Statement in response to a discussion on BBC Radio Cymru's Bwrw Golwg programme, on Sunday 18 February;
Llinos Wynne, S4C Content Commissioner, with responsibility for the channel's faith programmes, says;
"Over the years, Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol has served the audience loyally and has attracted a faithful faction of regular viewers. It's a religious series which sits at the heart of S4C's service and when commissioning a new series we felt it was time to reconfigure this important programme to ensure its longevity.
"Our goal is to offer the opportunity to sing praise in the form of worship and entertainment. It is an opportunity to celebrate the special singing tradition that characterises us as a nation, but it will also be an opportunity to learn and share experiences about the multi-faith and multicultural Wales we live in. The channel must reflect Wales' diverse communities, people and places and Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol is an opportunity to share personal experiences of faith, in a practical and spiritual sense, that will spark a conversation and touch the heart."
Gareth Williams, Chief Executive of the company Rondo Media, that produces the Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol series;
"Hymns are the backbone of Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol and certainly we have no intention to weaken this element. The response we have received so far during the recordings - from Llandeilo to Bangor, from Neath to Bodelwyddan - has been encouraging. Alongside this, there is an opportunity to discuss, in documentary style items, the broad aspects of faith and religion, and how people in Wales worship in the twenty-first century."
