S4C has reached an agreement to ensure that all the channel's programmes are protected and transferred to the National Library of Wales’ care as part of the National Broadcast Archive for Wales.
All S4C content, programmes and series which have been broadcast since the channel's launch in 1982 will be transferred to the Broadcast Archive at the library in Aberystwyth. The project is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The S4C archive is an important record of Welsh history and a source of information showcasing the development of the Welsh language and broadcasting in Wales.
Owen Evans, S4C's chief executive, said:
“We are privileged to hand over our archive to the national library, to ensure that our programmes and content from the beginning are accessible to all.
“Our archive contains a wealth of history, information and entertainment, and it is vital that this material is available for the nation to study, protect and enjoy.”
The library's chief executive and librarian, Pedr ap Llwyd, said:
“This is great news that will bring together the broadcasting heritage of Wales alongside all the other historical sources we have at the national library.”
Dafydd Tudur, the library’s head of public access and programmes, said:
“This will be the first National Broadcast Archive of its kind in the UK and this innovative project will bring Welsh broadcasters’ resources closer to the people.
“We hope to discover new ways of using this audio-visual archive as a historical and creative resource.”
The archive project also includes the BBC Wales archive, as well as the ITV Wales archive which was already protected by the library.
