New S4C Chair confirmed

The UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy MP, has confirmed Delyth Evans as the new Chair of S4C.

The confirmation comes after Ms Evans, the UK Government’s preferred candidate to take on the top job at the Welsh language broadcaster, appeared before the Welsh Affairs Committee for a pre-appointment hearing on April 23.

Ms Evans started her career as a journalist at HTV Wales, working on the flagship current affairs programme Y Byd ar Bedwar for S4C. She subsequently worked as a reporter on BBC Radio Four’s World at One and PM programmes.

She became a Labour Member of the Welsh Assembly (now the Senedd) in 2000, representing the Mid and West Wales constituency, and was a deputy minister for Culture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

After stepping down from politics in 2003 Ms Evans worked in the charity sector as Chief Executive of Smart Works, a women’s employment charity. She is currently a Board member at Sport Wales, a Governor at Coleg Gwent, and a trustee of the Alacrity Foundation and the Urdd.

Ms Evans takes the helm after a tumultuous two years for S4C, with its former chief executive Sian Doyle sacked for presiding over a culture of toxic bullying and its chief content officer Llinos Griffin-Williams dismissed following a drunken rant in which she abused programme makers during the Rugby World Cup in France.

The UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has also announced the appointment of five new members to the Board of S4C Dr Gwenllian Lansdown Davies, Dyfrig Davies, Wyn Innes, Betsan Powys and Catryn Ramasut.

Delighted

Geraint Evans, Chief Executive of S4C, said: “We are delighted that Delyth Evans has joined S4C as our new Chair. Delyth brings a wealth of leadership and governance experience as well as a passion for seeing the Welsh language flourish in every corner the country. She also appreciates the importance of the production sector to the channel and to the Welsh economy.

“I, along with the rest of the S4C team, am eagerly looking forward to working with Delyth as we begin a new chapter in our history.

“I would also like to welcome the new members of the Board. Their contribution and diverse experiences will certainly be of great value to us as we face the challenges and opportunities of the new broadcasting era.

“We are also very grateful to Guto Bebb for his extraordinary dedication over the past year as our interim Chairman – he has brought stability and wisdom to the role.

“While welcoming new members, including a second term for Denise Lewis Poulton, I would also like to thank Chris Jones and Adele Gritten for their contribution to S4C at the end of their term as Board members. ”

Experience

TAC, the trade body for independent TV production companies in Wales, has also welcomed confirmation of Delyth Evans. Appointment.

Llyr Morus, Chair of TAC, the trade body for independent TV production companies in Wales said: “We welcome the appointment of Delyth Evans as the new Chair of S4C. Delyth’s experience will be a great benefit, and we welcome her comments to the Welsh Affairs Committee acknowledging our sector’s important work in providing a wide range of high-quality content for S4C.

“This has been a time of change for S4C and we recognise the important work of the Interim Chair, Guto Bebb, over the past months and thank him for his liaison with our sector.

“We are glad a new full-time Chair is now in place as S4C and our sector look to meet media industry challenges and to engage in the debate on the future of the TV Licence Fee, which is of course the source of all of S4C’s public funding.

“We also welcome the other S4C Board members, including former TAC Chair Dyfrig Davies.”