Seeking urgent meeting with the BBC to discuss cuts

Cymdeithas yr Iaith has requested an urgent meeting with BBC Cymru managers to demand answers about cuts to programmes.

Last week, it was announced that BBC Cymru is ending the Dros Ginio and Dros Frecwast programmes on Saturday mornings, along with a number of other BBC Radio Cymru programmes. This will result in 45 job cuts.

Recent Freedom of Information requests by Cymdeithas yr Iaith also revealed that the BBC is cutting the statutory minimum of 10 hours of Welsh-language programming per week for S4C, as well, in exchange for giving the Welsh-language television channel greater “prominence” on iPlayer. 

The language campaign group has written to the managers of the British Broadcasting Corporation to request an urgent meeting to discuss their plans to cut Welsh-language programming. 

Owain Meirion, Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said:

“The BBC has broken the trust of the people of Wales. The impact of cutting Welsh-language news and current affairs services will be far greater than cutting English-language services of this kind, because there is an abundance of English-language media available.”

“We have requested an urgent meeting with the BBC to demand answers about the fact that the Welsh language is losing further ground across the media. We will call on them to halt the implementation of cuts to BBC Radio Cymru programmes, jobs and any other cuts planned to Welsh-language and Wales-related broadcasting.” 

Last week, Cymdeithas yr Iaith launched a petition to ‘Protect Broadcasting in Wales’, calling for the protection of broadcasting in Wales, securing the future of the Welsh language on every platform, screen and wavelength, and the urgent devolution of broadcasting powers. 

Owain Meirion added:

“At present, our Welsh-language media are controlled by politicians and major broadcasters in London. This British system is not a friend to the Welsh language or to Wales. We must turn the tide and change the fate of the Welsh language in the field of broadcasting and communications.

“These threats clearly underline the need to devolve broadcasting and communications powers to Wales immediately, so that the future of the broadcasting and communications sector is accountable to the people of Wales, and to ensure that the Welsh language is available on every platform, screen and wavelength.

“We call on the Welsh Government to intervene urgently and accelerate the process of establishing a Shadow Broadcasting and Communications Authority for Wales, in order to protect local and national public-service media platforms. In the meantime, we call on the Westminster Government to provide sufficient funding for public-service broadcasting and journalism services in Wales.”