Annual report and accounts
Reflecting Wales and Growing Talent
Through our content, and the workforce that creates it for us, it is vital that S4C reflects Wales as a whole. We have continued with this important objective of ensuring that we improve our representation and diversity – both on screen and behind the cameras.
We integrate these principles into everything we do in S4C, as well as with our partners in the sector. During the year, the post of Diversity, Sustainability and Social Purpose Lead was created to implement this aim. And S4C continued to work with valued partners including It’s My Shout, Screen Alliance Wales, Culture Connect Cymru, rad Cymru, and set up the first S4C advisory panels (on race and ethnicity). The process of joining the Diamond project, which measures diversity and representation on and behind screen for UK broadcasters, has also been initiated, so that we have robust data and a foundation for improvement.
Creating value through our resources
A number of the elements of the 2022–27 Strategy stem from recommendations made in the independent report to the DCMS that the late Euryn Ogwen Williams published in 2018. We have continued to realise these recommendations, and reviewed and relaunched S4C Masnachol so that we create value through our resources. After the successful sale of Parc Tŷ Glas and our historic investment in Wildseed, there is now a clear focus on the future strategy. We were delighted to be a partner with Cymru Greadigol and Rondo to launch the Aria studios on Anglesey in February 2023. This year we will also be launching a Content Fund and Growth Fund to build our resources here in Wales through clear and purposeful investment.
Thanks to our partners
We were delighted to work with the Football Association of Wales, the Urdd, BBC Wales, and the Welsh Government as part of Team Wales around the World Cup at Qatar. As part of S4C’s support, the successful Cymru yn America concert (Orchard Media) was held in New York where Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds received a ‘Diolch y Ddraig’ award from the Welsh Government for their contribution to Wales.
We saw amazing engagement around the world with S4C’s content from the concert, with one clip from the red carpet – originally broadcast on the Heno (Tinopolis) programme – attracting 383k viewing sessions on TikTok. Other clips from the red carpet and the presentation of the ‘Diolch y Ddraig’ award attracted over 50k viewing sessions each on Facebook; and an interview with Rob and Ryan after receiving the award received over 70k viewing sessions on YouTube.
S4C also welcomes our partnership with DCMS, and we are so pleased to see that the draft Media Bill has been published in Westminster. This will take steps to give S4C and Welsh language content formal prominence on new platforms. This – and giving status to public broadcasters and the Welsh language for the first time – is very welcome.
We are indebted to all our production partners – 70 of them in 2022–23 – who create and produce content for S4C that continues to win prizes and entertain the audience. Nearly 80% of our budget is spent on commissioning content, with over 98.4% of this content produced in this creative sector here in Wales.
