Wales: Funding deal under fire as S4C sees budget rise of just 0.3%

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business-in-wales/business-news/tm_campaign=Wales_email_business%3A20091224%26headline=funding-deal-under-fire-as-s4c-sees-budget-rise-of-just-0-3%26method=full%26objectid=25461461%26siteid=91466-name_page.html?campaign=Wales%5Femail%5Fbusiness%3A20091224

Labour’s heritage spokesman in Wales, AM Alun Davies, said the channel was not receiving a fair funding deal from the DCMS against the back drop of the challenges of the switchover to digital and above CPI inflation television production costs.

Mr Davies, a former S4C executive, said: “S4C has been treated quite badly by the DCMS over a number of years.

“Even in the good years of funding it didn’t keep up with the increasing costs of broadcasting.

“S4C is also the only terrestrial broadcaster not to be given a digital dividend to help prepare for digital switchover. Life has been made more difficult for S4C and the DCMS should look to make sure it can help it compete effectively in a digital world.”

Mr Davies said S4C was more than just a broadcaster, but key in helping to create and develop a more dynamic creative industries sector in Wales.

**********************

Pathetic viewing figures and awful programmes interspersed with English language advertising, what is the point? Apart from some selective coverage of the Royal Welsh Show I fail to see why it exists. Time to kill S4C off or demand higher contributions from the minority audience?

It cannot go on because we can't afford it.