Culture minister Ed Vaizey praises Welsh broadcasting industry
UK Culture Minister Ed Vaizey has praised "the cultural and economic importance" of the Welsh broadcasting industry.
Mr Vaizey was making a joint visit to Cardiff to meet media figures with the Wales Office Minister David Jones.
They met senior managers from BBC Wales, ITV Wales, S4C, and the independent production firm Boomerang.
They also toured the BBC Wales Roath Lock drama village, home to programmes such as Casualty and Doctor Who.
Mr Vaizey said the Cardiff visit showed the cultural and economic importance of the Welsh broadcasting industry.
"Global hits like Doctor Who act as a continual reminder of the role the creative industries can play in driving growth through the creation of jobs and attracting inward investment," he said.
The ministers visited the S4C headquarters in Llanishen and met with the broadcaster's new chief executive, Ian Jones and chairman, Huw Jones.
A statement issued by the Wales Office said they took the opportunity to discuss a public consultation regarding the Welsh language channel's future, with the BBC taking on its funding.
They also visited ITV Wales at its Culverhouse Cross headquarters and had talks about the broadcaster's plans for future programming before meeting with Huw Eurig Davies, chief executive officer of Boomerang Plus Plc.
Wales Office Minister Mr Jones said the creative industries are a key sector in the Welsh economy, contributing approximately £750m and employing around 24,000 people.
"It was so good to see the fantastic skills that Wales has to offer to the production of prime-time programming and to have the opportunity to discuss the ways in which we can further promote this," said Mr Jones.
The ministers finished their visit with a meeting with BBC Cymru Wales director Rhodri Talfan-Davies at the new Roath Lock studios in Cardiff Bay.