Singer of the World

Have you seen our giant radio?

2014-06-20T04:55:44+00:00

�鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru's giant radio

�鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru's summer programming begins with the Big Day Of Summer on Friday 20 June. It also demands a big radio. In this blog post, Betsan Powys introduces the special programmes and the country-wide campaign to raise awareness about them. We've provided a Welsh translation at the bottom of this post.

You may not know it yet, but today’s a big day for a big �鶹Լ�� radio station.

The station’s gone through some big changes recently. It’s got some big ambitions, too, and certainly some of the biggest personalities in radio. This summer it’s got plans (you guessed it, big plans…) to get out there, right in the heart of its audience, with a series of OBs. And it’s all kicking off today with wall-to-wall programmes from around the country. Today is Radio Cymru’s Big Day of Summer (Diwrnod Mawr yr Haf).

To be honest, between you and me it’s actually not that much of a big deal for �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru to be out there in the community. It happens all the time, you see, and for your average �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru listener it’s about as much of a surprise to see breakfast presenter Dylan Jones down their way, for example, as it might be for them to bump into, say, Mr Thomas from the local tennis club.

But the new schedule’s been well received and we thought it was time for an innovative way to get maximum recognition for the new line-up of presenters and, just as importantly, allow their distinctive personalities to shine through.

Because Radio Cymru is not just one radio station, it’s at least four or five stations rolled into one to serve a diverse Welsh language audience. If you want news, sport, traffic and travel, weather, great music of all sorts, chat, drama, poetry, comedy, politics, literature, competitions, opinion, panel shows or rural affairs on your radio station (and you also want it in Welsh on a big national station for the whole country) you know where to come…

So there was only one solution, really, for the marketing campaign, when it came down to it. We had to have a big radio - and a series of TV promos, filmed - on location of course - in Carmarthen, Caernarfon and Anglesey.

The big radio (#RadioFAWR) is going to be out and about over the next few months, too, at big festivals and local events, because we think it’ll be a talking point and a way to get people to come over, say hello to our presenters and programme makers wherever they may be, and make a real connection. (Hopefully they’ll take some selfies for their social media accounts too, but that would just be a bonus!) Whether they’re already among the tens of thousands of avid Radio Cymru listeners, or perhaps they don’t listen much at the moment, we know there’s something on our big station for everyone - and this summer we’re going to get that message out.

…Big time!

P.S. If you spot our giant radio today, please let us know and you might win a prize!

Efallai nad ydych yn gwybod hyn eto, ond mae heddiw yn ddiwrnod mawr i orsaf radio fawr.

Mae'r orsaf wedi mynd drwy newidiadau mawr yn ddiweddar. Mae ganddi uchelgais fawr, hefyd, ac yn sicr mae ganddi rai o'r personoliaethau mwyaf yn y byd radio. Dros yr haf mae ganddi gynlluniau (ie, dyna chi, cynlluniau mawr...) i fynd allan at y gynulleidfa gyda chyfres o ddarllediadau allanol. Ac mae'r holl beth yn cael ei lansio heddiw gyda rhaglenni drwy’r dydd o bob cwr o'r wlad. Heddiw yw Diwrnod Mawr yr Haf �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru.

A bod yn onest, rhyngoch chi a fi, dyw bod allan yn yn y gymuned ddim yn beth mor fawr â hynny i �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru. Mae'n digwydd drwy'r amser, a dyw gweld y cyflwynydd boreol Dylan Jones, er enghraifft, yn cyflwyno ei raglen o’ch tref chi ddim gymaint o syndod a hynny i wrandawyr selog yr orsaf.

Ond mae'r amserlen newydd wedi cael derbyniad da, ac roedden ni’n credu ei bod yn amser i ddod o hyd i ffordd arloesol o dynnu mwy eto o sylw at yr amserlen a’r cyflwynwyr newydd ac, yr un mor bwysig, yn caniatáu i’w personoliaethau unigryw ddisgleirio.

Oherwydd nid dim ond un orsaf radio yw Radio Cymru mewn gwirionedd, ond o leiaf pedair neu bum gorsaf wedi’u cyfuno’n un i wasanaethu cynulleidfa Gymraeg amrywiol iawn. Os ydych am gael newyddion, chwaraeon, traffig a theithio, y tywydd, cerddoriaeth wych o bob math, sgyrsio, drama, barddoniaeth, comedi, gwleidyddiaeth, llenyddiaeth, cystadlaethau, barn, sioeau panel neu faterion gwledig ar eich radio (a hynny yn Gymraeg ac ar un orsaf genedlaethol fawr) dyma’r orsaf i chi…

Felly dim ond un ateb oedd, mewn gwirionedd, ar gyfer yr ymgyrch farchnata. Roedd yn rhaid i ni gael radio fawr - a chyfres o drêls teledu - wedi’u ffilmio ar leoliad wrth gwrs - yng Nghaerfyrddin, Caernarfon ac Ynys Môn. Mae'r radio fawr (#RadioFAWR) yn mynd i fod ar daith dros y misoedd nesaf, hefyd, mewn gwyliau bach a mawr a digwyddiadau lleol, oherwydd ein bod yn credu y bydd yn ysgogi sgwrs ac yn ffordd i gael pobl i ddod draw a dweud helo wrth ein cyflwynwyr a thimau rhaglenni lle bynnag maen nhw. (Gobeithio y byddan nhw’n tynnu hunluniau ar gyfer y gwefannau cymdeithasol hefyd, ond bonws fyddai hynny!) Os ydyn nhw eisoes ymysg y degau o filoedd o wrandawyr selog, neu efallai prin yn gwrando ar y hyn o bryd, rydym yn gwybod bod rhywbeth ar ein gorsaf fawr i bawb - a thros yr haf rydyn ni am wneud ein gorau glas i gyrraedd cymaint ohonoch chi ag sy’n bosibl.

O.N. Os gwelwch chi’n radio fawr ni heddiw, rhowch wybod i ni ac efallai y byddwch chi’n ennill gwobr!

Betsan Powys is Editor, �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru

Find out more about the Radio Cymru summer programming on the Media Centre website. Listen to �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru here.
Follow �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru on Twitter. Follow the big radio around the country by using the hashtag #radiofawr

Tony Hall speaks at National Assembly for Wales Reception

2014-04-01T18:16:09+00:00

Tonight, Director-General Tony Hall spoke at the National Assembly for Wales Reception. He opened his speech by saying,

"I have been back at the �鶹Լ�� a year today – and it has been exhilarating (well, mostly exhilarating). To be given the right to be funded by a licence fee is a tremendous privilege. And the truth is that the people of Wales – as in every other part of the UK - make a bold and generous commitment in paying for the �鶹Լ��.

They own it, they love it, and they expect only the best from it. Every day we have to show we are worthy of that commitment.

I have also returned to the �鶹Լ�� to find a Wales that’s transformed.

I was �鶹Լ��’s Director of News during the uncertain days of 1997 when the very idea of devolution in Wales was so hotly contested and divisive. Coming back now, I find a nation that exudes a self-confidence, a clearer sense of itself and its own values, and an ambition that feels very different.

But it is not just Wales that has changed. I have also come back to find a �鶹Լ�� Wales that’s transformed. Truly transformed."

He went on to pay tribute to �鶹Լ�� Wales' contribution to drama, underlined how audiences in Wales were served by the �鶹Լ��, illustrated how new talent was also being supported by the corporation in addition to highlighting the forthcoming Dylan Thomas Season.

He closed his speech by considering,

"... Wales without the �鶹Լ��.

Where would a nation find its voice in both its languages, where would it be able to explore its identity, its geography, its people? How would a nation come together to share its common heritage? Or debate its shared challenges? Or celebrate its national successes?

Just consider that every day the �鶹Լ�� is actively chosen by the Welsh public close to seven million times. And every day, the average use of the �鶹Լ�� in Wales is over six and a half hours per household – the highest level anywhere in the UK.

But while I challenge anyone to find better value, I also challenge you tonight to tell us how we can continue to improve and deepen the service we offer Wales; how we can continue to ensure that Wales can see itself and talk to itself on its own terms in a digital, interactive world; and how we can continue to take the very best talent produced and developed here in Wales and place it on a global stage."

Read the full speech on the Media Centre website.
Read more posts by Tony Hall.

Reawakening our connection with Dylan Thomas on the �鶹Լ��

2014-03-24T11:33:19+00:00

Dylan Thomas at the �鶹Լ�� in 1948

Part of the pleasure of pulling together a celebration of the centenary of the birth of Dylan Thomas is the feeling that comes from doing a job for one of our own.

There’s no doubt now that Dylan Thomas was a great poet. Often a big anniversary will bring about some reappraisal of their subject, and in the case of Dylan Thomas and 2014 it might well be that his work finally starts to poke its head up above the formidable parapet erected by his colourful personal life.

But Thomas was also a colleague in a way, a �鶹Լ�� man. In the first full year after the end of the Second World War Dylan Thomas made over 50 broadcasts for the �鶹Լ��. He wasn’t just a booming intoner of his own poetry – poetry that owes so much to the fact that he wrote it to be read out. He was an all-rounder, able to turn his voice and hand to chat shows, essays, drama, discussion, literary analysis and stories. Think of him perhaps as a precursor to those precious characters we all know and love in broadcasting to this day who can pop up on news programmes, comedy shows, documentaries and much else, pitching their contribution perfectly for each audience and yet remaining very naturally themselves.

Like many natural broadcasters, he was good to produce. The poet, producer and later cricket commentator John Arlott worked with Thomas many times and stressed in later years that he had always delivered what was asked of him and never turned up the worse for drink. When the �鶹Լ�� commissioned what would become Under Milk Wood from Dylan Thomas there were a few raised eyebrows as he began to ask for advances during a near decade-long wait for a manuscript. But as the �鶹Լ�� Written Archives records show, his producer Douglas Cleverdon trusted the poet enough to guarantee the advance from his own pocket.

�鶹Լ�� producers still have a soft spot for Dylan Thomas. In �鶹Լ�� Wales we quickly put together a group of enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff to turn ideas into action, and soon leading academics, the Welsh Government, Welsh acting talent and Dylan Thomas enthusiasts from all over the place were shaping what has become a landmark season of programmes and events across many networks and platforms. On television alone there is a spread of programming which seems capable of invigorating debate on the writer and his legacy well into the next centenary, from the Andrew Davies drama Poet in New York with a stunning performance from Tom Hollander, to an entertaining and insightful documentary following Benjamin Zephaniah onto the Townhill estate in Swansea with a book of Dylan’s poetry in hand.

But beware the old-school charm of Dylan Thomas. When we began to think about the season we were very aware that Dylan Thomas was a media innovator and contemporary of MacLuhan, pushing the boundaries of poetry and drama, unlocking the potential of broadcasting and shaking up a cosy post-war cultural world so defiantly as to ensure that he’ll always be known as the rock and roll poet, a catalyst for the beats, the Beatles and Bob Dylan.

So our season very consciously puts tradition and innovation side by side. We are bringing the great recordings of the poetry to our audiences as they were recorded, but we’re also creating a digital offering which radically alters the online landscape for those wishing to discover Dylan Thomas. We’ve moved away from the old black and white photos to new graphics, designed in-house, which give the old image a contemporary twist and connect the season as it spreads over our platforms. And our drama department have worked with the National Theatre Wales to put Under Milk Wood into a 21^st century theatrical context which sits comfortably alongside the best in site-specific and community theatre today, and capture it for our audiences. �鶹Լ�� iPlayer – the latest technology of our own day – will anchor the whole season and allow UK audiences to follow all the programmes.

That performance of the play for voices is part of a weekend of celebrations in Laugharne, where Dylan Thomas lived in the boathouse and wrote in the writing shed. Led by �鶹Լ�� Radio Wales and by Radio 3, the weekend welcomes many other networks to the sleepy village, hopefully reawakening our connection to one of our finest writers in the process. I hope that Dylan the innovator would have been pleased.

Martin Smith is Executive Producer, Dylan Thomas Season

The Dylan Thomas Season is produced by �鶹Լ�� Cymru Wales.

Broadcast details can be found on the �鶹Լ�� Dylan Thomas season website
Apply for free tickets to attend recordings of Dylan Thomas programmes at Laugharne Live

See Welsh rugby fans sing Calon Lân

2014-03-15T18:36:49+00:00

Welsh rugby fans sing for their boys in the Six Nations 2014

Back in February of this year Head of Creative Services at �鶹Լ�� Cymru Wales Phil Higginson wrote about a special campaign that encouraged Welsh rugby fans to submit video of them singing the song Calon Lân.

Today, the finished video comprising video contributions from numerous fans has been put online on the �鶹Լ�� Cymru Wales About the �鶹Լ�� website.

It is a joy to watch and comes with a strong warning: this video may bring a tear to the eye.

Read Phil Higginson's blog explaining how the Calon Lân campaign came about

�鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru's new schedule

2014-03-08T11:36:25+00:00

Changes to �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru's daily schedule come into force on Monday. In this post, �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru editor Betsan Powys introduces those changes to listeners of the station. An English translation appears at the end of this post.

Wrth i �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru lansio amserlen newydd fore Llun, Mawrth 10, dyma'r Golygydd Rhaglenni, Betsan Powys yn edrych ymlaen at bennod newydd.

Pan ddaw bore Llun, fe fydd pethau’n newid ar Radio Cymru. Fe fydd rhai lleisiau’n mynd, eraill yn dod ac ambell lais cyfarwydd iawn yn trio rhywbeth newydd sbon.

I ddechrau felly, diolch. Diolch i’r lleisiau sydd wedi bod yn gwmni i fi ac i chi dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf. Diolch i Dafydd a Caryl, i Iola a Nia am bopeth maen nhw wedi’i roi i Radio Cymru, am eu holl raglenni a chyfraniadau. Mae’r gwrandawyr wedi cael cyfle i ddweud diolch o galon, a dyma nghyfle i felly i wneud yr un peth. Diolch - a diolch am bob cyfraniad eto i ddod yn y dyfodol.

Diolch hefyd i Heledd Cynwal a John Hardy sydd wedi camu i’r orsaf dros dro - gyda steil. Fyddan nhw’n sicir ddim yn ddieithr.

Y sylw dwi wedi’i glywed amlaf am Radio Cymru yw un sy’n swnio’n llawn cydymdeimlad. “Does dim modd i chi fod yn bopeth i bawb” ac eto, dyna beth y’n ni’r Cymry’n ei ddisgwyl gan Radio Cymru. “Allwch chi ddim ennill,” meddai sawl un. Ond y feirniadaeth oedd ein bod ni’n dal i drio bod yn bopeth i bawb trwy’r amser ac felly’n cynnig gormod o’r un peth i’r un gynulleidfa, yr un math o sgyrsiau, yr un math o gerddoriaeth, yn anelu gormod i gyfeiriad un math o wrandawr.

O ddydd Llun ymlaen fydd hynny ddim yn wir. Y nod fydd peidio bod yn bopeth i bawb ond i gynnig rhywbeth i bawb ryw ben bob dydd. Fe fydd rhai’n ffafrio rhaglen lawn dop Dylan Jones ar ôl y Post Cyntaf yn y bore, eraill yn edrych ymlaen i ymuno’n y sgwrs a chân ar Bore Cothi gyda Shân Cothi, eraill yn mwynhau dadl ddifyr, bigog weithiau ac ymateb bywiog ar ein rhaglenni newydd sbon ni amser cinio ac ar Taro’r Post fydd yn fyw am un. Ddaw eraill ddim at Radio Cymru tan bod Tommo o ddydd Llun i ddydd Iau a Tudur Owen ar ddydd Gwener yn rhoi tan ’dani yn y pnawn falle.

Ond mi fydd pawb sydd ar yr orsaf yn hoff lais i rywun, gobeithio, a’r gwir yw bod lle iddyn nhw i gyd ar orsaf sy’n falch o gael bod yn Llais Cymru.

Fe fydd un llais newydd iawn i’w glywed. Guto Rhun, o Fachynlleth yn wreiddiol, yw’r cyntaf o’r criw talentog a brwdfrydig ddaeth i’r golwg drwy’n hymgyrch ‘Cais am Lais’ i gael ei glywed yn gyson ar yr awyr. Os ydych chi’n un o’r criw sy’n dod ar draws Radio Cymru ar y daith ysgolion ac yn barod i roi cynnig ar wrando mwy, yna mi fydd Guto ar yr awyr am awr bob nos Lun a nos Wener am 9.

Gobeithio byddwch chi i’ch clywed ar yr orsaf yn gyson hefyd. Ry’n ni’n anelu i siarad am y pethau sy’n berthnasol i chi, dathlu penblwyddi, genedigaethau a llwyddiannau gyda chi - a bob nos am 6, fe fydd un o’n gwrandawyr ni’n dethol Fy Rhaglen I. Nhw fydd yn dewis eu hoff bytiau o sgyrsiau, straeon a chaneuon i’w rhannu â chi.

Mi fyddwn ni’n darlledu bob dydd yn ystod yr wythnos o Fangor, Aberystwyth, Caerfyrddin, Abertawe a Chaerdydd - dipyn o gamp. Mi fyddwn ni’n ymdrechu i ymweld â’ch ardal chi’n amlach. A byddwn, mi fyddwn ni’n ceisio ehangu apêl Radio Cymru, yn ceisio denu pobol sy’n osgoi gwrando ar y radio’n Gymraeg, sy’n clywed nemor ddim cerddoriaeth Gymraeg o gwbwl, i wrando arnon ni. Ond roedd eich neges chi’n glir: gorsaf ddylai chwarae cerddoriaeth Gymraeg yn bennaf yw Radio Cymru. A dweud y gwir, fe fyddai croeso mawr i fwy o gerddoriaeth Gymraeg, hen a newydd a gwirioneddol amrywiol arni. Falle bod lle i beth cerddoriaeth Saesneg hwnt ac yma, meddech chi, ond dim gormod. Felly bydd hi.

Pan ddaw bore Llun, pob hwyl i’r criw i gyd fydd yn rhan o Radio Cymru - i bob un llais fydd arni, i bob un fydd y tu ôl i’r gwydyr yn trefnu a hybu - a diolch i chi, bob un, fydd yn gwrando. Ac unwaith eto, falle bod y Sgwrs ffurfiol ar ben bellach ac amserlen newydd yn ei lle, ond fe fydd Radio Cymru'n parhau i wrando, ac fe fydda i'n parhau i drafod gofidiau - a chanmoliaeth, gobeithio - gyda'r criw i gyd.

***

When Monday morning comes, things will have changed on Radio Cymru. Some voices will have gone, there will be some new ones and some very familiar voices will be trying something completely new.

So - thanks. Thank you to the voices that have kept me and the listeners company over the past few years. Thanks to Dafydd and Caryl. To Iola and Nia for everything they’ve given to Radio Cymru, for all their programmes and contributions to programmes. The listeners have had a chance to say a big thank you, and here’s my chance to do the same. Thank you - and thanks, too for all the content still to come in the future.

Thanks also to Heledd Cynwal and John Hardy who filled in for us temporarily - and did so with style. Certainly they won’t be strangers in the future.

The comment I’ve heard most often about Radio Cymru is one that is full of sympathy. “You can’t possibly be all things to all people”, and yet that is what we expect from the station. “It’s a no-win situation,” some have said. But the criticism was that we were still trying to be everything to everyone all the time and therefore offering too much of the same content for the same audience, the same kind of conversations, the same kind of music, aiming too much towards one sort of listener.

From Monday that will not be the case. The aim is not to be everything to everyone but to offer something for everyone at some point every day. Some will favour Dylan Jones’s packed programme after Post Cyntaf in the morning, others are looking forward to joining in with the conversation with Shân Cothi on Bore Cothi, some will enjoy the entertaining, sometimes prickly debate and lively responses on our brand new lunchtime programmes and then on Taro’r Post, which will be live at 1pm. Others will not come to Radio Cymru perhaps until Tommo is on from Mondays to Thursdays and also perhaps Tudur Owen on Fridays - both dedicated to ‘giving it some welly’ in the afternoons.

But we hope everyone on the station will be someone’s favourite - and the truth is, there’s room for them all on a station that’s proud to call itself “Llais Cymru” - the Voice of Wales.

There will also be a chance to hear a very new voice. Guto Rhun, from Machynlleth originally, is the first of a bunch of talented and enthusiastic new presenters to come through our ‘Cais am Lais’ campaign for new voices. If you're one of those who have encountered Radio Cymru on our schools tour and are willing to give us a try then Guto will be on air for an hour every Monday and Friday at 9pm.

I hope listeners will also be regularly heard on the station. Our aim is to talk about the things that matter to you, to celebrate birthdays, births and successes with you - and every night at 6pm one of our listeners will choose their favourite snippets from the day’s conversations, stories and songs to share with you.

We’ll be broadcasting every single weekday from Bangor, Aberystwyth, Carmarthen, Swansea and Cardiff - quite an achievement. We’ll endeavour to come to your part of the country more often. And yes, we're seeking to broaden the appeal of Radio Cymru, trying to attract people who avoid listening to the radio in Welsh, who hear almost no Welsh music at all, to listen to us. But your message was clear: Radio Cymru is mainly for Welsh music. In fact, many would welcome more Welsh music, old and new, and a truly diverse selection on the station. Perhaps there’s room for some English music here and there, you may say, but not too much. And so it will be.

So when Monday morning comes, good luck to everyone who’s part of Radio Cymru - to each and every voice we’ll hear, to those behind the glass organising and promoting - and thanks to all who’ll be listening. And even though the formal consultation is over and a new schedule is in place, Radio Cymru will continue to listen, and I will continue to discuss people’s anxieties - and praise, I hope - with the whole team.

Betsan Powys is Editor, �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru

Learn more about how audience research shaped plans for �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru's new schedule in a post written by Betsan in November 2013.
Read the press release from November 2013 in which Betsan first announced the new vision for the station
Listen live to �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru via �鶹Լ�� iPlayer Radio
Follow @�鶹Լ��Cymru on Twitter

Listening to the listeners: Radio Cymru announces new schedule

2013-11-22T16:54:35+00:00

It started with a conversation and some hard listening. It was followed by analysis and some tough decisions. Now it’s time to act.

As �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru’s Programme Editor I’d like to say this.

During the ‘Sgwrs’ – the national conversation we’ve been having with Radio Cymru listeners, which coincided with the biggest ever radio research project in Wales - I heard many key messages that went beyond Radio Cymru’s schedule. To be honest they went beyond views about the voices and names of Radio Cymru. The persistent criticism was there was “too much of the same” on the station. People were saying that something fundamental had been lost in the relationship between the station and its audience and this needed to be addressed.

The hard truth that we at Radio Cymru have to accept is that too many of our listeners feel that they no longer have any ownership of the station. They told us they wanted a station which had a broader appeal, nurtured talent, played good music and spoke Welsh naturally, as they spoke it – and they wanted all of this on a national station which was confident and of the highest quality, not somehow too regionalised or whimsical in its content.

So what next?

Radio Cymrus’ presenters and voices, like all other radio stations, will come and go. The schedule will change now and again, with a different stamp being put on the day’s listening pattern. That’s how it is. But yes, the people will have ownership of the station, all of the people, those who listen now, those who we need to attract back to the station and those who, hopefully, will listen for the first time.

Reflecting the richness of your lives, the range of your opinions and tastes will be the aim of Radio Cymru, and as they are – thankfully – broad, we have to now make a start on broadening the appeal of the station.

In future, this will be Radio Cymru’s message to you: if you want to hear something new about the Wales you live in, and the world it’s part of, turn to Radio Cymru in the morning. Listen to us at lunchtime so we can challenge and enrich what you already know. There’ll be an important place for questioning and probing - another valuable echo from the past – which will be the station’s sound over lunch. In the afternoon, we’ll have some fun with competitions, music, comedy and laughs. After an hour of news – and the best bits of the day’s broadcasting – come and try something new, specialist, appealing, before spending the night with the familiar.

So, we’ll be broadening the appeal and accepting that not every programme will be to everyone’s taste. But every programme will be there for a reason and for someone. There’ll be a range of voices on the station, each one someone’s favourite, and each one speaking someone’s Welsh.

If we can persuade you to stay with us throughout the day, as we broadcast from Bangor, Cardiff, Carmarthen and Aberystwyth – then that’s a bonus! We’ll do our best.”

What about the music on Radio Cymru?

During peak hours Radio Cymru will play the best of Welsh language popular music from the 60s to the present day.

With a helping hand from the Radio Cymru team, I want to see the station nurture a ‘music sound’ that’s consistent not monotonous, varied but not random and uncomfortable to listen to. This was a strong message that came from the Sgwrs. Radio Cymru will continue to be the destination of choice for those who want to hear new music, but only the best – and those songs will be played and celebrated during the daytime hours. Beyond the peak hours we will be specialising, innovating and offering a different musical experience.

The Sgwrs findings agreed that Radio Cymru should play mostly Welsh language music. You said there was room for some English language music but not too much. So that’s how it will be.

The digital future:

I’ve given serious consideration to another question that arose during the Sgwrs – is there a need for a second Welsh language national station?

Personally, I believe that a second Welsh language national station – whether the �鶹Լ�� has a part to play in setting it up and running it or not - would be of benefit to Radio Cymru. But it’s better to be honest and straight about this from the start. �鶹Լ�� Cymru’s budget to broadcast in both Welsh and English has reduced substantially, and even though DAB - digital radio - is gradually reaching more and more communities and offering an opportunity to split the service every now and again, that technology doesn’t offer an easy answer. Most people listen to Radio Cymru on FM and that’s unlikely to change for some time to come. If this offered a solution to the challenge of offering listeners a choice then no one would be happier than me.

So, if the purpose of a second station would be to offer choice to the listeners – well rather than lose heart, is there another way of offering that choice? In a word, yes.

The first step is this: �鶹Լ�� Wales will be launching a brand new Welsh language digital service early in 2014. The hope is that the service, ‘Cymru Fyw’, will bring the best of the �鶹Լ��’s digital content to you – including news and other stories and that content will be available on computers and mobile devices such as phones and tablets. Radio Cymru will be reflected by Cymru Fyw. Yes, it’s a happy and productive coincidence. We’re working on this now, and alongside the new ‘Cymru Fyw’ team, we’re trying to understand the creative possibilities and potential to strengthen Radio Cymru that will come with the new digital service.

Listening over the web also offers a choice. With this in mind, I’ve started examining whether it would be possible to create a ‘jukebox’ of Welsh language music on the web – a one stop shop for the best of Welsh language music, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

If Radio Cymru listeners feel that they have ownership of the station in the future that to me will be an important measure of success.

Details of the new Radio Cymru weekday schedule to be a launched in the spring:

5am – 6am: Various programmes
6am – 8am: Post Cyntaf with Kate Crockett and Dylan Jones
8am – 10am: Dylan Jones
10am – 12pm: Bore Cothi with Shân Cothi
12pm – 12.30pm: Programmes that question and debate
12.30pm – 1pm: Features/Drama
1pm – 2pm: Taro’r Post with Garry Owen
2pm – 5pm: Tommo (Monday to Friday) and Tudur Owen (Fridays)
5pm – 6pm: Post Prynhawn with Dewi Llwyd
6pm – 6.15pm: Pigion
6.15pm – 7.15pm: Documentaries/Features
7pm – 10pm: C2
10pm – 12am: Geraint Lloyd

Betsan Powys is Programme Editor, �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru

Welsh language version:

Gynta'r Sgwrs a’r gwrando. Wedyn y dadansoddi a'r penderfynu. Nawr y gweithredu.

Fel Golygydd Radio Cymru, ga i bwysleisio un peth felly?

Yn ystod y Sgwrs fe glywes i sawl neges allweddol oedd yn mynd y tu hwnt i amserlen Radio Cymru. Roedden nhw mewn gwirionedd yn mynd y tu hwnt i leisiau a rhaglenni Radio Cymru hefyd, a’r feirniadaeth gyson bod ‘gormod o’r un peth’ ar yr orsaf. Roedd pobl yn awgrymu bod rhywbeth mwy sylfaenol wedi mynd ar goll yn y berthynas rhwng yr orsaf genedlaethol a'i chynulleidfa, a bod angen adfer y peth hwnnw.

Ond y gwir caled i ni, y criw sy’n gweithio i Radio Cymru, ei dderbyn yw bod yna ormod o bobol Radio Cymru yn teimlo nad nhw oedd piau'r cyfrwng erbyn hyn. Roedden nhw am i’r orsaf apelio’n ehangach, magu personoliaethau, cynnig cerddoriaeth dda a Chymraeg naturiol, y cwbwl ar orsaf genedlaethol, safonol, hyderus, nid un ranbarthol, fympwyol rywust.

Beth am ddweud hyn felly?

Fe fydd lleisiau Radio Cymru, fel pob gorsaf radio arall, yn mynd a dod. Fe fydd yr amserlen yn newid o bryd i'w gilydd, stamp gwahanol yn cael ei roi ar batrwm y dydd. Felly mae hi. Ond ie, y bobol biau’r cyfrwng, y bobol i gyd, y rheiny sy’n gwrando nawr, y rheiny sydd angen eu denu nôl, a’r rheiny ddaw, gobeithio, aton ni o’r newydd. Adlewyrchu cyfoeth eich bywydau chi, ystod eich barn a'ch chwaeth chi fydd nod Radio Cymru, a chan fod hwnnw - diolch byth - yn ystod eang, mae’n rhaid mynd ati nawr i ehangu apêl Radio Cymru

Yn y dyfodol, dyma fydd neges Radio Cymru i chi o ddydd Llun i ddydd Gwener: os y'ch chi am glywed rhywbeth newydd am y Gymru ry'ch chi'n byw ynddi, a'r byd mae'n rhan ohono, dewch at Radio Cymru yn y bore. Dewch aton ni amser cinio i herio, neu gyfoethogi'r hyn ry'ch chi'n gwybod yn barod. Fe fydd lle pwysig i holi, a phrocio - adlais arall gwerthfawr o'r gorffennol - yn sŵn yr orsaf dros ginio. Yn y prynhawn, joiwch gyda ni. Dewch i gael dipyn bach o sbort, cystadlu, canu, dychan a chwerthin yng nghwmni Radio Cymru. Ar ôl awr o newyddion - a phigion y gorau o ddarlledu'r dydd - dewch i drio rhywbeth newydd, arbenigol, apelgar, cyn noswylio gyda'r cyfarwydd.

Ehangu’r apêl amdani felly, a derbyn na fydd pob rhaglen yn apelio at bawb. Ond fe fydd pob un yno i bwrpas, i apelio at rywun. Fe fydd pob math o leisiau ar yr orsaf, pob un yn hoff lais i rywun, a phob un yn siarad Cymraeg rhywun.

Os gallwn ni'ch darbwyllo chi i aros gyda ni drwy'r dydd, wrth i ni ddarlledu o Fangor, Caerdydd, Caerfyrddin ac Aberystwyth - Bonws! Fe wnewn ni’n gorau.

Beth am y gerddoriaeth ar Radio Cymru?

Yn ystod yr oriau brig fydd Radio Cymru’n chwarae'r gorau o gerddoriaeth Gymraeg boblogaidd o’r 60au hyd at heddiw.

Gyda help llaw tîm Radio Cymru, dwi am weld yr orsaf yn magu 'sain gerddorol' sy'n gyson, heb fod yn undonog, yn amrywiol heb fod yn fratiog ac anesmwyth i chi sy'n gwrando. Roedd honno’n neges gref ddaeth o’r Sgwrs hefyd. Fe fydd barn gan gyflwynwyr am gerddoriaeth ac apêl eang i'r hyn sy’n cael ei chwarae. Fe fydd Radio Cymru'n parhau i fod yn gyrchfan i'r rheiny sydd am glywed cerddoriaeth newydd, a'r gorau - a dim ond y gorau - o'r caneuon hynny’n cael eu cyflwyno i chi, a’u dathlu yn ystod y dydd.

Y tu hwnt i’r oriau brig fe fyddwn ni'n arbenigo, yn arloesi ac yn cynnig rhywbeth cerddorol gwahanol

Gyda llaw, byrdwn y 'Sgwrs' oedd y dylai Radio Cymru fod yn orsaf sy'n chwarae cerddoriaeth Gymraeg yn bennaf. Mae lle, meddech chi, i beth cerddoriaeth Saesneg ond ddim gormod. Felly y bydd hi.

Y dyfodol digidol

Dyma un cwestiwn mawr arall i’w daclo: i ba raddau all technoleg newydd roi cyfle i Radio Cymru gynnig mwy o ddewis i gynulleidfa sy'n crefu amrywiaeth?

Byrdwn gynnar gen i fel Golygydd Radio Cymru oedd nad penllanw'r 'Sgwrs' fyddai sefydlu ail orsaf genedlaethol, Radio Cymru 2. Yn bersonol, dwi o'r farn y byddai cael ail orsaf genedlaethol Gymraeg - o ba gyfeiriad bynnag y dele honno, boed y �鶹Լ�� â rhan yn ei sefydlu a’i rhedeg hi ai peidio - yn llesol i Radio Cymru. Ond waeth bod yn onest a chlir o'r dechrau. Mae cyllideb �鶹Լ�� Cymru i ddarlledu yn Gymraeg a Saesneg wedi crebachu'n sylweddol, ac er bod DAB, sef radio digidol, yn raddol gyrraedd mwy a mwy o gymunedau ac yn rhoi cyfle i ni rannu’r gwasanaeth bob hyn a hyn, dyw’r dechnoleg honno ddim yn cynnig ateb hawdd. Drwy donfedd FM mae trwch gwrando Radio Cymru yn digwydd, a’r tebyg yw mai fel hyn y bydd hi am beth amser i ddod. Pe bae e’n ateb yr her o gynnig dewis i wrandawyr yn y dyfodol fyddai neb yn hapusach eu byd na fi.

Os mai pwrpas ail orsaf fyddai cynnig dewis i'r gynulleidfa - wel yn hytrach na digalonni, oes yna ffyrdd eraill o gynnig y dewis hwnnw? Mewn gair, oes.

Y cam cyntaf yw hyn: sef y bydd �鶹Լ�� Cymru yn lansio gwasanaeth digidol Cymraeg newydd sbon yn gynnar yn 2014. Y gobaith yw y bydd y gwasanaeth hwnnw, ‘Cymru Fyw’ yn dod â‘r gorau o gynnwys digidol �鶹Լ�� Cymru i chi – yn gynnwys newyddion a straeon cyffredinol a’r cynnwys hwnnw ar gael ar gyfrifiaduron, ffonau symudol a thabledi. Bydd gweithgarwch Radio Cymru yn cael ei adlewyrchu gan Cymru Fyw. Ydi, mae’n gyd-ddigwyddiad hapus a chynhyrchiol. Ry'n ni wrthi nawr, ar y cyd a thîm newydd sbon Cymru Fyw, yn trio deall y posibiliadau creadigol, a'r potensial i gryfhau y Radio Cymru ddaw'n sgil y gwasanaeth digidol newydd.

Yn olaf, ond nid yn lleiaf, mae gwrando dros y we yn cynnig dewis. Gyda hynny mewn golwg, mi rydw i wedi dechrau archwilio a oes modd creu ‘jiwc-bocs’ cerddoriaeth Gymraeg ar y we – un porth i’r gerddoriaeth Gymraeg orau, bedair awr ar hugain y dydd, saith diwrnod yr wythnos.

Os bydd pobol Radio Cymru’n teimlo mai nhw piau’r cyfrwng yn y dyfodol, dyna i fi fydd mesur pwysig iawn o lwyddiant.

Manylion amserlen newydd �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru, o ddydd Llun i ddydd Gwener, s’yn dechrau yn y gwanwyn:

5am – 6am: Rhaglenni amrywiol
6am – 8am: Post Cyntaf gyda Kate Crockett a Dylan Jones
8am – 10am: Dylan Jones
10am – 12pm: Bore Cothi gyda Shân Cothi
12pm – 12.30pm: Rhaglenni sy’n holi a phrocio
12.30pm – 1pm: Rhaglenni Nodwedd/Drama
1pm – 2pm: Taro’r Post gyda Garry Owen
2pm – 5pm: Tommo (o ddydd Llun i ddydd Iau) a Tudur Owen (dydd Gwener)
5pm – 6pm: Post Prynhawn gyda Dewi Llwyd
6pm – 6.15pm: Pigion
6.15pm – 7pm: Rhaglenni Dogfen/Nodwedd
7pm – 10pm: C2
10pm – 12am: Geraint Lloyd

Betsan Powys, Golygydd Rhaglenni, �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru

Listen to the station live at the �鶹Լ�� Radio Cymru website
A press release about Betsan Powys' appointment is available to read on the �鶹Լ�� Media Centre website