Jones confirmed as chief of S4C

Welsh-language pubcaster S4C has confirmed A+E executive Ian Jones as its new CEO but he must wait until next April to take up the post.

The appointment was first mooted last month but has been held up while Jones negotiated his departure from A+E Networks where he has worked as MD of content distribution and commercial development since last November.

Jones will take up the new position on April 22, after he completes his commitments to A+E. Arwel Ellis Owen will remain as interim CEO in the meantime.

Welsh speaker Jones was part of the team that originally launched S4C in 1982 and returned to work there as director of business S4C International and coproductions between 1992 and 1997.

He has since worked as president of Target Entertainment until a restructure in 2009.

S4C has confirmed his appointment as CEO today, taking over from Iona Jones who left the post abruptly in the middle of 2010.

The news comes as chair of the S4C Authority Huw Jones spoke to the Institute of Welsh Affairs today on the broadcaster’s future amid sweeping budget cuts.

The UK government is making £83m (US$127m) available for S4C in 2012, having provided £101m last year and £90m in 2011. The majority of its funding will now come from the BBC licence fee. Protesters scaled the roof of the S4C studios in Cardiff in September to object to the plans.

Huw Jones today told the Institute that S4C will become a leaner, more effective organisation by 2015 and its independence will not be affected.

Jones said: “It will be an effective partner for the BBC, managing itself but being accountable to the BBC Trust for its use of licence money and to the government for the other public money.”

He admitted, though, that a source of funding is not guaranteed beyond 2015 and there is concern at S4C about this.

Jones said: “At present, there is no security of any sort regarding the budget that might be available beyond 2015 and mixed messages have been given regarding who will make the decision regarding our financing beyond that and how the decision will be made.

“On the one hand, the new agreement between the government and the BBC states that the level of S4C’s income from the licence fee after 2015 will be for the BBC to decide. On the other hand, the government itself has presented an amendment to the Public Bodies Bill which states that the secretary of state will continue to have the responsibility of securing that S4C has sufficient funds at its disposal to fulfil its statutory duties.

“We have already voiced our concern about these mixed messages.”