Sack Newsnight editor, say language protesters
LANGUAGE campaigners have called for the editor of BBC Newsnight to be sacked following his response to a letter about a controversial discussion about the Welsh language.
No Welsh-speakers appeared on the programme, which aired earlier this month.
It was introduced with the question: “Is the Welsh language a help or hindrance to the nation?”
Numerous complaints were made to the BBC about the item, including one from Arfon Jones, Plaid Cymru’s Police and Crime Commissioner for north Wales.
Mr Jones wrote to Newsnight editor Ian Katz saying: “The BBC would not dare question whether a person’s religion or ethnicity was a hindrance. Think of the justifiable outrage there would be to such an insult!
“How, therefore, can a public body that we pay dearly for justify questioning whether a language, especially one that is native to these Wales and the Welsh language by the BBC. The reply is factually incorrect, arrogant and insulting.
“The letter claims it is valid to discuss whether a government should attempt to revive a minoritised language or not: that’s basic prejudice.
“That may be the view of some of the most reactionary people in other countries, but it is not the mainstream debate in Wales.
“It’s clearer than ever now that devolving broadcasting to Wales is the only way to solve these problems in a meaningful, permanent way.
“But it has to be said that this letter is so shocking, I believe the editor should be sacked for his prejudiced and insulting language.
“More and more people in Wales are seeing that we shouldn’t be paying our licence fee to fund staff and programmes like this. We will be encouraging people who are angry about this to join the boycott of the licence fee until broadcasting is devolved to Wales.”