No way to apply to be a member of the S4C Board in Welsh

Cymdeithas yr Iaith has questioned why it is not possible to apply to be a member of the S4C Board through the medium of Welsh, saying this is another reason to transfer powers to Wales to manage its own broadcasting media.

The DCMS – the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport within the UK Government – published an English-only advertisement for two new members of the Board of the Welsh-language Channel, S4C.

Although the DCMS advertisement states that applications are welcome in either Welsh or English, it was posted on LinkedIn in English only. On the Government website, the information about the positions is not available in Welsh, except for a single attachment at the bottom of the page, and there is no button to apply through the medium of Welsh.

While S4C promotes the position in Welsh on its own website, further important information must be obtained from the DCMS website.

Carl Morris, Chair of the Digital Future Group, Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said:

“How can the application process for a position on the S4C Board – the world’s only Welsh-language television channel – be English-only? It is unbelievable that this has happened. It says everything about the indifference or lack of understanding of Keir Starmer’s Government at Westminster regarding the Welsh language and broadcasting in Wales.

“It raises the question of why S4C has not ensured that the DCMS provides the information and process in Welsh – and whether it has any say in this at all.

“The job advertisement and the application process are a symptom of the broader problem that the people of Wales do not have control over our own media. We have seen several other symptoms over the years. For example, the Welsh-language Channel suffered a disastrous 36% cut to its budget between 2010 and 2021 in real terms.

“It is a fundamental democratic principle that Wales needs powers to control its own media and broadcasting. The Welsh Labour Government has stated that it supports devolving powers and funding to Wales, but has done nothing about it, even though Labour is in power at Westminster. We are setting a challenge for the next Welsh government to act accordingly.”