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UK government to review S4C funding

S4C drama Hinterland sold globally

The UK government has announced a review into the way Welsh-language pubcaster S4C is funded, while confirming the BBC will provide it with an extra £350,000 (US$456,000) in 2017/18.

The one-off payment of support is intended to provide further stability to S4C, which is behind Welsh-language drama Hinterland, during the review period, the UK government said.

Euryn Ogwen Williams, former director of programmes at S4C, has been tapped to lead an independent review of the Welsh broadcaster, which will also look at its remit, governance, accountability and its partnership with the BBC.

Recommendations from the review will be presented to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport later this year.

“We welcome the government’s announcement regarding the review of S4C, and that Euryn Ogwen Williams, an experienced broadcaster and perceptive analyst of the future of the media, has been appointed to lead the review,” said S4C in a statement.

“Earlier this year we published our vision for the future of a Welsh-language media provision in the document S4C: Pushing the Boundaries, with emphasis on allowing freedom to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by digital media, and establishing an open and transparent process for funding this vision.

“The review will be a key opportunity to note the importance of the S4C service’s unique contribution to the culture and economy of Wales and the UK, and to the future of the Welsh language.”

Williams added: “The next decade will be even more challenging as S4C, like all public service broadcasters, nurtures the relationship with its audiences in the digital world. It must also play a vital role in the development of the Welsh language at a critical time in its history.”

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