Welsh language campaigners will debate the future of S4C in a public meeting in Aberystwyth today (2pm, Saturday, 30th October).The government plans to cut their grant to the channel by ninety-four percent, and transfer responsibility for funding the broadcaster to the BBC. Alun Davies AM for Mid and West Wales will join in the public debate organised by Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (Welsh Language Society). The activists are calling for changes to S4C, but argue that severe cuts to the channel's budget are not going to improve the service.During the society's annual general meeting, an urgent motion will be debated calling on people to refuse to pay their TV licence from December onwards unless the Government is willing to change its plans to merge the BBC and S4C.Speaking ahead of the annual general meeting, Bethan Williams, Chair-elect of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg said:"The Welsh language is one of the first things to suffer because of the cuts. They're asking people to leave their communities to look for work, sacking workers providing Welsh language services, and forcing people to go to Peterborough for passport services. On top of that, the British Government with its partners in the BBC in London are threatening the future of the only Welsh language channel in the world. As the only Welsh channel is gobbled up by the BBC, the fate of the language will be in the hands of a broadcaster in London which has to make severe cuts itself.""The BBC has been very misleading by claiming that they are saving S4C by taking over the channel. The truth is that these plans are a complete last minute stitch-up, between Jeremy Hunt and BBC bosses in London. Neither our communities nor S4C are responsible for the recession so why do they have to suffer? The people of Wales won't just accept these complete undemocratic decisions, that's why we are discussing an urgent motion about the issue. We are not going to let the language disappear in the 21st century. We are encouraging people to come to our rally on 6th November in Cardiff so we can win the campaign for Welsh and the only Welsh language TV channel."

The motion, which will be discussed in Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg's Annual General Meeting today calls on people to refuse to pay their TV licences "from the 1st of December onwards" to change the government's decision to merge the BBC and S4C.'Boycott TV licence in protest at stitch-up' - Western Mail - 01/11/10Newidiadau S4C yn arwain at gais i wrthod y drwydded - BBC Cymru - 30/10/10Y Gymdeithas yn galw protest frys tros S4C - Golwg360 - 30/10/10S4C changes prompt call for 'licence fee boycott' - BBC Wales - 30/10/10Language campaigners to refuse to pay TV licence fee - Western Mail - 27/10/10Viewers urged to boycott licence fee over S4C - broadcastnow.co.uk - 26/10/10Welsh group calls for licence fee boycott over S4C - Guardian - 25/10/10