New
Welsh Â鶹Éç Governor appointed
Downing
Street today announced that Professor Merfyn Jones
has been appointed Â鶹Éç National Governor for Wales. He will take
up his post on 1 January 2003 for a four-year term.
In
a statement Â鶹Éç Chairman, Gavyn Davies, said: "I greatly welcome
the appointment of Merfyn Jones and look forward to working with
him.
"He
has an impressive range of experience in broadcasting and in Welsh
national affairs and history which should make him a valuable member
of the Board of Governors."
Gavyn
Davies also paid tribute to Roger Jones, retiring Â鶹Éç National Governor
for Wales, saying, "Roger has a tremendous passion for the
Â鶹Éç, particularly Â鶹Éç Wales, as well as for Wales and its people.
"I
will miss him, his commitment to the organisation and the experience
of business and rural affairs he brought to the Board's discussions.
"I
wish him well in his Chairmanship of the Welsh Development Agency."
Notes
to Editors
Professor
Merfyn Jones replaces Roger Jones who retires as Â鶹Éç National Governor
for Wales on 30 December 2002 having served for six years.
The
Â鶹Éç National Governor for Wales also chairs the Broadcasting Council
for Wales.
Merfyn
Jones is a historian and broadcaster. A graduate of the universities
of Sussex and Warwick he has held academic posts at several universities
including the University of Wales, Swansea and the University of
Liverpool where he was Director of Continuing Education.
Since
1994 he has been Professor of Welsh History at the University of
Wales, Bangor.
He
specialises in the modern and contemporary history of society and
politics in Wales with a special interest in the history of the
process of devolution.
He
is the author of a number of books and articles including The North
Wales Quarrymen for which he was awarded the Welsh Arts Council
prize for literature.
In
1998 he became Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University; he presented
evidence on the 'shape and size' of Welsh higher education to the
National Assembly Review of Higher Education and is a member of
the National Assembly – Academia working group.
A regular
broadcaster in both Welsh and English, he wrote and presented the
thirteen-hour television history of Wales in the twentieth century,
Cymru 2000.
The
series, broadcast on S4C, was based on over three hundred interviews
which he conducted with figures prominent in Welsh politics and
culture; in 2000 he was awarded a BAFTA Cymru award for his outstanding
contribution to history on television.
He
is the Member for Wales at the Broadcasting Standards Commission,
a position he is standing down from.
He
is also a member of the Management Board of the University Wales
Press and of the Board of Celtic Studies.
He
lives in Snowdonia.
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