S4C...The Welsh Language Channel....Not The Responsibility Of Wales...Let's Pause And Reflect Here

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

Well Welsh Language channel S4C received the news yesterday that from 2022 it's funding will be mainly from the TV licence fee. It was also announced that the recommendations of a review of the channel would be accepted and announcements on how it's implementation would be made in due course.

This decision was not announced as you would think by Carwyn Jones in the National Assembly building in Cardiff but by the Conservative Secretary Of State for Wales, blog villain and all round political slimeball Alun Cairns.

That's right. Westminster and not Wales has control of Welsh media issues. Even though some right wing commentators would disparage the language they do not understand they seem happy that they and not the devolved administration has responsibility for it.

Now of course Westminster has responsibility for the English language Welsh stations as well. With regard to those it would not be difficult to spilt UK and Welsh parts of say, BBC Wales between Cardiff and London. But for the moment let's focus on S4C. The station is after all for the Welsh language and yet politicians living outside of Wales can have influence over it's future.

So for example S4C is to be given more responsibilities with regard to digital services (which I would hope, as I've mentioned before would include another channel. S4C suffers at having to provide a full range of programming in just one channel) however there would be no extra money provided for these services.

The National Assembly urged on by Plaid Cymru would have made sure that S4C would have got that money (the Labour Party is only a minority administration). But no. London Parliamentarians, most of whom would not be Welsh  or have never even visited Wales will make the decision.

And as a side issue. Remember the furore of "English laws should only be made by English MPs"? Yet here's a Welsh TV channel whose future can be decided by non Welsh MPs.

So you would think that the Welsh Government would want devolved broadcasting powers for Wales. Particularly in such an obvious case such as S4C? Well....err.. no. Independent AM propping up the Labour administration, Welsh Government Culture minister,former Plaid Cymru leader and Welsh Fame Is The Spur candidate Dafydd Elis-Thomas (see my previous post) says that devolved broadcasting should not be considered at this present time. Welsh Labour, with the inability to grow a pair when it really matters, have acquiesced.

S4C then...the Welsh Language channel.....not the responsibility of Wales but Westminster. Let's pause and reflect on that.

Until the next time.