Pushing the Boundaries Multi-Platform Welsh
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S4C: PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES MULTI-PLATFORM WELSH LANGUAGE MEDIA SERVICE CYMRAEG WELSH CONTENTS 04— INTRODUCTION 05— PRIORITIES TO BE ADDRESSED 06—11 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 12—19 CHAPTER 1: S4C TODAY 20—45 CHAPTER 2: AN S4C FOR TOMORROW - OUR VISION 46—49 CHAPTER 3: DELIVERING THE VISION 50—51 CHAPTER 4: THE ACCOUNTABILITY, GOVERNANCE AND THE REGULATION OF S4C 52— FINAL WORD 4 5 INTRODUCTION PRIORITIES TO BE ADDRESSED: Following a groundswell of demand from Welsh is Britain’s oldest indigenous language. Our audience today – and indeed tomorrow people in Wales, S4C was created in 1982 by As such it has great cultural, social and – is not the same as the TV audience in the S4C needs an updated remit, moving away the UK Government as the fourth British TV historical significance and we are proud of 1980s. It is less homogenous and courted by from the geographical and TV only restrictions channel in Wales. Welsh speakers had long the central part that we play in allowing it to hundreds of different TV and online channels. to enable multi-platform Welsh language felt underserved in the British media and the flourish. For over 30 years we have provided It is more content-savvy, constantly engaged provision throughout the UK and beyond. arrival of S4C, with a clear and distinct public constant opportunities for people to hear with the latest technology, and has come to service remit to provide a full Welsh language and learn Welsh, and to be informed and expect more. broadcast television service, went a long way entertained in Welsh. As a result, Welsh S4C’s new remit needs to allow for broader to addressing concerns and meeting demand. continues to be an active, vital, everyday S4C is passionately committed to being a commercial powers to drive additional revenue language of contemporary social and creative, competitive and commercially minded to help achieve our vision. S4C would not have existed had it not been for commercial life in Wales. Today, our core provider of compelling, varied, entertaining the voices of Welsh speakers, and since 1982 audience is still mostly Welsh speaking - fluent and informative Welsh language content we have constantly listened to our audiences, and less-fluent Welsh speakers, living in Wales, for many decades to come. We have a clear, S4C needs to evolve, to be a Public As the only Welsh language TV service, S4C’s working tirelessly to meet their expectations, elsewhere in the UK and even overseas. workable vision for a future that is driven by Service Media provider – commissioning brand and services need to retain prominence to deliver a wide range of content in the Welsh the needs of a diversified audience and which and delivering Welsh language content in a multiplatform world. language and to be relevant to their lives – all Our investment in content creation has has new types of content and new content ubiquitously on the platforms people choose, within the parameters of our original remit, brought into being a thriving independent delivery systems at its core. But we believe be that linear TV, catch-up services, short-form periodic budget cuts and funding uncertainty. production sector which sustains jobs and that the step-changes required to deliver this and social platforms, or any other popular way economic growth across the country. vision, as well as to create a closer two-way of accessing audio-visual content. Plurality of provision within the Welsh We have not done this alone. Our key partners relationship with existing and new audiences, media sector must be maintained – while in this venture have been the BBC, ITV Wales Continued UK Government support for S4C, will require a clear, long-term view of our strengthening this for those accessing content and the independent production sector in and the widespread cross party support funding and accountability and a long-overdue on digital platforms. Wales, whose creativity and talent, between enjoyed by the channel, ensure Welsh speakers update of our remit. We want to evolve from them, are responsible for producing the wide can feel their needs are being met in modern being a traditional 20th century public service range of programmes and the variety of voices Britain. broadcaster into a provider of contemporary which define our service. public service media content in the connected Investment need over coming years will be However, 35 years on from when we launched world of the 21st century. greater, to maintain real terms value of spend Since 2013, our new relationship with the as a public service broadcaster, the world on content, and to sufficiently fund the vision BBC, built on shared public service objectives, in which we operate has changed beyond S4C has achieved a great deal in the past 35 for content creation and delivery set out in this has created new opportunities for creative recognition. Television in its linear form years. We are ready for new challenges and document. collaboration, enabled us to make S4C content remains vitally important, but the proliferation keen to deliver so much more for our audience, available on BBC iPlayer, and ensured access of ways in which people can now consume the community, the economy and the creative S4C should be allowed stability of sufficient to a crucial source of funding. content, in various forms and across numerous industries in Wales. An open and transparent financial review funding over a specific and substantial devices in our connected world, means a process is needed to decide what funding is period – in line with widely accepted common The last external review of S4C took place broadcaster must aim for ubiquity. To compete sufficient for S4C now and in the long term. principles of public service media funding. in 2004. A wide-ranging assessment of its today we need to provide different types of purposes and needs is therefore overdue and content that can be viewed whenever and Huw Jones Ian Jones Plurality of funding needs to be safeguarded to be greatly welcomed. This document sets wherever the audience wants to view it and Chair Chief Executive this has been vital for S4C’s continued out S4C’s vision for the next ten years and in whichever ways, and on whatever devices, independence and for our ability to carry out will be a key element of our submission to the they choose. This is a basic expectation from our Welsh language remit. independent review. audiences in the modern media world and one that our current remit constrains us from Given the changing media (TV) environment delivering. and S4C’s vision of the future the time is right to review S4C’s governance needs. 6 7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This document sets out S4C’s vision for the next ten years and will be a key element of our submission to the forthcoming independent review of the channel’s remit, funding and accountability. In this executive summary we set out the key points outlined within the document chapter by chapter. Chapter 1: S4C Today Chapter 2: An S4C for Tomorrow – Our Vision In the first chapter, we set out S4C as it is today. We consider the This chapter sets out in detail our vision for a new engaging and context within which we operate, how this has evolved in the 35 years constantly evolving S4C in terms of the content we commission and since the channel was created and what this means for the S4C of how people access that content. We outline the steps we will take to tomorrow. provide modern and comprehensive public service media content to existing and new audiences. S4C Today The world is changing Creating the Right Content • S4C broadcasts more than 115 hours of programming every • When S4C was launched in 1982, there were just four TV channels. Our vision is built on four key elements: week, including a children’s service, drama, news, entertainment, Today there are hundreds – increasing choice and competition. i. Ubiquitous Content Delivery: Ensuring audience segments can S4C will revitalise the linear channel – delivering a more exciting, bolder and more varied linear channel which will play a greater part in our sport, factual programming, music and events. • Over recent years, there has been a huge increase in online platforms access S4C content when, where and how they want. audience’s lives – using technology to allow further viewer interaction. • Our content reflects the diversity of life in modern Wales and of the with audiences migrating to them from traditional TV channels. ii. Creating the Right Content: Making it more relevant, competitive and To do this, S4C needs to be able to compete with other broadcasters Welsh speaking audience. diverse. • Other Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs) have been able to launch who are currently offering higher tariffs, while S4C’s content budget is • S4C commissions the vast majority of our Welsh-language content channels to target migrating audiences. iii. Wider Public Service Value: Bringing about economic, linguistic and reducing due to funding reductions and inflationary pressures. The real from a wide range of skilled, independent production companies • In future S4C must ensure that we make Welsh language content educational benefits from our work. terms value of S4C’s current content budget is forecast to fall over the (around 50 each year over recent years), based throughout Wales. available on as many platforms as possible. iv. A commercial strategy to help drive the vision: Enhancing our next five years – £1.6m down next year, £8.7m down by 2021/22. • The economic impact of the public funds invested in the production commercial capabilities and reputation. • S4C’s remit is old fashioned – created in line with media consumption S4C will: sector and creative industries is significant – every £1 invested by S4C habits from the past.