The Welsh Books Council can’t be accused of being a bunch of luddites—not at least since they decided to award the publishers of Golwg a £200,000 three-year grant, reports icWales.co.uk. The panel specifically cited the magazines digital platform, noting that it would be able to “exploit” both the potential of new technology, while keeping the print side as well. The funding, aimed at supporting the Welsh language press, and allocated by the Welsh Assembly Government, almost went to the now-defunct Y Byd, a private venture rolled out a few years ago as the first Welsh language daily newspaper. But Y Byd, which relied on donations to get it up and running, didn’t have a digital counterpart, which the Council realized would have limited its reach. With print advertising in the doldrums, it also put a question mark over its long term chances of of survival. In October, the newspaper said the Assembly would “almost certainly” give them a £1 - £2 million pound grant, but in February the Welsh government decided to limit the grant to £200,000 a year, an amount of money that Y Byd said would not allow them to establish a “credible daily newspaper.” They also doubted the ability for “anyone else” to do so either.

• Welsh News Outfit Y Byd Confident Of Over £1 Million Assembly Funding