List of Welsh-language media

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This article lists and provides a summary of the content of some of those broadcast, print, and other media currently being produced in Welsh.

Television

Current channels

S4C broadcasts exclusively in Welsh and has an annual budget of approximately £100 million. BBC Wales and HTV carried some Welsh programmes prior to S4C's formation in 1982 and still produce programmes for the commissioning broadcaster, alongside independent production companies. The station has 3% of the audience share in Wales, which is similar to that of TG4 of Ireland. Up until the digital switchover in March 2010, a bilingual analogue service was broadcast consisting of S4C and Channel 4 programming.

Other television services

S4C recently introduced the S4Clic Internet service (the Welsh counterpart of the BBC iPlayer) allowing viewers to watch its programmes again.

The BBC offers Welsh-language commentary on a number of sporting events on BBC One Wales and BBC Two Wales using the red button feature on digital TV. Sky Sports also offers a similar service for Wales international football matches.

ITV Local offered Welsh-medium programmes produced by ITV Wales including Y Ddau Ffranc featuring Rhys Ifans and ITV's current affairs programmes Y Byd ar Bedwar and Hacio. Following the closure of ITV Local, the website was relaunched as Y Dydd.

Radio

Radio stations entirely in Welsh

  • BBC Radio Cymru broadcasts a range of news, current affairs, cultural, music and sports programming through the medium of Welsh for 18.5 hours a day. It is similar in size and operation to RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta. The station simulcasts English-language output from BBC Radio Five Live during overnight hours after closedown.
  • Radio Beca is the name of a proposed community radio station that will broadcast entirely in Welsh and serve the counties of Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire. It's the first "community" radio station of its kind offered an Ofcom licence as such stations are usually confined to a 5 km radius.[1] Broadcasting date is currently undetermined.[2]

Bilingual radio stations

  • Capital Cymru broadcasts across Gwynedd and Anglesey with bilingual programmes at breakfast, weekday drivetime, weekend afternoons, Saturday mornings and Sunday evenings.
  • Radio Ceredigion is a bilingual station covering Ceredigion with some daytime output and an automated evening and overnight service in Welsh.

Radio stations with daily programmes in Welsh

  • Swansea Sound airs up to 12 hours a week of Welsh programming and bilingual news bulletins on weeknights.
  • Heart North West and Wales operates an opt-out service for the North Wales Coast on 96.3 FM, carrying an hour-long Welsh language programme six days a week and two bilingual news bulletins each day during breakfast.
  • Radio Carmarthenshire broadcasts an evening Welsh-medium programme four nights a week.
  • GTFM, a community radio station in Pontypridd, airs Welsh-medium programmes on Tuesday & Sunday evenings and Saturday mornings and a daily news bulletin in Welsh.
  • Tudno FM, a community radio station in Llandudno, broadcasts Welsh music programming on Tuesday afternoon, Friday evenings and Saturday mornings alongside a bilingual music service during automated hours.

Radio stations with weekly programmes in Welsh

  • BRfm, a community radio station in Brynmawr, broadcasts an hour-long Welsh programme on Monday afternoons.
  • Bro Radio, a community radio station in Barry, broadcasts a 3-hour bilingual magazine programme on Tuesday evenings.
  • Calon FM, a community radio station in Wrexham, broadcasts a bilingual magazine show and a Welsh-presented music show on Friday afternoons.
  • Radio Pembrokeshire broadcasts an hour-long Welsh programme on Sunday mornings.
  • Radio Tircoed, a community radio station in the Swansea Valley, broadcasts a Welsh programme on Monday evenings.
  • Storm FM, the student radio station for Bangor University, broadcasts weekly news, music and entertainment programmes in Welsh.

Printed media

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Newspapers and magazines

  • Y Cymro – a weekly newspaper
  • Golwg – a weekly news and current affairs magazine.
  • Barn – a monthly current affairs magazine
  • Y Faner Newydd – an independent magazine focusing on such topics as broadcasting, literature, history, art, science, and current affairs

Plans for a daily Welsh-language newspaper, Y Byd, were abandoned owing to insufficient funding.

Daily newspapers with Welsh-medium content

  • Western Mail, National newspaper with regular Welsh-medium columns
  • Daily Post, North Wales newspaper with regular Welsh-medium columns and weekly pull-out section.

Weekly newspapers with Welsh-medium content

  • Tivy Side in south Ceredigion
  • Cambrian News various editions along west coast
  • Carmarthen Journal covering most of Carmarthenshire
  • South Wales Guardian has a weekly two-page spread in Welsh covering the Amman, Gwendraeth and Tywi Valleys.
  • The Pembrokeshire Herald has a weekly two-page spread of Welsh language news, mainly on Welsh current affairs.

Weekly Welsh-medium local newspapers

  • Y Cyfnod – covering the Bala area
  • Y Dydd – covering the Dolgellau area

Monthly Welsh-medium community newsletters

(Known as papurau bro in Welsh)

Specialist publications

  • Barddas – bimonthly publication on poetry
  • Bore DaUrdd Gobaith Cymru magazine for primary school Welsh learners
  • Cadwyn – magazine for Welsh learners
  • Y Casglwr – for bibliophiles.
  • Cip – for Welsh-speakers of primary school age
  • Cristion – publication on Christian faith
  • Cyfrwng – Media Wales Journal
  • Y Cylchgrawn Efengylaidd – evangelical magazine
  • Lol – satirical magazine published annually on Eisteddfod week
  • Yr Enfys – journal of Undeb Cymru a’r Byd (Wales International Union)
  • Fferm a Thyddyn – on agricultural history
  • Gair y Dydd – daily devotional reading published four times a year
  • Y Gwyliedydd -bimonthly magazine by the Welsh Wesleyan Methodists
  • Iaw! – bimonthly for Welsh learners by Urdd Gobaith Cymru
  • Lingo Newydd – bimonthly for Welsh learners
  • Llafar Gwlad – a magazine on country life, customs and folklore
  • Y Llan – Church in Wales journal
  • Llên Cymru academic journal by the University of Wales Press
  • Y Naturiaethwr – a magazine on the natural world
  • Y Papur Gwyrdd – ecological magazine
  • Y Selar, quarterly magazine on the Welsh language music scene
  • Y Tafod, bimonthly Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg magazine
  • Taliesin – literary magazine [link refers to article on the early poet with this name]
  • Y Traethodydd – Wales' oldest magazine (est. 1845)
  • Tu Chwith – art magazine aimed at a younger demographic
  • Y Wawr – publication of Merched y Wawr (Welsh equivalent of WI)
  • Wcw a'i Ffrindiau – aimed at children

Internet

A considerable number of websites are now available in Welsh or bilingually. Notable examples include:

Popular internet sites such as Google, Facebook and Wikipedia (known as Wicipedia in Welsh) are also available in Welsh. Most Welsh public bodies and a number of private sector companies in Wales have bilingual websites.

Mobile phone technology

In August 2009, the mobile phone maker Samsung (with provider Orange) unveiled a new Welsh language mobile phone to be available from September 2009, which would include Welsh language predictive text and menus.[3] [4][5]

Software

Microsoft software such as Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Microsoft Office are available with Welsh language interfaces. There is also a Welsh spell check facility available on most Microsoft Office programmes.

Free software available in Welsh include OpenOffice.org, Mozilla Firefox, To Bach and uTorrent.

Bangor University has developed Cysgliad, a software pack containing Cysill, a Welsh spelling and grammar checker, and Cysgair, a Welsh-English dictionary.

Publishers

A number of publishing companies exist that publish mainly through the medium of Welsh including:

  • Gomer Press based in Llandysul, Ceredigion.
  • Atebol based in Llandre, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion.
  • Y Lolfa based in Talybont, Ceredigion.
  • Gwasg Carreg Gwalch based in Llanrwst, Conwy
  • Gwasg Cyhoeddiadau Modern Cymreig} based in Allerton,Liverpool.
  • Gwasg Gwynedd based in Caernarfon, Gwynedd.
  • Gwasg y Dref Wen based in Cardiff.

Record labels

A number of record labels release Welsh language music including:

  • Anhrefn Records, based in Llanfair Caereinion, was active in releasing underground Welsh language music from 1983 to 1990.
  • Ankst, an underground label at its most productive in the late 1980s and 90s.
  • Copa, a sub-label – more youth orientated – of Sain.
  • Docrad, based in Cardiff.
  • Fflach, based in Cardigan, Ceredigion.
  • Gwynfryn Cymunedol, based in Caernarfon, Gwynedd.
  • Placid Casual, a Cardiff-based label owned by the Super Furry Animals.
  • Rasp, a sub-label of Fflach.
  • Sain, based in Llandwrog, Gwynedd – the largest Welsh-medium record company.
  • Slacyr based in Garndolbenmaen.

A number of bands also release material on their own labels such as Frizbee's Recordiau Cosh and Bryn Fôn's Labelabel.

Films

Some Welsh-medium films have had success overseas, most notably Hedd Wyn and Solomon a Gaenor, both nominated for Oscars in the 1990s.

DVD and video releases

A limited number of Welsh-medium videos and DVDs are sold, especially children's TV programmes such as Sali Mali, Tecwyn y Tractor, and a Welsh version of Bob the Builder (Bob y Bildar). Other popular DVDs include the comedy C'mon Midffîld!, with a series of ten DVDs being released, and the 1980s children's TV programme Syr Wynff a Plwmsan, which achieved cult status.[citation needed]

References