Tom Jones will be on hand to launch a unique music and broadcasting project in south Wales by "launching" the building with a bottle of Dandelion and Burdock pop.

Up until a few months ago, the Pop Factory in Porth, Rhondda, was a Corona drinks plant.

Now the 100-year-old Welsh Hills Works houses a state-of-the-art digital television studio and recording studios.

The �1.3m project is a partnership between independent television company Avanti, the Welsh Development Agency and Rhondda Cynon Taff Council.

Secretary of State for Wales Paul Murphy, the Stereophonics and Catatonia will also be present along with senior executives of BBC, WDA, RCT and the Welsh Office.

Future of music

The Manic Street Preachers and Assembly First Secretary Rhodri Morgan will not be there in person but they will appear via a large jumbotron video screen.

Tom Jones and the Welsh bands will have a short tour of the building.

That will be followed by an informal forum discussion with young people in the area about the future of music, the role of the internet, MP3 and music industry related jobs.

Avanti plans to produce a number of productions at the centre, including a new BBC Wales programme called Fizz.