Preferred Candidate Selected for S4C Chair

20 Jan 2020 03:09 PM

Following an open recruitment exercise, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport has selected Rhodri Williams as her preferred candidate for the Chair of S4C.

Rhodri Williams was Ofcom’s Director in Wales from 2004 to 2018 leading the communications regulator’s work in Wales and its engagement with the Welsh Government, elected representatives and stakeholders. Prior to joining Ofcom he served as Chair of the Welsh Language Board from 1999 to 2004 where he led the Board’s vision and strategy and developed the first strategic national Welsh language action plan. He began his career as a journalist with ITV in Wales in 1982, working on S4C’s flagship current affairs series Y Byd ar Bedwar.

In 1989 he co-founded independent production company Agenda Television (now Tinopolis) which soon became Wales’ largest production company. He was the founding editor of S4C’s nightly magazine programme Heno, which remains at the heart of S4C’s output. Rhodri Williams joined the S4C Authority in July 2018 and is currently the Chair of its Content Committee. Since November 2019 he has been a member of the board of the Consumer Council for Water and the Chair of its Wales Committee. He lives in Carmarthenshire with his wife Elinor and two children.

S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru, meaning “Channel 4 Wales”) is a British Welsh-language free-to-air television channel. The first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking audience. S4C is the fourth-oldest television channel in the United Kingdom, after BBC One, ITV and BBC Two.

A joint meeting of the Committee for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport and Welsh Affairs Select Committees will hold a pre-appointment hearing with Rhodri Williams as soon as Committees are formed. The Committee’s conclusions will be considered carefully before deciding whether or not to proceed with the appointment.

Notes to Editors

• The appointment of the S4C Chair will be made on merit, and following a fair, open, and transparent competition, regulated by the Commissioner for Public appointments.
• The appointment will be made in accordance with the Cabinet Office Governance Code for Public Appointments.
• Under the Broadcasting Act 1990, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport makes the appointment of the S4C Chair.
• The previous S4C Chair, Huw Jones, left the organisation on 30 September 2019. Hugh Hesketh Evansm, S4C Board Member, is Interim Chair until 31 March 2020.
• Remuneration for this role is £40,000 for up to two days per week.
• In accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Rhodri has not declared any activity.