The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is seeking outstanding people with a passion for the development of the Welsh language and public service broadcasting and media to join the board of S4C.
The Role of S4C Non-executive Members
The S4C Board consists of the Chair and up to eight other non-executive members, each appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Members bring varying skills and experience to the Board, though they are all expected to ensure that S4C fulfils its public service remit and that public and licence fee funds allocated to S4C are properly utilised.
Board Members will also be required to ensure that S4C’s public services are provided in accordance both with S4C’s statutory remit and the provisions of the current Partnership Agreement agreed between S4C and the BBC.
Board Members are expected to:
- Function collectively as the Unitary Board of S4C and provide support and advice, and also ensure appropriate challenge to and accountability of the Chief Executive and their executive team.
- Support the Chair, in liaison with the Chief Executive, in overseeing the relationship with DCMS, the BBC, Ofcom and other stakeholders including the Welsh Government and the independent production sector.
- Undertake public engagement duties as necessary on behalf of S4C including public meetings and functions across Wales.
- Attend Board meetings and any special meetings/awaydays, and attending sub-committees of the Board as necessary.
The Board seeks to ensure that its members, between them, are able to draw on a wide range of expertise and knowledge of particular fields relevant to the work of S4C. These include, but are not restricted to:
- Broadcasting, digital media and the wider creative industries
- The Welsh language
- Communications and marketing
- Business and commerce
- Finance, audit and assurance
S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru – the Welsh Fourth Channel) is the UK’s only dedicated Welsh language public service broadcaster and media provider. S4C is a statutory corporation, originally established in 1982 and now regulated by the Communications Act 2003 and the Broadcasting Act 1990. It is operationally and editorially independent of the UK government.
S4C provides high quality content and media services in the Welsh language, offering entertainment, information and inspiration, which aim to reach the widest audience possible across a range of contemporary platforms throughout Wales, the UK and beyond.
According to S4C’s Annual Report for 2023-24, S4C's annual reach on television in Wales has risen by 5% to 1,713,000 viewers compared to the previous year. In addition, it saw a 9% increase in the number of Welsh-speakers who watch from week to week in 2023-24 - the highest figure for six years. The hours of content watched on S4C's digital platform S4C Clic or on iPlayer have increased by almost a third in 2023-24 compared to the previous year. S4C has also seen a growth of 53% in the number of hours watched on YouTube, central to S4C's goal of growing and maintaining a younger audience.
In 2023, S4C sold its crime drama Dal y Mellt (Rough Cut) to Netflix - the first Welsh language only drama licensed on Netflix. In June 2023, S4C also signed a commercial output deal to provide 6 hours a week of Welsh language content curated by Ryan Reynolds for the Maximum Effort Channel, streamed on "Welsh Wednesdays" in a weekly takeover. The channel is available to watch in the United States and the commercial deal will create income to invest back into the creative sector in Wales.
It is the duty of S4C’s Board to ensure that S4C represents a public service for the dissemination of information, education and entertainment. The Board is responsible for ensuring that effective corporate governance and management arrangements, including financial management, are in place for S4C’s public and commercial services. The Board is also responsible for ensuring that the independence of S4C is safeguarded.
The S4C Board must have a detailed understanding of online and broadcasting developments and of devolved government in Wales and take into account cultural and other initiatives when determining its strategy, and the sociolinguistic situation of the Welsh language.
As a commissioner-broadcaster with a commitment to the independent production sector, S4C makes an important contribution to the creative economy in Wales. Independent research concluded that S4C's economic contribution has resulted in 1,900 jobs and generated £136m for the Welsh economy. S4C is one of the most cost-efficient public service broadcasters in the UK, with a cost per hour significantly lower than other broadcasters and its activities also generate tax revenues in excess of the money it receives. For every £1 pound of licence fee funding S4C receives, £1.02 is generated in tax for the Treasury.
Following the independent review of S4C published in March 2018, the governance of S4C is now based on a Unitary Board model (in place of the previous non-executive Authority). The Board currently operates as a Shadow Unitary Board in accordance with the Board’s Standing Orders until the relevant legislation is put in place - this will be via the Media Act 2024, which received Royal Assent in May 2024. The appointed Chair is expected to continue into the role of Chair of the Unitary Board when it is constituted in statute.
Further information regarding S4C can be found in the Annual Report and Statement of Accounts:
https://adroddiad.s4c.cymru/en/. Funding
The Public Bodies Act 2011 places a statutory duty on the Secretary of State to ensure that S4C is paid an amount that s/he considers sufficient to enable S4C to cover the cost of providing its public services.
S4C is currently funded through a mixture of funding from the TV licence fee via the BBC and advertising and commercial revenue. In 2023/24 turnover at S4C totalled £88.850m. S4C also receives a minimum of 10 hours a week of Welsh language programming from the BBC provided free of charge in accordance with the relevant statutory requirements.
The BBC Framework Agreement of December 2016 sets out the level of Licence Fee funding for S4C until 2021/22, together with a commitment to provide Licence Fee funding for S4C until 2027/28, with the amount to be determined by the Secretary of State following consultation with the BBC and S4C. The Framework Agreement was updated in May 2022 to reflect the licence fee settlement announced in January 2022 for the period 2022/23 to 2027/28.
In November 2017, S4C and the BBC published a new Partnership, Funding and Accountability agreement that set out the detailed arrangements for the operation of S4C and the BBC’s partnership, together with funding and financial accountability provisions for the Licence Fee funding.
Further information about the Partnership, Funding and Accountability Agreement can be found here:
https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/governance/s4c/bbc_s4c_partnership_nov17.pdf.The Role of the Board
The shadow Unitary Board comprises up to nine non-executive members, together with the Chief Executive, and two other executive members.
While the Board does not participate in day to day decisions, it retains responsibilities in a number of key areas: that of a broadcaster, a strategic and oversight role, some management responsibilities, regulatory responsibilities, and a public role. Candidates need to demonstrate an appreciation of each and the ability to contribute to the Board’s work in each of these areas.
The Board oversees and monitors the systems in place to ensure that S4C’s broadcasting service and management services can act in an appropriately independent manner without any external interference.
Further information regarding the S4C Board can be found in the Governance Report in the Annual Report
here.
Broadcasting Role
The Board is responsible for the provision of S4C’s Welsh language television, and digital and online services.
The Board does not get involved in day to day editorial decisions, although it does develop and set the strategy for S4C’s services and oversees compliance of S4C’s services with the relevant regulatory and legislative provisions, including the Ofcom Broadcasting Code. The Board approves S4C’s Content Strategy, the Annual Statement of Programme Policy, the Annual Work Plan and any services for which a statutory order is required.
The Board has a statutory duty to make arrangements for ascertaining the state of public opinion concerning programmes published by S4C, any effects of such programmes on the attitudes or behaviour of viewers as well as the types of programmes that members of the public would like to see on S4C.
Strategic and Oversight Role
As an independent body S4C is able to set its own strategy and objectives in order to deliver its statutory function. In this respect, the Board’s work includes:
- approving S4C’s corporate strategy, and any sub-strategies (such as the Content Strategy), and agree the associated objectives and relevant performance measurement frameworks;
- reviewing the delivery of agreed objectives by monitoring performance, holding the Chief Executive and their Management Team to account for their performance in delivering S4C’s services, its public service remit, and other activities including to ensure a positive organisational culture; and
- approving the annual budget and S4C’s long term financial plans.
Management Role
The Board has delegated the delivery of S4C’s public services and other activities, within a framework set by the Board, to the Chief Executive. However, the Board does have specific management tasks including:
- ensuring that S4C is accountable for all public spending by approving and overseeing effective management, audit and corporate governance procedures;
- appointing the Chief Executive and the Board Secretary, and approving the salary framework for S4C staff;
- approving and reviewing S4C’s main policies and codes;
- scrutinising management accounts and the annual Statement of Accounts;
- securing and monitoring effective financial arrangements and appointing the internal auditors; and
- setting the strategy for S4C’s commercial activities.
Regulatory Responsibilities
Pending the implementation of new legislative provisions with respect to the regulation of S4C's ‘on-demand’ services, the Board continues to exercise a limited number of regulatory responsibilities that relate to S4C’s online services that are outside the current provisions of the Ofcom Broadcasting Code.
The Board has agreed and published S4C’s Complaints Process which details how complaints relating to compliance or regulatory matters in relation to S4C content are considered.
Public Role
The Chair and the Board are the public face of S4C and together have a responsibility to be accessible and accountable to the S4C staff members, the public and other stakeholders. This includes:
- responsibility for explaining S4C’s role and contribution as a public body;
- preparing an annual report on S4C’s activities and performance; and
- responding to appropriate consultations.
The Board is responsible for ensuring that S4C’s services are safeguarded against political or any other inappropriate interference.
All Board Members are expected to:
- Function collectively as the Unitary Board of S4C and provide support and advice, and also ensure appropriate challenge to and accountability of the Chief Executive and their executive team.
- Support the Chair, in liaison with the Chief Executive, in overseeing the relationship with DCMS, the BBC, Ofcom and other stakeholders including the Welsh Government and the independent production sector.
- Undertake public engagement duties as necessary on behalf of S4C including public meetings and functions across Wales.
- Attend Board meetings and any special meetings/awaydays, and attending sub-committees of the Board as necessary.
The Board seeks to ensure that its members, between them, are able to draw on a wide range of expertise and knowledge of particular fields relevant to the work of S4C. These include, but are not restricted to:
- Broadcasting, digital media and the wider creative industries
- The Welsh language
- Communications and marketing
- Business and commerce
- Finance, audit and assurance
This post is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. For more information, please refer to the
Commissioner’s website 