The Welsh language minister announced Tuesday that an extra subsidy of £200,000 per year until 2011 has been created for Welsh-language newspapers and magazines, BBC News reported.

Rhodri Glyn Thomas said the “pot” of funds will be available for print or online, and will be administered over the next three years by the Welsh Books Council.

The first Welsh-language daily, Y Byd (The World), had hoped for a £600,000 subsidy, to cover its first year. As less funding will be available than was anticipated in the daily newspaper's business plan, “Y Byd's plans are now in doubt,” according to the BBC. The Welsh Language Board concluded in a recent review that the viability of Y Byd had not been proven.

Thomas said the £200,000 pot is in addition to the £173,000 that was spent through the Welsh Books Council on news and current affairs publication in the Welsh language. Applications for WBC funds could be “in relation to establishing a daily newspaper or new developments to strengthen the existing weekly news provision, to strengthen the sector including material on the Internet,” he said, according to the BBC. Further details will be released “in the near future.”