The Department for Culture, Media and Sport wishes to appoint two members to the S4C Authority

Time Commitment
A nominal one day a week. The S4C Authority meets monthly, normally in Cardiff, and the Authority also holds public meetings every year in different parts of Wales. Meetings of sub-committees are normally held on the same day as an Authority meeting.  Members may also be required to attend industry engagements and strategic away days.

Remuneration
£9310 plus expenses.

Term of Appointment
The appointment will be made for a term of four years.

Closing date for applications
Friday 24 July 2009

Background
S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru – the Welsh Fourth Channel) is a statutory Authority originally established under the Broadcasting Act 1981, and now regulated by the Communications Act 2003 and the Broadcasting Act 1990. S4C was established to provide a broad range of high quality and diverse programming, in which a substantial proportion of the programmes shown are in Welsh.  S4C currently broadcasts S4C on analogue, S4C Digidol and S4C2 on the digital platforms and the best of its content on broadband. On S4C analogue, S4C also broadcasts the best of Channel 4’s programmes.

It is the duty of the Authority to ensure that S4C and S4C Digidol each represents a public service for the dissemination of information, education and entertainment. The Authority, as a regulatory body, is also responsible for ensuring that effective management arrangements, including financial management, are in place for S4C’s public and commercial services.

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S4C is funded through a mixture of grant in aid and advertising and commercial revenue, and has an annual turnover of just over £100 million. It also receives a statutory minimum of 10 hours a week of Welsh language programming free of charge from the BBC.

S4C has a crucial role to play in providing entertainment and news through the Welsh language throughout Wales and beyond. Whilst safeguarding the independence of its services the S4C Authority has a role to play in a devolved Wales and takes into account cultural and other initiatives when determining its strategy. As a commissioner-broadcaster with a commitment to the independent production sector, S4C makes an important contribution to the creative economy in Wales.

S4C’s services complement those of the other public service broadcasters in Wales and at UK level.  Like the other public service broadcasters, S4C faces both the technological challenges of digital switchover, which is planned to start in Wales in Autumn 2009 and complete in early 2010, and increased competition for viewers as the number of households with access to a wide range of digital channels increases. A further challenge or opportunity for S4C as digital switchover approaches will be adjusting to the loss of Channel 4 programmes on its analogue service.

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The Role of the Authority
The Authority is an independent body with four main roles – that of a Broadcaster, a Regulator, a strategic manager and a public role.

Broadcasting Role
The Authority does not get involved in day to day editorial decisions, although it does oversee regulatory compliance of S4C’s services.  It approves the Programme Strategy, the annual Statement of Programme Policy, the corporate plan and any services for which a statutory order are required.

The Authority also monitors and measures performance against targets, the Programme Strategy and Policy, and the public service remit through annual reviews and by measuring and publishing targets in the annual report and corporate plan.

Regulatory Role
The regulatory role of the Authority complements that of Ofcom. As an independent body the Authority is able to set objectives in order to fulfil its public service remit and to ensure in a balanced manner that the objectives it has set are met.  This work includes:

Ensuring and monitoring that S4C’s services comply with all relevant legislation and codes;
approving and reviewing codes and policies;
obtaining and reviewing independent research on public opinion on S4C’s services, the effects of the services on viewers and the types of programmes that the public would like to see broadcast on S4C; 
overseeing and monitoring the systems in place to ensure that the broadcasting and management services can act in an independent manner without any external interference;
overseeing an independent system for recording and monitoring the programme services;
Determining matters of compliance, other than those for which Ofcom has responsibility; and
establishing and operating an effective complaints policy and procedure.
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Management Role
The Authority does not get involved in day to day decisions relating to the management of S4C’s services.  The Authority has delegated the delivery of S4C’s public services and other activities, within the framework set by the Authority, to the S4C Executive Team, which consists of S4C’s senior management and a non-executive director.  However, in order to safeguard the independence and autonomy of the programme services the Authority does have specific management tasks including:

Appointing the Chief Executive and the Secretary, and approving the salary framework for S4C staff;
Ensuring that S4C is accountable for all public spending by approving and overseeing effective management and corporate governance procedures;
Setting objectives in the corporate plan;
Reviewing the delivery of these objectives by monitoring performance, holding the S4C Executive Team to account for its performance in delivering S4C’s services and other activities, and holding reviews as necessary;
Approving and reviewing S4C’s main policies;
Approving the annual budget and the annual Statement of Accounts;
Securing and monitoring effective financial arrangements and appointing the external and internal auditors; and
Setting the strategy for S4C’s commercial activities.
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Public Role
The Authority is the public face of S4C and has a responsibility to be accessible to the public and others. This includes responsibility for explaining the role of S4C and its successes and failures and responding to appropriate consultations.

The Authority ensures that the programme services are safeguarded against political interference or any other inappropriate interference.

For further information, applicants are encouraged to read the document, The Role of the Authority available on line.

Role of the Authority Member
The Authority consists of the Chair and up to eight other members, each appointed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.  Members bring varying skills and experience to the Authority and they are expected to act on behalf of the taxpayer and S4C’s audience to ensure that S4C fulfils its public service remit and that public funds allocated to S4C are properly utilised.

The Criteria
All candidates must demonstrate;

an understanding of the role of the Authority and its relationship with the Executive Team;
awareness of strategic issues relevant to S4C, public service broadcasting and content distribution; 
the ability to contribute effectively to future strategy development; 
excellent team-working and communication skills; 
an understanding of the principles underpinning effective corporate governance, or the ability to acquire it;
a clear commitment to the objectives of S4C; and
as the Authority conducts most of its business in Welsh and applicants will need to be effective Welsh speakers. 
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Supporting Information
DCMS promotes an equal opportunities policy.  Appointments are made on merit, following a fair and transparent process, and these appointments are regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Applications are welcomed regardless of gender, age, marital status, disability, religion, ethnic origin, political opinion, sexual orientation or whether or not you have dependents.

How to apply
Application forms can be obtained from

Heather Batchelor
Public Appointments Division
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
2-4 Cockspur Street
London
SW1Y 5DH
Tel. 020 7211 2305

E-mail:  [email protected]

Further information on the work of the S4C Authority is available on the s4c website

The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 24 July 2009

Interviews will be held in Cardiff in October 2009

http://www.dcms.gov.uk/working_with_us/public_appointments/6206.aspx