As the capital of Wales, media in Cardiff plays a large role in the city and nationwide. Employment in the sector has grown significantly in recent years, and currently provides employment for 2.1% of the city's workforce – higher than the level across Wales (1.1%) and marginally lower than that across Great Britain as a whole (2.2%).
History
At 5pm on 13 February 1923, 5WA Cardiff, a forerunner of BBC Radio Wales, first broadcast from a music shop at 19 Castle Street in
Cardiff city centre
Cardiff city centre ( cy, Canol Dinas Caerdydd) is the city centre and central business district of Cardiff, Wales. The area is tightly bound by the River Taff to the west, the Civic Centre to the north and railway lines and two railway s ...
. Later that evening at 9.30pm
Mostyn Thomas, sang
Dafydd y Garreg Wen
Dafydd y Garreg Wen is a traditional Welsh musical air and folk song.
There is a tradition that the tune was composed by David Owen (1712–1741), a harpist and composer who lived near Porthmadog in Caernarfonshire. He was known locally as ''D ...
, which was the first
Welsh language
Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province, Argentina). Historically, it has ...
song to be broadcast. A commemorative plaque records the event. 5WA Cardiff was a radio service which began broadcasting on 13 February 1923 and ended on 27 May 1933.
Press
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
's daily tabloid newspaper is the ''
South Wales Echo
The ''South Wales Echo'' is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Cardiff, Wales and distributed throughout the surrounding area. It has a circulation of 7,573.
Background
The newspaper was founded in 1884 and was based in Thomson House, ...
'', founded in 1884 and formerly based in Thomson House, now in 6 Park Street in the
city centre. There are two daily editions – ''News Extra'' in the morning and ''City Final'' edition. The ''Weekend Edition'' is published on Saturday. Roughly 50,000 copies are sold daily. The national newspapers, the
Western Mail and Wales on Sunday, are also based in Thomson House as all are owned by
Trinity Mirror. The Western Mail has a daily circulation of about 40,000.
The Cardiff edition of
Metro
Metro, short for metropolitan, may refer to:
Geography
* Metro (city), a city in Indonesia
* A metropolitan area, the populated region including and surrounding an urban center
Public transport
* Rapid transit, a passenger railway in an urb ...
is available daily on public transport in the city and around South Wales. Both the ''South Wales Echo'' and ''Metro'' publish daily information for the city such as the weather and entertainment listings.
The
Times Educational Supplement
''Tes'', formerly known as the ''Times Educational Supplement'', is a weekly UK publication aimed at education professionals. It was first published in 1910 as a pull-out supplement in ''The Times'' newspaper. Such was its popularity that in 19 ...
Cymru is based in the city, but the paper itself is printed in England.
Gair Rhydd is the award-winning weekly broadsheet published by the students of
Cardiff University and is available free in the
Cardiff University Students' Union
Cardiff Students' Union (CSU, Welsh:''Undeb Myfyrwyr Caerdydd'') is the Students' Union for Cardiff University and is located in Cardiff, Wales.
Cardiff Students' Union supports over 200 student societies and 60 sports clubs with more than ...
.
Cardiff County Council publishes the monthly ''Capital Times'', and the ''Echo Extra'' is delivered free to homes. The Welsh language newspaper
Y Dinesydd
''Y Dinesydd'' (Welsh for ''The Citizen'') is a monthly local Welsh-language newspaper (normally called a '' papur bro'') for Cardiff, Wales, established in April 1973. (or Papur Bro) is published monthly for the city. Additionally, all British daily newspapers are widely available in the city.
Magazines based in the capital include Jazz UK, Buzz magazine and
Primary Times
''Primary Times'' is a free family magazine which is distributed to schools in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The magazine was started in 1989 and aims to inform parents and carers of primary school age children about current forthcoming event ...
Television
All of Wales' national broadcasters are based in Cardiff.
BBC Cymru Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcaster in Wales.
It is one of the four BBC national regions, alongside the BBC English Regions, BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Scotland. Established in 1964, BBC Cymru Wales is b ...
used to have its headquarters at, the now largely demolished,
Broadcasting House in
Llandaff
Llandaff (; cy, Llandaf ; from 'church' and ''River Taff, Taf'') is a district, Community (Wales), community and coterminous electoral ward in the north of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It was incorporated into the city in 1922. It is the seat of ...
while
ITV Cymru Wales
ITV Cymru Wales, previously known as Harlech Television and HTV Wales, is the ITV franchise for Wales. The new separate licence began on 1 January 2014, replacing the long-serving dual franchise region serving Wales and the West of England.
L ...
is based near the
Senedd in
Cardiff Bay and the Welsh language broadcaster
S4C broadcasts from
Llanishen
Llanishen (Welsh language, Welsh Llanisien ''llan'' church + ''Isien'' Saint Isan) is a district and Community (Wales), community in the north of Cardiff, Wales. Its population as of the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census was 17,417. Lla ...
.
In addition, a local television channel for the city,
Made in Cardiff
Local TV Cardiff (typeset as LOCAL TV Cardiff and formally known as Cardiff TV and Made in Cardiff) is a local television station serving Cardiff and surrounding areas. The station is owned and operated by Local Television Limited and formed p ...
, is based in offices at St Mary's Street in the city centre. An analogue local TV channel, Capital TV, broadcast as a low-power RSL analogue station from 2002 to 2009.
The city also has its own Ofcom-licensed local digital television spectrum, owned by
Cube Interactive.
Radio
As the national broadcaster,
BBC Cymru Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the BBC and the main public broadcaster in Wales.
It is one of the four BBC national regions, alongside the BBC English Regions, BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Scotland. Established in 1964, BBC Cymru Wales is b ...
, used to broadcast
BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales is a Welsh radio station owned and operated by BBC Cymru Wales, a division of the BBC. It began broadcasting on 13 November 1978, replacing the 'Radio 4 Wales' opt-out service (previously the Welsh Home Service). Radio Wales b ...
(103.9 FM) and
Radio Cymru
BBC Radio Cymru is a Welsh language radio network owned and operated by BBC Cymru Wales, a division of the BBC. It broadcasts on two stations across Wales on FM, DAB, digital TV and online.
The main network broadcasts for hours a day from ...
(96.8 FM) on various frequencies across Wales from
Broadcasting House in Llandaff.
Cardiff's principal commercial radio stations are
Capital South Wales
Capital South Wales is a regional radio station owned by Communicorp UK and operated by Global as part of the Capital network. It broadcasts to Cardiff and Newport and the surrounding areas from studios in Cardiff Bay.
History
The station ...
(103.2 FM),
Heart South Wales (105.4 FM) and
Smooth Wales
Smooth Wales is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to the Cardiff area of South Wales and to the Wrexham area of North Wales, as well as parts of Cheshire in England. All programming content is now shared to both areas. It is the on ...
(1359 AM); all three of which originate local programming from studios at the
Red Dragon Centre in
Cardiff Bay.
Radio Cardiff
Radio Cardiff (98.7 FM) is a community radio station serving Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. It broadcasts on a terrestrial frequency of 98.7 FM, via DAB in Cardiff and streams online via their website and TuneIn. The station was formerly ...
(98.7 FM) is a community station based in the
Butetown
Butetown (or ''The Docks'', cy, Tre-biwt) is a district and community in the south of the city of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. It was originally a model housing estate built in the early 19th century by the 2nd Marquess of Bute, for whose t ...
area and
Radio Glamorgan broadcasts to the
University Hospital of Wales
University Hospital of Wales ( cy, Ysbyty Athrofaol Cymru) (UHW), also known as the Heath Hospital, is a major 1,000-bed hospital in the Heath district of Cardiff, Wales. UHW is a teaching hospital of Cardiff University School of Medicine. Constr ...
in
Heath
A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler a ...
.
Student radio station Tequila Radio broadcasts from the
University of South Wales
The University of South Wales ( cy, Prifysgol De Cymru) is a public university in Wales, with campuses in Cardiff, Newport and Pontypridd. It was formed on 11 April 2013 from the merger of the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wa ...
's
ATRiuM Campus and
Xpress Radio
, latin_name =
, image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg
, image_size = 150px
, caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University
, motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord
, mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord
, established = 1 ...
originates from
Cardiff University Students' Union.
Other institutions
The ''Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies'' is based at
Cardiff University.
The ''
Atrium
Atrium may refer to:
Anatomy
* Atrium (heart), an anatomical structure of the heart
* Atrium, the genital structure next to the genital aperture in the reproductive system of gastropods
* Atrium of the ventricular system of the brain
* Pulmona ...
'' building houses most of the Cardiff School of Creative and Cultural Industries faculty (CCI for short) of the
University of South Wales
The University of South Wales ( cy, Prifysgol De Cymru) is a public university in Wales, with campuses in Cardiff, Newport and Pontypridd. It was formed on 11 April 2013 from the merger of the University of Glamorgan and the University of Wa ...
.
Use in media
Cardiff is the filming location and/or setting for many mainstream television programmes such as ''
Doctor Who'' and its spin-offs, ''
Torchwood
''Torchwood'' is a British science fiction television programme created by Russell T Davies. A spin-off of the 2005 revival of ''Doctor Who'', it aired from 2006 to 2011. The show shifted its broadcast channel each series to reflect its growin ...
'' and ''
The Sarah Jane Adventures
''The Sarah Jane Adventures'' is a British science fiction television programme that was produced by BBC Cymru Wales for CBBC, created by Russell T Davies, and starring Elisabeth Sladen. The programme is a spin-off of the long-running BBC ...
'', ''
Class (2016 TV series)'', ''
Merlin (TV series)
''Merlin'' (also known as ''The Adventures of Merlin'') is a British fantasy- adventure drama television programme, loosely based on the Arthurian legends regarding the close relations of Merlin and King Arthur. Created by Julian Jones, Jake ...
'', ''
Gavin & Stacey
''Gavin & Stacey'' is a British sitcom written by James Corden and Ruth Jones about two families: one in Billericay, Essex; one in Barry, South Wales. Mathew Horne and Joanna Page play the titular characters Gavin and Stacey and the writers ...
'', ''
The Story of Tracy Beaker (TV series)
''The Story of Tracy Beaker'' (informally known as '' Tracy Beaker'' or ''TSOTB'') is a British television programme series adapted from the book of the same name by Jacqueline Wilson. It ran on CBBC for five series, from January 2002 to Decem ...
'', ''
His Dark Materials (TV series)'', Netflix's ''
Sex Education (TV series)
''Sex Education'' is a British comedy-drama streaming television series created by Laurie Nunn for Netflix. It follows the lives of the students, staff and parents of the fictional Moordale Secondary School as they contend with various person ...
'', ''
Caerdydd'' and
Pobl y Cwm, and for films such as ''
Human Traffic
''Human Traffic'' is a 1999 British-Irish-Welsh independent coming of age comedy drama film written and directed by Justin Kerrigan. It is a cult film of the Cool Cymru era of arts in Wales.
The film explores themes of coming of age, drug and ...
'', ''
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain'', ''
Infinite (film)
''Infinite'' is a 2021 American science fiction action film directed by Antoine Fuqua. The screenplay, which was written by Ian Shorr, is based on a story by Todd Stein, which is itself adapted from D. Eric Maikranz's 2009 novel '' The Reincarna ...
'' and ''
28 Weeks Later
''28 Weeks Later'' is a 2007 post-apocalyptic horror film directed by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, who co-wrote it with Rowan Joffé, Enrique López Lavigne and Jesus Olmo. The sequel to the 2002 film ''28 Days Later'', it stars Robert Carlyle, ...
''. It is also referenced in ''
Mars Attacks!
''Mars Attacks!'' is a 1996 American science fiction comedy film directed by Tim Burton, who also co-produced it with Larry J. Franco. The screenplay by Jonathan Gems was based on the Topps trading card series of the same name. The film featu ...
''
It was announced on 15 October 2008 that the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
.
and confirmed on 27 March 2009 that filming would be begin in 2011.
In 2010, Cardiff was used for filming of a contemporary update of
. The reality caused controversy and Welsh viewers were angered with the way the
were stereotyped. The reality show takes young hopefuls from ''The Valleys'' and move them to Cardiff to pursue their dream careers. The show also shows the cast binge drinking, fighting, having casual sex and revealing themselves.
The BBC 2 quiz
is produced in Cardiff.