The UK Government must stop jeopardising the future of S4C and that of the independent media production sector in Wales Plaid Cymru said today.
Plaid Cymru’s team in Westminster today took their message to a lobby co-ordinated by Welsh language group ‘Cymdeithas yr Iaith’.
Plaid has been fighting to remove S4C from the ‘Public Bodies Bill’ in both chambers at Westminster and to ensure that S4C’s funding remains ring-fenced in law and not subject to the whims of UK Ministers.
Yesterday, Plaid slammed claims by Liberal Democrats that they had “saved S4C” as ‘fanciful and spurious’.
Plaid’s Hywel Williams MP said: “The independence of S4C is in grave danger as is the future of the independent media production sector in Wales.
“Wales has had the worst financial settlement of all the devolved nations from the Tory and LibDem cuts – and we are simultaneously battling against the worst threat to one of our national institutions – S4C.
“The proper place to discuss the future of broadcasting is through a Broadcasting Act where we can have proper time and scrutiny. S4C is not just ‘another public body’; it is our only Welsh language broadcaster, part of our national fabric, and a key part of the Welsh economy and crucial to language development.”
Plaid’s Lord Wigley, who has been championing the cause of S4C in the House of Lords this week, added: “Already this week we’ve heard the LibDems claim that they’ve ‘saved’ S4C. This is a dangerous and misleading claim. There are major areas of uncertainty over S4C’s future.
“Finance for S4C is not ring-fenced in law and will from now on be subject to the whims of the UK Government of the day. There is no guarantee whatsoever of funding beyond 2015.
“The UK Government seem hell-bent on insisting that BBC executives will sit on S4C’s management team – thereby fundamentally compromising S4C’s independence.
“The UK Government persist in ignoring the reality that S4C and the BBC are currently in competition – and in competition with independent producers. In future the BBC will have all the cards stacked in their favour and hold the purse strings.”
