| S4C | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Launched | 1 November 1982 |
| Owned by | Welsh Fourth Channel Authority |
| Audience share | 7. Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar) The Welsh Fourth Channel Authority ( Welsh: Awdurdod S4C) regulates S4C ( Sianel Pedwar Cymru) the Welsh-language Television station 8% (with Channel 4) (February 2008, [1]) |
| Country |  Wales |
| Headquarters | Llanishen, Cardiff |
| Sister channel(s) | S4C2 |
| Website | www.s4c.co.uk (Welsh) www.s4c.co.uk (English) |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| UK analogue (S4C) |
Normally on Channel 4 (Wales only) |
| Freeview (S4C Digidol) |
Channel 4 (Wales only) |
| Satellite | |
| Freesat (S4C Digidol) |
Channel 104 (in Wales) Channel 120 (rest of UK) |
| Sky Digital (S4C Digidol) |
Channel 104 (in Wales) Channel 134 (rest of UK) |
| Astra 2A (S4C Digidol) |
12129V 27500 2/3 |
| Cable | |
| Virgin Media (S4C Digidol) |
Channel 194 (only in Wales) |
S4C (Welsh: Sianel Pedwar Cymru, meaning Channel Four Wales) is a television channel in Wales. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began There is also a Llanishen in Monmouthshire Llanishen ( Welsh Llanisien llan church + Isien Cardiff ( 'kɑːdɪf) is the Capital and the largest city and county in Wales. S4C2 (Sianel Pedwar Cymru Dau meaning Channel Four Wales Two) is a Free-to-air British Television station owned by S4C that broadcasts Analogue television in the United Kingdom includes terrestrial, satellite and cable services broadcasting using Analogue television signals Freeview is an operator of free Digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom, using the DVB-T standard Freesat is a British Free-to-air digital Satellite television service developed by the BBC Sky Digital is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting 's digital Satellite television service transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28 Virgin Media Inc (formerly known as ntlTelewest, after a merger of NTL Incorporated with Telewest Global Inc Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic Two versions of the channel exist: on analogue television, the channel is bilingual (Welsh and English), with most English language programming being rebroadcast from Channel 4 (analogue reception of which is unavailable to the vast majority of Wales); on digital television (via which Welsh viewers can also receive Channel 4), S4C provides an entirely Welsh language service known as S4C Digidol (S4C Digital). Analog (or analogue) television encodes Television picture and sound information and transmits it as an Analog signal: one in which the English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began Digital television (DTV is the sending and receiving of moving images and sound by discrete ( digital) signals in contrast to the analog signals used by
Contents |
Programming
S4C's remit is to provide a service which is in the Welsh language in peak viewing hours. S4C does not produce programmes of its own; instead, it commissions programmes in Welsh from the BBC and independent producers (although the quantity purchased from ITV Wales has greatly reduced since the early years of S4C), and it has particularly developed a reputation for commissioning cartoons, such as SuperTed, Sam Tân (which became Fireman Sam in its English version on the BBC) and Shakespeare: The Animated Tales. SuperTed is a Welsh animated television series from the United Kingdom that first aired on 1 November 1982. Fireman Sam (Sam Tân is a Welsh Stop-motion animation Children's television series about a fireman called Sam his fellow firefighters and Shakespeare The Animated Tales (also known as The Animated Shakespeare) comprised two six-part Television series first broadcast in 1992 and BBC Wales fulfills its public service requirement by producing programmes in Welsh, including Newyddion, S4C's news bulletin, and a soap opera, Pobol y Cwm, and providing them to S4C free of charge. BBC Wales ( BBC Cymru) is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Newyddion ( News) is a Welsh-language programme of world national and local news broadcast daily by the S4C television channel in the United Kingdom Pobol y Cwm ( People of the Valley) is a Welsh language television Soap opera produced by the BBC since October 1974 It has also provided (or licensed) Welsh language versions of English language programmes eg: The Tweenies. In non-peak hours on analogue, S4C shows programmes produced for Channel 4 in the rest of the UK (usually a few days later).
To make them more accessible to English speakers, all Welsh language programming carry English subtitles on Teletext page 888 (sometimes marketed as transl888), with Welsh subtitles on page 889. Teletext (or "broadcast Teletext" is a Television information retrieval service developed in the United Kingdom in the early Both subtitle languages are also available on digital television platforms.
For speakers of English who are learning Welsh, certain programmes, particularly those during the Dysgu am 12 slot, Planed Plant Bach and Planed Plant carry subtitles on page 889 of teletext, designed in such a way that you see subtitles in Welsh, but with words which the learner may not know bracketed off in a different colour in English straight after the Welsh word. S4C has a website for Welsh learners powered by Acen which is available on www. learnons4c. co. uk.
TV movies produced for S4C have received some good foreign reviews — Hedd Wyn being nominated for the Best Foreign Language Oscar in 1993 and Solomon & Gaenor being nominated in 1999. Hedd Wyn is a 1992 Welsh-language Welsh film written by Alan Llwyd and directed by Paul Turner. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Solomon & Gaenor ( Welsh: Solomon a Gaenor) is a BAFTA Awarded and Academy nominated Welsh film released in 1999 Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar)
Those who have no interest in Welsh-language TV have been known to point their aerials at the nearest English transmitters to avoid S4C, as well as BBC Wales and HTV Wales. However it is true that this practice dates back before the start of S4C in 1982, when Welsh-language programming was included on BBC1 and HTV Wales. S4C sports programme Sgorio has been known to reverse this practice, with English football fans watching S4C as the only British terrestrial broadcaster of Spanish and German league football. Sgorio is a Welsh football Television programme broadcast in Wales on S4C and produced by Ffilmiau'r Nant (Nant Films
The S4C signal also spills over into southeast Ireland, where it is retransmitted on UHF terrestrial signals by so-called 'deflectors', although those who watch it largely do so because Channel 4 isn't available via cable or MMDS in rural areas. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. MMDS is also an acronym for Mortality Medical Data System. Multichannel multipoint distribution service, also known as MMDS
On analogue and digital satellite, S4C runs its own teletext service, Sbectel ("Sbec" being both Welsh for "a peek" or "a glimpse", and a reference to an S4C schedule insert formerly included in the TV Times issues for the ITV Wales region. Teletext (or "broadcast Teletext" is a Television information retrieval service developed in the United Kingdom in the early Sbectel (sb̥ɛktɛl is the name of S4C 's ancillary Teletext service "Sbectols" is also colloquial Welsh for "spectacles").
Digital channels
On digital television, the S4C Digidol (S4C Digital) variant of S4C is broadcast. It is an exclusively Welsh language service broadcast within Wales on Freeview and throughout the UK and Ireland on Freesat and Sky Digital. Freeview is an operator of free Digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom, using the DVB-T standard Freesat is a British Free-to-air digital Satellite television service developed by the BBC Sky Digital is the brand name for British Sky Broadcasting 's digital Satellite television service transmitted from SES Astra satellites located at 28 S4C's Welsh programming generally airs simultaneously on S4C Digidol.
In addition, S4C also operates a sister channel, S4C2. S4C2 (Sianel Pedwar Cymru Dau meaning Channel Four Wales Two) is a Free-to-air British Television station owned by S4C that broadcasts It broadcasts coverage of the National Assembly for Wales when it is in session. The National Assembly for Wales (Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The programme content is provided by the BBC. Like S4C Digidol, S4C2 is available within Wales on Freeview and throughout the UK and Ireland on Freesat and Sky Digital. S4C2 has two audio feeds, allowing viewers to select between an untranslated version and an English-only version where all Welsh spoken is translated into English.
In addition to the analogue TV signal transmitted throughout Wales, S4C, along with United News and Media, owned the company S4C Digital Networks (SDN). United Business Media Limited provides business information services principally to the technology healthcare media automotive and financial services industries SDN ( S4C Digital Networks) is a company that operates Multiplex A one of the six groups of channels on Digital terrestrial television in the United Kingdom SDN was awarded the UK-wide contract to provide half a digital multiplex worth of programming. The other half belonged, and still does belong to the broadcaster Five.
On 27 April 2005 S4C sold its share of SDN to ITV plc for approximately £34 million, though it still has the half-multiplex as of right in Wales. Events 1124 - David I becomes King of Scotland. 1296 - Battle of Dunbar: The Scots are defeated Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ITV plc ( is a British media company that operates 11 of the 15 regional television broadcasters that make up the ITV Network, the oldest and largest commercial ITV already owned some of SDN due to the consolidation of the ITV industry: Granada bought UNM's stake in SDN, and this was then incorporated into the united ITV plc.
One benefit of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) in Wales is that Channel 4 can now be broadcast alongside S4C, thereby placating disgruntled English speakers who have often had to put up with Channel 4 programmes aired hours or days later (if at all) on S4C. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began It remains to be seen what impact the availability of Channel 4 will have on S4C, as both channels share a significant proportion of their English output. However, by launching its all-Welsh digital service, S4C has essentially conceded that its future will be in serving that language only, and not as a mixed-language service.
In January 2007, S4C announced plans to launch a Welsh-language children's channel[1] The channel was due to launch on 29 October 2007 and advertisements for the channel had been airing on S4C. [2]. It is now expected to be launched around June 2008.
History
Before the launch of S4C, Welsh speakers had been served by occasional programmes in Welsh broadcast as regional opt-outs on BBC Wales and HTV Cymru Wales (the ITV franchise in Wales), often at obscure times. BBC Wales ( BBC Cymru) is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. HTV, now legally known as ITV Wales and West, is the ITV contractor for Wales and the West of England. Independent Television (generally known as ITV) is a public service network of British commercial television broadcasters set up under the Independent This wasn't only unsatisfactory for Welsh speakers, who saw them as a sop, but also an annoyance of the non-Welsh-speaking community which found the English programmes seen in the rest of the UK often rescheduled or not transmitted at all.
During the 1970s, Welsh language activists had campaigned for a TV service in the language, which already had its own radio station, BBC Radio Cymru. This led to acts of civil disobedience, including refusals to pay the television licence, thereby running the risk of prosecution or even a prison sentence, and sit-ins in BBC and HTV studios. Television licences around the world The Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago notes that two-thirds of the countries in Europe and half Some took more extreme measures, including attacking television transmitters in Welsh-speaking areas. In 1980, the former president of Plaid Cymru, Gwynfor Evans, threatened to go on hunger strike if the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher didn't honour its commitment to provide a Welsh language TV service. Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) See also Plaid Cymru The Party of Wales Plaid Cymru The Party of Wales (IPA/plaɪd ˈkəmri/ often referred in common speech simply as Dr Richard Gwynfor Evans ( 1 September 1912 – 21 April 2005) was a Welsh politician lawyer and author The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative and Unionist Party) is a Political party in the United Kingdom. Margaret Hilda Thatcher Baroness Thatcher LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925 The channel started broadcasting on 1 November 1982, the night before Channel 4's opening. Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 1982 ( MCMLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar)
In January 2007, S4C announced that their digital channels would be refreshed under a new corporate logo and brand. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. [3]. On 17 January, s4c. Events 38 BC - Octavian marries Livia Drusilla. 1287 - King Alfonso III of Aragon invades Minorca co. uk was updated with the new look, with S4C channels adopting the new look from 18 January. Events 350 - Generallus Magnentius deposes Roman Emperor Constans and proclaims himself Emperor The S4C logo used since 1995, often stylised as "S4C~" because of the "dragon" design element which accompanied it, was replaced. The new design emphasises the channel's Welsh connection with the "C" for Cymru (Wales) separated from the "S4" (Channel 4) by a forward stroke. The slash ( /) is a punctuation mark It is also called a virgule, diagonal, stroke, forward slash, oblique dash, S4C2 is now seen on screen as S4C Dau (Two), but still listed as S4C2 on the broadcaster's website and on Sky. S4C2 (Sianel Pedwar Cymru Dau meaning Channel Four Wales Two) is a Free-to-air British Television station owned by S4C that broadcasts
On-Air Identity
S4C's on-air appearance has always been a representation of the Welsh society and people, but how it has been represented on-air has changed several times. Initial idents featured clips from the natural landscapes of Wales with a basic logo animation and fanfare, with the logo forming as WALES4CYMRU. In 1988, the ident changed to a computer generated ident featuring an animation of the streamlined S4C logo. Other idents featuring a weather vane with the S4C logo and a water based setting were used during the early 1990's. A weather vane, also called a wind vane, is a movable device attached to an elevated object such as a roof for showing the direction of the wind In 1992, a new series of idents debuted. The new idents featured inanimate objects such as a kite and a stapler representing a Dragon (specifically, representing Y Ddraig Goch, the Red Dragon depicted on the flag of Wales), usually by trying to fly or breathe fire like an actual dragon. These idents carried on through 2006 (with a logo change in 1995, featuring a new modernized font and a tilde representing the Dragon motif). The tilde (~ (/ˈtɪldə/ is a Grapheme with several uses The name of the character comes from Spanish, from the Latin titulus The Dragon idents were retired in January 2007 alongside a wider relaunch of the channel. The theme of the new idents were to show the magnetism of the Welsh society, represented by large amounts of objects gathering in one place, such as shopping carts at a grocery store, and golf carts at a golf course. These idents were produced by Proud Creative, a London based design firm. In 2007, another new set of live-action idents debuted, featuring live rendered dynamic elements which react to the voice of the continuity announcers, an effect similar to the initial idents of BBC Four - but utilizing live-action footage instead of 3D rendered footage. BBC Four is a BBC Television channel available to digital television ( Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable) viewers in the [4]
Funding and regulation
S4C is financed from its advertising revenue and a fixed annual grant from the UK Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), receiving £94m of funding in 2007. The Department for Culture Media and Sport ( DCMS) is a department of the United Kingdom government, with responsibility for culture and sport [5]
In addition, some Welsh-language programming (including Newyddion and Pobol y Cwm) is produced by BBC Wales as part of the BBC's public service remit, and provided to S4C free of charge. Newyddion ( News) is a Welsh-language programme of world national and local news broadcast daily by the S4C television channel in the United Kingdom Pobol y Cwm ( People of the Valley) is a Welsh language television Soap opera produced by the BBC since October 1974 BBC Wales ( BBC Cymru) is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. In the United Kingdom the term " Public service broadcasting " (PSB refers to broadcasting intended for the public benefit rather than for purely commercial
S4C is controlled by the Welsh Fourth Channel Authority (Welsh: Awdurod Sianel Pedwar Cymru or Awdurdod S4C), an independent body unconnected to Ofcom which regulates other UK television channels such as the BBC, ITV or Channel 4. The Welsh Fourth Channel Authority ( Welsh: Awdurdod S4C) regulates S4C ( Sianel Pedwar Cymru) the Welsh-language Television station Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic The Office of Communications (Y Swyddfa Gyfathrebiadau or as it is more often known Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the Communication
See also
References
- ^ S4C unveils kids' channel and rebrand. Wales has both radio and television channels in the Welsh language. S4C has the rights to many sporting events which it covers in the medium of Welsh The list below contains information on the different types of media available in the Celtic languages. Broadcast Now (subscription required to view article) (2007-01-20). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Retrieved on 2007-10-28. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine
- ^ New S4C kids channel launching October 07. S4C (2007-10-26). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 740 - An Earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing much damage and death Retrieved on 2007-10-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 740 - An Earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing much damage and death
- ^ Oatts, Joanne (2007-01-09). Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. S4C gets a rebrand. Digital Spy. Retrieved on 2007-01-11. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire.
- ^ The new S4/C idents, that react to voice. | idents.tv
- ^ About us. www. s4c. co. uk. S4C. Retrieved on 2008-06-03. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman Emperor, entering “The Department for Culture, Media and Sport finances S4C. In 2007, the Channel will receive a grant of £94. 4m from DCMS. ”
External links
| S4C | |||||||||||||
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| S4C | S4C2 | S4C Sport | Sbectel | Welsh Fourth Channel Authority | |||||||||
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