Politics show takes first step towards ‘normalising Welsh’ on English language TV
A politics show has taken its first step towards “normalising the use of Welsh on English language television”.
The ITV Cymru Wales programme Sharp End broadcasted a bilingual report on the impact of the influx of tourists on Snowdonia.
Presenter Rob Osborne interviewed Howard Huws from language campaign group, Cylch yr Iaith, in the Welsh, and English language subtitles were included when it was broadcasted to viewers.
The campaigner argued that tourists snapping up properties in the areas was pricing out locals who were struggling to get on the housing ladder.
A little first on Sharp End last night.
A bilingual report.
Normalising the use of Welsh on English language television.
Report is on over-tourism. Catch up here https://t.co/nKzdojX7hi pic.twitter.com/an7JsJMMNd
— Rob Osborne (@robosbornewales) September 28, 2021
Howard Huws said: “There’s a place for tourism of course in a healthy economy, but when you get to depending on it and when those tourists decide they want to move here to live and are able to pay more than locals for houses and decide that they don’t have to employ local people to do their business, that they can employ each other, people from their own country, then we have a problem.”
‘Danger’
On the possibility of protests against tourists in the future, he said: “There’s a danger we will get that if local people continue to see that they’re not getting good jobs and can’t get a roof over their heads because the tourism market grows and grows there is a danger things will turn ugly. Hopefully not of course.”
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da iawn
Interesting. I remember the late Alun Williams, the sports commentator, was ambivalent towards the creation of S4C. He believed putting Welsh language programs on a separate channel would reduce the profile of Welsh as many non Welsh speakers would now never hear Welsh at all. I’ve mentioned before the Richard Osman’s House of Games quiz where a question on the number of Welsh speakers was very poorly answered. I think Michelle Ackerley thought there were only about 20k Welsh speakers. Even the two Scots were way off mark. Fred MacAulay, gave the closest correct number at about 120k. Judy Murray… Read more »
You say ‘even the two Scots..’ in the main they know even less about us than the English do.
I think many of us were very happy to see “ Channel 4 Wales”!/ S4C set up and aknowledged the great effort from those who led to fight for it. We also remembered the views of others who had demonstrated their hostility to Welsh welcoming its creation….and wondered why? At a packed National Conference in Aber – then – many of us warned that keeping Welsh locked into S4C and away from the range of other channels including HTV BBC and Granada would be a mistake – especially for eastern areas of Wales where bilingual education had deep roots and… Read more »