News

Petition launched opposing cuts to Welsh-language broadcasting

28 Sep 2026 4 minute read

BBC Cymru Wales HQ in Cardiff. Photo Christopher R Smith @Shutterstock.com

Mark Mansfield

A petition calling for cuts to Welsh-language broadcasting to be halted and broadcasting powers devolved to Wales has been launched.

Cymdeithas yr Iaith launched the petition following BBC Cymru Wales’s announcement of a package of savings which will see Radio Cymru programmes including Dros Ginio come to an end and staffing reduced by around 45 posts.

The BBC said last week that it needed to contribute towards around £500m of savings across the corporation while seeking to protect the quality of its services.

Under the changes, Dros Ginio, one of Radio Cymru’s main news and current affairs programmes, will end, while the Saturday editions of Dros Frecwast and football programme Ar y Marc will be replaced by podcasts.

A new programme, Yr Wythnos, will provide a weekly news and political round-up on Fridays, while Gwleidydda will be broadcast on Saturday mornings in place of Dros Frecwast.

The Bwletin Amaeth farming bulletin will also end, with the BBC saying rural and agricultural news will instead be reflected in its main news output.

BBC Cymru Wales has said the plans reflect changing audience habits as more people use digital platforms, as well as the financial pressures facing the corporation.

It said it had sought to minimise the impact on audiences and focus investment on areas offering the greatest value and potential for audience growth.

Campaigners said the changes represented a further reduction in provision for Welsh-speaking audiences and threatened Welsh-language journalism jobs.

Owain Meirion, chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said: “The announcement that BBC Cymru is proposing to end the Saturday morning editions of Dros Ginio and Dros Frecwast on Radio Cymru is disgraceful.

“If these latest cuts go ahead, the Welsh language will lose further ground on the airwaves.”

The petition calls on the BBC to halt the programme and job cuts and urges the UK Government to provide more funding for public-service broadcasting and journalism in Wales.

It also calls for broadcasting and communications powers and funding to be devolved to Wales.

Mr Meirion said: “Most important of all, we call for the devolution of broadcasting and communications powers and funding to Wales without delay, in order to secure a future for the broadcasting and communications sector that is worthy of the people of Wales and accountable to them, and to ensure that the Welsh language is available on every platform, screen and airwave.”

iPlayer

The petition follows a separate dispute over changes to the relationship between the BBC and S4C.

Documents obtained by Cymdeithas yr Iaith through freedom of information requests show S4C’s board agreed in principle to exchange some of the hours of programming supplied by the BBC in return for improved prominence and features for S4C content on BBC iPlayer.

Under previous arrangements, the BBC was required to provide S4C with 10 hours of Welsh-language programming each week. The Media Act 2024 allowed those arrangements to be changed.

Cymdeithas yr Iaith has raised concerns that the changes could weaken S4C’s own Clic streaming service and has called for assurances over how much programming has been given up as part of the new arrangements.

The organisation has also asked the Senedd’s Culture Committee to recall S4C bosses to answer further questions about the agreement.

Devolution

The Welsh Government has committed to working towards the devolution of broadcasting powers, including powers to regulate, supervise and ensure accountability for broadcasting and communications in Wales.

Its 2026-30 Programme for Government says it will begin by establishing a Shadow Broadcasting and Communications Authority for Wales to “protect and strengthen local and national public service media platforms”.

Mr Meirion said: “We welcome these commitments from the Welsh Government, particularly the commitment to establish a Shadow Broadcasting and Communications Authority for Wales, in order to protect and strengthen local and national public-service media platforms.

“However, the current timetable to do this by Spring 2028 at the earliest is far too late, given the threat facing our public-service media today.”

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