Annual report and accounts
On 17 March 2022, the Unitary Board approved S4C’s new strategy for the five years from 01 April 2022. The new strategy follows months of discussion at Unitary Board and Management Team level, and internal consultation.
The past few years have been a period of major change for S4C, with the headquarters moving to Carmarthen and co-locating S4C’s technical broadcast services with those of BBC Wales in Central Square, Cardiff. In addition, as a result of the 2018 Euryn Ogwen Williams Review, we have begun to develop our digital service, laying a strong foundation for our plans for the future. However, our business model must continue to adapt and evolve over the coming years.
Since 01 April 2022, all S4C public money comes through the Licence Fee. This budgetary certainty for the period to the end of March 2028 – together with the additional £7.5m per annum announced to S4C by the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in January 2022 – offers us the opportunity to transform S4C for the future.
Our new strategy is based on S4C’s evolution from traditional Public Service Broadcaster to a Public Service Media Publisher, which is ultimately relevant to modern international media.
It requires S4C to transform, moving from ‘linear or digital’ considerations, in order to commission content for distribution across multiple platforms. In that respect, it is a bold scheme that challenges the traditional models that S4C and other broadcasters have followed for decades.
We will therefore reprioritise our spend towards more multi-platform content, maximising value for money for our audience across a range of platforms, including our current linear channel.