Welsh language commissioner warns BBC cuts must account for cultural cost
The Welsh Language Commissioner has warned that BBC savings decisions must take account of their long-term effect on the Welsh language, rather than being judged solely on financial value.
BBC Wales evidence to MPs · 9 September
- Savings described
- About £9m
- Share of annual budget
- Just over 10%
- Roles facing closure
- At least 50 FTE
Efa Gruffudd Jones raised the concern alongside Pól Deeds, the Irish Language Commissioner for Northern Ireland. Their statement says recent BBC announcements could threaten the role of minority-language broadcasting.
Why the commissioners are concerned
Jones said Welsh-language programmes give people opportunities to hear and use the language, while reflecting Welsh life through news, sport, culture and entertainment. She argued that their reliance on public funding makes the consequences of cuts different from those for English-language broadcasting.
Both commissioners acknowledged the financial pressure facing the BBC. Deeds urged it to consider the particular needs of Irish-language audiences, arguing that provision already trails that for other indigenous UK languages.
What the BBC told MPs
In evidence to the Welsh Affairs Committee on 9 September, BBC Cymru Wales head of corporate affairs Rhys Evans said the organisation needed about £9 million in savings in Wales, with at least 50 full-time-equivalent roles facing closure and an effect on independent companies it commissions.
Interim director Garmon Rhys told MPs the savings represented just over 10% of BBC Cymru Wales’s annual budget. He said it aimed to preserve output with the greatest audience value and reach, including its ability to serve younger audiences.
Rhys also warned that the services were distinctive and other providers would not necessarily replace output the BBC stopped producing. That earlier evidence sets out the broadcaster’s financial position; it was not a response to the commissioners’ later statement.
What this statement does not establish
The commissioners’ release does not list individual programmes being cancelled or set out a timetable of service changes. Their warning concerns the consequences of funding decisions, rather than announcing a new schedule.