06 April 2016

 The case for S4C, as a television channel to serve Welsh speakers, is stronger today than when the channel was established in 1982, says S4C Authority Chairman, Huw Jones.

Huw Jones will be speaking at the Future for Public Service Television Inquiry event at Cardiff University, on Wednesday night 6 April, 2016, when he will emphasise the importance of providing a credible and creative platform for Welsh speakers.

S4C Chairman, Huw Jones, says; "The fundamental arguments surrounding the importance of television for the future of the Welsh language are the same today as those which won the case for the establishment of S4C in 1982. How much stronger are those arguments today, when what is on offer for viewers in the English language is akin to over 500 channels, when in the Welsh language we still rely on one single channel?"

The discussion session will focus on the role and responsibilities of British television in the 21st Century digital age. Huw Jones says that S4C plays a vital role in ensuring the Welsh language as a credible and relevant medium in this age – and there is a definite link between this and the future of the Welsh language;

Huw Jones says; "In order for the Welsh language to be a platform for creativity and communication is an ever changing and evolving world, the language and the people who speak it need a competitive and credible presence on today's most important media platforms. Whatever new opportunities are created by the internet and its many outputs, television – in its wider sense – remains the main player in our age.

"Not every minority language has been given a platform like the one S4C has provided over the past 34 years. Not every minority language can face the future with the relative confidence that is true for the Welsh language. The two things are linked."

S4C Chairman Huw Jones will speak as part of the Future for Public Service Television Inquiry event at Cardiff University. The event is one of many held as part of the enquiry held by Lord Puttnam in to the future of public broadcasting.

Among the speakers at the event on 6 April is; Angharad Mair, Tinopolis and BAFTA Cymru; Ian MacKenzie, Head of Nations and Regions Channel 4; Angela Graham, Institute of Welsh Affairs; Rhys Evans, Head of Strategy and Digital, BBC Wales. The event is chaired by Sian Powell of Cardiff University.

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