Concern over further delay in appointing new S4C Chair

Martin Shipton

Renewed concern has been expressed about a further delay in appointing a new Chair of S4C as it emerged that the UK Government has hired an executive recruitment firm to find one.

The Welsh language broadcaster has yet to emerge from a leadership crisis that has plagued it over the last two years.

Former chief executive Sian Doyle was dismissed for gross misconduct in November 2023 after an investigation report by Cardiff law firm Capital Law concluded that she had presided over a bullying culture at the channel.

The Chair of S4C, Rhodri Williams, did not seek re-appointment when his term of office included at the end of March 2024, and since then the board has been chaired on a temporary basis by former Welsh Conservative MP Guto Bebb.

Geraint Evans, a former editor of the current affairs series Y Byd ar Bedwar, was appointed S4C chief executive in November 2024, but concern is mounting about the length of time it is taking for the UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Uncertainty

An industry source told Nation.Cymru: “DCMS has decided to hire the London-based executive recruitment firm GatenbySanderson to help in the search for a new S4C Chair. That could easily take six months, and in the meantime there will continue to be uncertainty about the organisation’s leadership.

“Another factor is that most of the non-executive members of the board are coming up to the end of their terms of office. DCMS will have to decide whether to reappoint them. The only non-executive board member with a fair while to go in their term is the former Welsh Conservative MS Suzy Davies.

“The general election delayed the appointment of a new Chair, but you’d think there would be a degree of urgency about ensuring that S4C has stable leadership, especially after the turmoil it’s been in over the last couple of years.”

Fresh applications

In October DCMS decided to invite fresh applications for the post of Chair. Letters were sent to those who had applied earlier stating: “I wanted to thank you for your continued patience in awaiting the outcome of your application whilst we worked through the preferred approach to this process following the general election.

“Ministers have now decided to launch a new campaign to attract the broadest possible field of applicants for the role. The new process will also seek to appoint up to five new Members of the Board.”

However, a DCMS source told Nation.Cymru at the time: “The appointment process for the S4C chair has not restarted. No job advert has been published. We will provide an update in due course.”

Restore faith

Following the delivery of the Capital Law report and the dismissal of Ms Doyle, the board of S4C issued a statement saying that an Action Plan would be adopted to restore faith in the organisation’s leadership.

It said: “We are committed to ensuring that S4C is a place where our colleagues feel respected, supported, and motivated to perform at their best. We are acutely aware that significant work is required to restore confidence and trust in S4C as an organisation amongst our staff and our stakeholders in the creative sector.

“Our programme of work has been developed in consultation with stakeholders, including members of staff and the BECTU union. It is based around four themes: leadership, culture, HR policies and procedures, and governance.

“The Unitary Board will be ultimately responsible for the Action Plan, with a standing item at every board meeting to report on progress against individual actions. Progress against the Action Plan will also be shared with DCMS as part of existing quarterly meeting arrangements.

“The effectiveness of steps being taken as part of the Action Plan will be considered in the context of various feedback mechanisms, including: pulse surveys of S4C staff, feedback gathered through the quarterly meetings of the Staff Forum (which is shared with the management team and the board), and annual meetings between [the trade union] BECTU and the board.

“We are striving to restore trust and confidence amongst our staff, who play a vital role in the future success of S4C. Leadership built on integrity, accountability, cooperation and open communication is key to building a positive future.”

DCMS has been invited to comment.