As the BBC marks one hundred years of broadcasting in Wales, Director General of the BBC, Tim Davie and the Director of BBC Cymru Wales, Rhuanedd Richards have hailed 2023 as a seminal year for BBC production in the nation with more content from Wales shown across BBC’s network channels and heard on network radio than ever before - and no fewer than six new drama series from Wales currently in production.

At 5pm on 13 February 1923, listeners in Wales tuned in for the first time to hear the BBC broadcasting from Wales for the first time. On that day, John Reith Controller of the BBC spoke these words: “Hello, 5WA – the Cardiff station of the British Broadcasting Company calling. This is the general manager of the company talking.” 

Following Lord Reith’s introduction there was a live concert courtesy of the Cardiff Wireless Orchestra. The star of the show was Mostyn Thomas, the baritone from Blaenau Gwent who sang a medley including the famous traditional folk song, Dafydd y Garreg Wen. 

The centenary coincides with the launch of Owain Wyn Evans’s new BBC Radio 2 show, broadcast from Cardiff every weekday. This is the first daily weekday programme on Radio 2 to broadcast outside of London and forms part of the BBC’s Across The UK plans, as announced by Tim Davie, Director General in 2021.

Drama series such as The Pact and Hidden have been watched by millions across the UK as well as programmes rooted in Wales such as A Special School which will air on BBC Two from next week. And this year promises to be the biggest year of Welsh drama on the BBC to date. With six drama commissions in production it promises to be a spectacular celebration of Welsh talent and creativity.

Tim Davie, Director General of the BBC said: “It’s no secret that Wales has long been a drama powerhouse. Doctor Who made the nation its home almost two decades ago, a move hailed by many as a turning-point for Welsh production and the advent of a new chapter in its creative history. Today we see another landmark broadcasting moment as Owain Wyn Evans takes to the airwaves on BBC Radio 2 from Central Square. Another example of how the BBC is extending its programme production across the UK.”

Rhuanedd Richards, Director BBC Cymru Wales said: “The BBC was the first media company designed to serve the whole of Wales and its impact on our country – its culture, its languages and its economy - has been profound. Originally conceived as a local radio station for Cardiff, the BBC in Wales has evolved into a national, bilingual digital media organisation producing content for Wales and the rest of the UK. Our investment in the creative economy has been a catalyst in making Wales a primary location for video production, and we are proud to be creating content in both the Welsh and English languages which provides value for our audiences.”

“It’s fantastic to welcome Owain Wyn Evans to Central Square, the BBC’s broadcast hub in Cardiff as he presents his first weekday morning show for BBC Radio 2 today. We’re delighted he’s made Central Square his home, broadcasting to audiences across the UK.

“Looking ahead, it’s also going to be a fantastic year of drama and I can’t wait to see some of these brilliant stories rooted in Wales coming alive on our screens. To have so many brilliant stories rooted in Wales is quite an achievement and I know that audiences the length and breadth of Wales and beyond are going to be glued to them as the year unfolds. It’s a great way to celebrate the BBC’s centenary in Wales.”

All six drama series have received support from Creative Wales.

Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden, said: “The BBC has a proud record of supporting the growth of our creative industries, boosting our economy by sustaining our independent production companies and the development of uniquely Welsh content.

“Through Creative Wales’ MOU with BBC Cymru, we are keen to build on our successful partnership arrangements with an exciting slate of productions coming to screen in 2023 - with even more made in Wales content, using Welsh talent to tell our uniquely Welsh stories. In reflecting on the achievements of the past 100 years, we’re very much looking forward to seeing what the future brings.”

Steeltown Murders, is the first series to hit the screen in the spring, from the makers of the hit series Hidden and The Pembrokeshire Murders (Severn Screen). It centres on the hunt to catch the killer of three young women in the Port Talbot area and the remarkable story of how - in the first case of its kind - the mystery was solved almost 30 years later using pioneering DNA evidence. Wolf is a major new six-part crime thriller based on Mo Hayder’s acclaimed Jack Caffery novels and produced by award-winning Hartswood Films. Lost Boys and Fairies tells the tale of a married gay couple as they adopt their first child. Doctor Who also celebrates its sixtieth anniversary this year with three special episodes due to broadcast in November.