The Future of S4C

Inquiry5

Background 

The Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee agreed to carry out an inquiry on the remit of S4C. This was prompted by the UK Government’s planned review of S4C in 2017, with the intention of feeding in their findings to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s review. 

The Committee published a call for written evidence in February 2017. People were asked to consider: 

-     What sufficient funding for the channel would look like. For example, who should provide it, and how should it be calculated? Should it be linked to a formula? How should this be supplemented with revenue raised by S4C? 

-     What S4C’s statutory remit should be. Is its current remit fit for a contemporary broadcaster, and if not, how should it change? How should it reflect the digital role of a modern broadcaster? 

-     What governance and accountability structures S4C should have in place. For example, should responsibility for S4C be devolved to Wales? 

-     What S4C’s relationship with the BBC should look like. 

-     The visibility of S4C: covering issues such as S4C’s prominence on the electronic programme guide and smart TVs. 

Committee members questioned stakeholders on these issues between March and May 2017. A report of their findings was published in August 2017 and sent to Euryn Ogwen Williams to inform the review he carried out on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.  

The DCMS review ‘Building and S4C for the Future’ (PDF, 558KB) was published in December 2017. 

Report 

In August 2017 the Committee published a of their findings: Outside the Box: the Future of S4C  (PDF, 906KB).

Response to the report 

Welsh Government response to ‘Outside the Box: the Future of S4C’ (PDF, 124 KB)