But why?

[mandragora]

She asks plaintively.

Why does Channel 4 in Wales feel the need to put on some Welsh-language (not that there's anything wrong with the Welsh language, you understand. It's just that, language of my fathers though it is, I don't speak a bleeding word of Welsh), family entertainment (God, the horror) programme on at 9.00pm on a Friday night.

I'm in a hotel in Cardiff (Torchwood!), preparatory for a work-related course I'm attending at Cardiff University tomorrow, and was looking forward to seeing Ugly Betty at 9.30pm. But when I flicked through the channels at 9.00pm, and came to the '4' channel, which should be Channel 4, I discovered that it isn't. Or, well, actually it is, but it's the Welsh version and prime-time consists of various Welsh-language programmes, instead of the normal Channel 4 programmes.

Oh my God, they've got a Welsh-voice choir on now.

And before that it was a tenor, singing something that I think was meant to be funny.

It's just...really, really awful!

And I have to ask, why? I mean, it's the climax (I think) of Celebrity Big Brother over in England (and presumably Scotland), which is Channel 4's biggest ratings earner. And they're depriving the entire population of Wales the opportunity to watch it. No, I'm not pissed off at CBB (as I rather loathe it, and that was before the racism/ugliness, ignorance and stupidity debacle), but I wanted to watch Ugly Betty dammit. Okay, so I'm recording it at home and will be able to watch it when I get back on Sunday. But that's so not the point.

Bloody Welsh Channel 4.

Comments

[temaris.livejournal.com]

Because they get a fairly large chunk of change for it. The usual answer. I think they are required by the terms of their licence to have a certain percentage in Welsh. It always was a bugger when I lived in Wales. It'll all be on, just on some other night.

[mandragora1.livejournal.com]

I remember going to stay with the cousins in Wales as a child, and having these Welsh-language programmes on the Beeb. Which is understandable in a public broadcaster but I didn't expect it with a commercial broadcaster, even with Channel 4's remit.