S4C’s chief executive called for increased visibility for Welsh content on online platforms in his opening address at the Wales Screen Summit 2025.
Geraint Evans told the premier conference for the film and television sector in Wales that the “future of our language, our culture, and our industry” depends on discoverability online and called for additional support from governments and tech companies.
Led by BBC radio and TV presenter Steffan Powell, Wales Screen Summit takes place at Parkgate Hotel from Tuesday, October 7, to Wednesday, October 8. The premier event for the film and television sector in Wales brings together leading professionals from the UK and internationally to pitch ideas, broker co-productions, and work together on shaping the future and continued success of production in and from Wales.
In his opening address on Tuesday morning, Mr Evans said: “If we want our public broadcasters to survive then we need to do more than applaud their work, we need to protect their visibility.
“That means one word – prominence. Prominence for Welsh content, prominence for the nations and regions on the digital platforms and interfaces that shape what people see or don’t see every single day. Because no matter how good your content is if people can’t find it they won’t watch it. If Welsh content is hidden five clicks deep, pushed down by algorithms, we all lose.
“So my call is clear to government, to Ofcom, tech platforms and partners, if we believe in a nation of many voices, not just one, if we believe the story of Wales matters, then you must deliver real enforceable prominence on digital platforms for the content that represents us all.
“And we must enable the algorithmic discoverability of our public service content from Youtube to TikTok, because the future of our language, our culture and our industry depends on it.”
S4C unveiled its digital-first strategy with the strapline “more than a TV channel” in September, as it seeks to increase its reach to younger Welsh audiences. As a fully digital-first service, the public service broadcaster also intends to pursue more opportunities to serve diverse audiences across multiple platforms, and this week unveiled a new YouTube-focused commissioning initiative of up to £1m (US$1.35m), inviting proposals that target the 25- to 44-year-olds.
