Welsh language campaigners slam BBC cuts to service

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Cymdeithas yr Iaith (Welsh Language Society) has demanded an urgent meeting with BBC Cymru managers about recent announcements of cuts to programmes resulting in 45 job losses.

Freedom of information requests by Cymdeithas yr Iaith also revealed that the BBC was cutting the statutory minimum of 10 hours of Welsh-language programming per week for S4C.

It is claimed this is in exchange for giving the Welsh-language television channel greater “prominence” on iPlayer.

Cymdeithas yr Iaith chairman Owain Meirion said: “The BBC has broken the trust of the people of Wales.

“The impact of cutting Welsh-language news and current affairs services will be far greater than cutting English-language services of this kind, because there is an abundance of English-language media available.

“We have requested an urgent meeting with the BBC to demand answers.

“We will call on them to halt the implementation of cuts to BBC Radio Cymru programmes, jobs and any other cuts planned to Welsh-language and Wales-related broadcasting.”

Cymdeithas has launched a petition to protect broadcasting in Wales, securing the future of the Welsh language on every platform, screen and wavelength, and the urgent devolution of broadcasting powers. 

“At present, our Welsh-language media are controlled by politicians and major broadcasters in London,” Mr Meirion said.

“We call on the Welsh government to intervene urgently and accelerate the process of establishing a shadow broadcasting and communications authority for Wales.”

The campaigners also demanded Westminster provides extra funding for public-service broadcasting and journalism services in Wales.

National Union of Journalists general secretary Laura Davison said: “The more cuts the BBC makes, the more its services suffer and is at risk of entering an inescapable doom spiral if it continues in this direction.”

A BBC Cymru Wales spokesperson said: “The BBC remains strongly committed to supporting the Welsh language, as reflected in the breadth and quality of our content and services.

“We do so, however, against a backdrop of significant financial pressures, with the BBC facing a real-terms reduction in funding of around 30 per cent since 2010.

“Questions about the future funding and delivery of these services are central to the current debate about the next BBC charter.”

The broadcaster confirmed it would be meeting Cymdeithas yr Iaith.

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