BBC Cymru Wales’ Welsh leadership campaign coverage to begin

BBC Cymru Wales has announced their “comprehensive coverage and reporting” of the race to succeed Mark Drakeford as First Minister and Welsh Labour leader.

The outcome of the Welsh Labour Party leadership election is to be announced in March; starting this week BBC Wales will be providing regular campaign coverage across BBC One Wales, BBC Radio Cymru, BBC Radio Wales and the BBC Cymru Wales’ online services. The broadcaster say they are producing a wide range of content across all platforms ensuring audiences are kept fully informed as the campaign between Economy Minister Vaughan Gething and Education Minister Jeremy Miles as the race to get the top job in Welsh politics unfolds.

The result announcement on March 16th will also be carried live across all platforms.

The BBC say highlights will include:

TV and iPlayer

In what promises to be a fascinating discussion, on Wednesday night, the 21st of February, BBC Wales Live will broadcast a special Welsh Labour Leadership debate programme – where the two candidates will face questions from an invited studio audience in Cardiff. With under a month to go until Welsh Labour members’ votes are counted and the winner is announced, Vaughan Gething and Jeremy Miles will go head-to-head to make their case. The programme will offer a platform for the contenders to answer questions and debate some key issues chaired by expert presenter, Bethan Rhys Roberts. The hour-long programme will be broadcast live on BBC One Wales at 9pm.

Over the next few weeks, Wales Today’s daily coverage at 1.30pm, 6.30pm and 10:30pm, will feature analysis from a team of expert correspondents about the men vying for the role of First Minister. The programme will explore more about the men themselves, how they got into politics and their manifestos. There will be interviews and analysis from the news studio and out on location, with reports live from the Senedd as the action unfolds and the new political landscape for Wales becomes clearer.

On February 11th a special extended edition of Politics Wales, on BBC One Wales at 10am will see both Miles and Gething interviewed by presenter Nick Servini.

Politics Wales which broadcasts at 10am, Sunday 17th March on BBC One Wales, will be taking stock of the campaign result, analysing the moments that shaped the campaign and taking a detailed look at what’s likely to happen next when the politicians return to the Senedd.

Radio Wales

Radio Wales has a host of special programmes and news coverage.

This includes on air broadcast of the BBC One Wales Labour leadership hustings programme on Wednesday 21st February at 8.45pm presented by James Williams. He will be joined by special guests, before broadcast of the live debate from 9-10pm, followed by analysis and reactions.

On Saturday 16th March James Williams will be on air again from 13:00pm with the latest news and analysis from the declared result. Sunday Supplement with Vaughan Roderick on 17th March will have all the latest reaction and analysis of what the result means for Wales and beyond.

An hour-long documentary on Mark Drakeford, will be broadcast Tuesday 19th March at 6:00pm – the day of his last First Minister’s Questions – with James Williams taking an in-depth look at his career. Hearing from the people who know him best, allies to adversaries, contributors include Gordon Brown, Nicola Sturgeon, Adam Price, Andrew RT Davies and Kirsty Williams.

BBC Radio Cymru

BBC Radio Cymru will be providing full coverage of the contenders and their campaigns over the next few weeks.

A key part of Welsh language radio coverage will be audience led as the weekday Dros Frecwast, Dros Ginio and Post Prynhawn teams engage with people up and down the country, hearing their opinions and views at this important time, as well as bringing audiences information and interviews with key players in the world of Welsh politics.

The station will then be on air with a special programme from 1pm until 1.30pm on March 16th – the day the new leader is appointed – with Alun Thomas in the presenter’s chair.

Then on Sunday the 17th, the Bore Sul team look back at the results and explore what they will mean for Wales.

Online

As well as the special programming, BBC Wales’ online election coverage will offer political news and analysis online, on the BBC News and BBC Cymru Fyw apps, as well as social media.

There will be comprehensive digital coverage on BBC News online. The coverage will include news as well as explainers and a spotlight on the important issues. You can also follow the BBC Wales Live debate online from 9pm on the 21st February for expert analysis and reactions as it happens on the BBC Wales News website.

Welsh language online news service, BBC Cymru Fyw, will have all the latest news and analysis throughout the campaign and on result day, the 16th of March, will be following the breaking news with a special live stream service.

The Walescast podcast will also be taking an in-depth look at the campaign – you can listen on BBC Sounds.

Delyth Issac, Head of News, BBC Cymru Wales, says: “Comprehensive reporting and analysis of the leadership contest across our digital,TV and radio services will ensure our audiences in every part of Wales get all the facts and information they need on the contenders and their standpoints.

“Our news teams always aim to deliver the most up to date information and analysis for audiences across Wales during the campaign and this high-quality journalism will continue as the race continues. The broad service we have over the next few weeks will cover the latest news as it develops and we will provide in-depth analysis of what the result is likely to mean to the people of Wales”.