‘S4C board should value diversity in applicants’
PEOPLE who do not speak Welsh but have “brilliant” talents should not be denied a place on the board which will run S4C, according to the UK government minister with responsibility for the broadcaster.
Culture Minister Margot James cautioned that if diversity was not a priority the board could become “a bit cliquey”.
She told Welsh MPs: “I don’t think that because someone isn’t Welsh, doesn’t speak the Welsh language, I don’t necessarily think that that should preclude them from being on the board.”
A landmark review has recommended that the S4C Authority should be replaced with a unitary board.
Ms James argued for a broad membership, telling the Welsh Affairs committee: “One of the key objectives for the channel is to protect and grow and entertain and enrich in the Welsh language, so you do – I would have thought – want a majority of Welsh-speakers on the board, but if there is somebody brilliant with Welsh connections [who] will add diversity to the board [and] add challenge and bring new ideas, I don’t think there should be any constraint on who that is.”
The broadcaster is on course for a major chapter of change, with S4C moving to a new Carmarthen headquarters. In March the UK government committed to maintain its contribution towards S4C’s annual funding at £6.72m until 2020 – with the review recommending S4C’s public funding should be provided entirely through the licence fee from 2022-23 onwards.
But when asked by Cardiff North Labour MP Anna McMorrin if she could “guarantee the certainty” of UK government funding for S4C, she said: “I think we can guarantee it up to 2022. I couldn’t give you that guarantee beyond then simply because it would be subject to a new licence fee negotiation.
“I mean, I can reassure you it would be quite appalling if anything happened to undermine S4C’s financial viability. And I can’t imagine any government overseeing such a situation, so I think to all intents and purposes S4C can be sure of the funding post 2022.”
Ms McMorrin asked the minister, who came into her role in January, of her understanding of the role of S4C before taking the post.
She said: “I had very little awareness of S4C when I assumed the role. I am very conscious of the Welsh language and the importance of the Welsh language and I knew there was Welsh- language programming but I wouldn’t have [known] in any detail about the channel that put it out... I mean, not speaking Welsh myself I haven’t availed myself of the opportunity of watching the output.
“I am not, sadly really, I am sure in common with many [MPs], I am not a big television consumer... I am so busy. So, in other words I had very little awareness of S4C before I came into this place.”
Ms James opposed the devolution of responsibility for broadcasting to the Assembly.
She said: “Broadcasting is not devolved and the fact that the BBC serves all nations within the United Kingdom is a good reason for that state of affairs to continue, I think.”