Press release

Preferred candidate selected for S4C Chairman

Following an open recruitment exercise, Huw Jones has been selected as the Government’s preferred candidate as S4C Chair.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Following an open recruitment exercise, Huw Jones has been selected as the Government’s preferred candidate for appointment to the role of Chairman of S4C.

To reflect the importance of the position, the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport has invited the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee and the Welsh Affairs Select Committee to hold a pre-appointment scrutiny hearing with Mr Jones. The joint hearing will take place on 24 May.

The Committee’s conclusions will be considered carefully before deciding whether or not to proceed with the appointment.

Notes to Editors

  1. The appointment of the S4C Chair will be made on merit and a fair, open and transparent process, regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
  2. The OCPA Code of Practice.
  3. The appointment of the S4C chair is made by the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport with agreement from the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.
  4. The appointment is for a term of four years with a remuneration of £52,370 per annum for up to three days per week.

Biography Huw Jones is a former Chief Executive of S4C, having held that position from 1994 to 2005. During that time, he chaired its commercial subsidiary and was a Director of SDN, the digital terrestrial television licence holder.

He has been a prominent figure in Welsh language music and media since the late 1960s and in the early ’80s was instrumental, as an entrepreneur and television producer, in the establishment of a vibrant media industry in North West Wales. During his time at S4C, he acted as Chair of the Celtic Media Festival for three years.

He is currently Chair of Portmeirion Ltd, Deputy Chair of the Wales Employment and Skills Board and a Member of the Welsh Language Board.

He is a member of the RSPB Council, and is Vice Chair of the Nant Gwrtheyrn Language Learning Centre.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Television Society and an Honorary Fellow of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. He is married with two adult children and lives near Caernarfon, North Wales.

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Published 9 May 2011