I read in both local papers that Plaid's Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM and Carmarthenshire Council's Labour leader Councillor Kevin Madge, are arguing again. This time it is over Plaid's accusations that the Council's taxpayer-funded propaganda freesheet the 'Community News' is posing a threat to local papers by poaching both public and private advertisers and undermining democracy. Despite the spin from both sides, and I believe much of the bluster from Cllr Madge is merely political games (I wonder, as he keeps putting himself in the spotlight, if he's got the next general election in his sights!...oh dear), I personally think the 'Community News' is an alarming waste of money and, along with the up and coming 'Carmarthenshire TV' poses an unnecessary dent in the economic viability of unbiased local newspapers.
However it is the war of words that interest me. Cllr Madge has accused Plaid of lying about a statement made by Rhodri Morgan (expressing his general concerns about the threat to local papers, in answer to a question put by Rhodri Glyn Thomas) and thereby bringing the office of the First Minister into disrepute. He is calling for Rhodri Glyn Thomas to do the 'decent thing' and resign and is considering reporting him to the Ombudsman.
I was particularly struck though by the strength and choice of Cllr Madge's words (He's obviously peeved that Rhodri Glyn Thomas reported him to the Ombudsman earlier this year, see previous posts)). I seem to remember that we used similar words (although markedly less vitriolic) concerning the council planning department a couple of years ago but we ended up in the libel court and are still paying for it! Obviously a privilege that Carmarthenshire County Council reserves for financially disadvantaged critical members of the public!
Cllr Madge also said of Plaid "...if the county council sent out such blatant lies we would be, quite rightly, hammered by the press and public.” I can assure Cllr Madge that he's quite wrong, the county council does send out 'blatant lies', even through the Freedom of Information, and is expert at contriving legal veneers to cover their backs. As Cllr Madge says "they [Plaid] can't be allowed to get away with it" - but it's OK for the council Mr Madge?!
According to the council (and I would question their figures), it spends £150k a year on local media advertising, this will diminish rapidly with the addition of Council TV and the rumoured threat by the Chief Executive of withdrawing all advertising from the Carmarthen Journal for printing stories he doesn't like.
On the subject of Carmarthenshire TV, I am waiting for the Minister for Finance and Public Sevice Delivery to answer Nerys Evans' written question;
Will the Minister detail (a) the amount of money the Welsh Assembly Government gave to Carmarthenshire Local Service Board as a 'development grant', (b) the rules regarding the spending of this grant, and (c) any assessment he has made of the grant being used to fund a television channel on the internet?
Anyway, I await 'round four' with interest.
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