The future of broadcasters S4C and BBC has become the subject of great public and political interest this week.
On Sunday, the UK Culture Secretary, Nadine Dorries, confirmed that the BBC's funding would be frozen for the next two years, remaining at £159 per household until April 2024.
Then on Monday, it was announced that the Welsh language channel, S4C, had secured an improved funding deal from the UK Government, which will include an additional £7.5m each year through the BBC licence fee to support its digital offering.
Speaking at the House of Commons following these announcements, the Culture Secretary said she recognised the importance of the channel, which had a "unique critical role" in promoting the Welsh language and supporting the "wider public service and broadcasting landscape".
Although S4C has welcomed the news, some have criticised the UK Government for its decision, stating that freezing funding for the BBC could have a direct effect on S4C and the accessibility of Welsh language broadcasting - during arguably a crucial time for the language.
Read more: Welsh-language broadcaster S4C to get extra £7.5m from the UK Government
'BBC Radio Cymru and S4C are basically it '
Over the last two years, the way we watch and listen to digital content has changed. According to Media Nations' most recent report, which was published in 2021, the pandemic has caused an acceleration in existing viewing and listening trends.
For example, viewing of broadcast TV in Wales was the second highest of all the UK nations at three hours and 29 minutes, closely following Scotland with three hours 39 minutes. Eight in ten people said they had listened to the radio in the past week in Wales, and podcasts were listened to by one in four adults each week.
It came as no surprise therefore that Welsh language broadcasting consumption also followed the same trend.
S4C's viewing report for the 20/21 period showed that 896,000 people watched S4C on TV every week outside of Wales, with an increase of 27% from 2019. In Wales, 321,000 people watched the channel each week, which was a 5% increase from the 19/20 period.
At the start of the pandemic in the UK, in March 2020, BBC Radio Cymru attracted 119,000 listeners per week. Now, the radio station attracts 147,000 listeners per week.
Evidently, there is an increasing appetite for Welsh language broadcasting - both in TV and radio format. And with the Welsh Government aiming to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050, the potential interest in Welsh language media content could increase further in the coming years.
Political academic, Richard Wyn Jones, offered an insightful breakdown on why freezing BBC's funding was an "existential threat" to all Welsh language broadcasting.
"In terms of Welsh language broadcasting, BBC Radio Cymru and S4C are basically 'it'," he said on Twitter.
"They are fundamental to the use and transmission of the language.
"While S4C tends to get all the attention... about 70% of all Welsh language media consumed are broadcast by BBC Radio Cymru.
"It's really hard to overstate the importance of Radio Cymru for the language and its speakers... Even in the short term, it's impossible to imagine Radio Cymru’s current service being maintained.
"Inflation in the broadcasting sector is currently running at circa 10% per annum so freezing the BBC's budget for [two] years will inevitably lead to swinging cuts across the board."
Mr Jones also noted that S4C itself was "very much dependent" on the BBC.
In the current financial year that ends in March, 2022, S4C will receive £81m, which includes a £6.8m grant from the UK Government’s Department for Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS) and the rest from the licence fee. The new agreement will see this rising to £88.8m, starting from the 2022/23 financial year, and solely financed from the licence fee.
However, the BBC provides around £20m of S4C programming annually, in addition to Welsh-language services on Radio Cymru, Radio Cymru 2 and Cymru Fyw.
Independent production companies produce most of the programmes for S4C, with the BBC producing around 520 hours a year for the channel, including its news channel Newyddion S4C and soap opera Pobol y Cwm.
On top of this, at the beginning of 2021, S4C's distribution services moved to BBC Cymru Wales' new Central Square complex in Cardiff. Broadcast feeds for all of the channel's platforms are distributed from the complex, such as it's popular children's service, Cyw, and the 2021 Senedd election coverage.
"Even if we see a short term increase in the budget of S4C, swinging cuts to the BBC will inevitable have a negative impact on the channel," Richard Wyn Jones explained.
"Why do I say increase? Because S4C acts as the institutional equivalent of a human shield for the UK Government... 'Of course we care about the future of the language. Look…S4C!'
"The BBC not S4C is the object of the culture war... The Johnson government’s attack on the very principle of broadcasting – if nothing changes, the BBC as we have known it will cease to exist after 2027 – means that there's no long term future for S4C".
'S4C is not just a Welsh language channel'
According to Tim Hartley, the former Head of News at the Welsh Government and Director of Corporate Affairs at S4C, the long term future of S4C was essential - not only for Welsh speakers but for non-Welsh speakers too.
In The National Wales on Thursday, Mr Hartley wrote: "The result of continued cuts to Welsh language TV is plain to see: fewer hours of original programming and high-end drama, cheaper magazine and formatted programmes, more repeats and inevitably - fewer viewers. You get the picture.
"S4C is not just a Welsh language channel. Yes it serves its core heartland audience but, as the Welsh Government works towards its target of having a million Welsh speakers, it is also an important asset for Welsh learners.
"Football fans get to access English language commentary on S4C. It’s a vital tool for normalising the language for children and what would my non-Welsh speaking sister in law in Port Talbot do without her fix of Pobol y Cwm?"
He also called for a better structure on funding public broadcasting rather than depending on "London for handouts".
He said: "The culture secretary says that she ‘knows how popular’ S4C is in Wales. But even if the BBC manages to reinvent itself as a mixed funded, subscription led business after 2027, it is unlikely to want to be squandering any of its hard earned cash on a minority service.
"Shouldn't we then act now to reinvent S4C, (not forgetting BBC Radio Cymru of course), to ensure properly funded Welsh language media for future generations?
"Has the time come for us to stop begging for a handout from the top table, those tedious negotiations with government and the BBC and sort out a workable, settled and lasting formula?"
'A part of a dead meat strategy that this government has embarked upon'
In light of this week's announcement, First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, also highlighted the importance to maintain the principle of public broadcasting.
At First Minister's Questions on Tuesday, Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price, asked the First Minister of Wales for his thoughts on Westminster's recent announcement on licence fee changes.
Adam Price asked: "Is the proposal to defund the BBC anything other than a politically-motivated skewering designed to throw red meat to the Prime Minister's dwindling band of supporters, and publish a public service broadcaster for doing a too good of a job exposing Boris Johnson to be a liar that he is?"
In response, Mark Drakeford said: "I think that the rushed announcement on Twitter on the fate of the BBC was exactly motivated in the way the Plaid Cymru leader has said, a part of a 'dead meat' strategy that this government has embarked upon.
"If anybody thinks there is serious thinking that lies behind what has been announced, then I'm afraid that they are going to be very badly disappointed. We do now know for sure that, at the time of inflation due to the mismanagement of the economy by the UK Government is likely to be at 6 or 7% in April, the BBC are going to see their budgets cut significantly in real terms.
"The most urgent need I think is for a coalition of support to defend public funding or public service broadcast in the United Kingdom."
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