Sunday, May 11, 2008
The Welsh Language and the BBC
There has been a fair amount of publicity in the last week for the Heritage Minister's reannouncement on Thursday that 57 new organisations will soon have to adopt a Welsh language scheme in accordance with the 1993 Welsh Language Act.
It took Normal Mouth to point out that this was an almost identical announcment to the one made by the previous Minister for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport on 21 March 2007. It makes one wonder when the government is going to stop announcing it and get on with doing it.
One of the organisations you will not find on the list is the BBC. That is because I believe that the BBC is already subject to the Act and has a Welsh Language Scheme, even if all their employees are not aware of that fact.
A friend of mine who is prone to reading and participating in the BBC's on-line forums recently posted a comment on a thread on the Woman's Hour forum relating to Welsh words. Somebody had asked what readers' favourite Welsh word was, so she posted that hers was 'Gwdihw', a South Walian dialect word for Owl, pronounced something like 'Good-i-hoo' I believe.
She has now received an e-mail to tell her that her post has been removed because it contains a non-English word. You could not make it up.
It took Normal Mouth to point out that this was an almost identical announcment to the one made by the previous Minister for Culture, Welsh Language and Sport on 21 March 2007. It makes one wonder when the government is going to stop announcing it and get on with doing it.
One of the organisations you will not find on the list is the BBC. That is because I believe that the BBC is already subject to the Act and has a Welsh Language Scheme, even if all their employees are not aware of that fact.
A friend of mine who is prone to reading and participating in the BBC's on-line forums recently posted a comment on a thread on the Woman's Hour forum relating to Welsh words. Somebody had asked what readers' favourite Welsh word was, so she posted that hers was 'Gwdihw', a South Walian dialect word for Owl, pronounced something like 'Good-i-hoo' I believe.
She has now received an e-mail to tell her that her post has been removed because it contains a non-English word. You could not make it up.
Comments:
<< Home
Maybe the BBC think this idea only applies to Wales.
In many ways the BBC has my sympathy (for once).
It is not the job of politicians or "the state" to legislate in areas of private choice, matters of conscience or to infringe on the personal choices or freedoms of others.
However, as this BBC is a public body (supported by taxpaying mugs) I can well understand why the Welsh speaking taxpaying mugs get "the knickers in a twist".
The solution here though is very simple - privatise these public bodies and all your worries disappear.
In many ways the BBC has my sympathy (for once).
It is not the job of politicians or "the state" to legislate in areas of private choice, matters of conscience or to infringe on the personal choices or freedoms of others.
However, as this BBC is a public body (supported by taxpaying mugs) I can well understand why the Welsh speaking taxpaying mugs get "the knickers in a twist".
The solution here though is very simple - privatise these public bodies and all your worries disappear.
# posted by 
: 12:37 PM
: 12:37 PM
Nice one Peter.
Unless something has happened overnight and I've fallen through a worm hole and ended up in a parallel universe, haven't Plaid been in Joint Power in the Bay with the Labour administration?
Why aren't Plaid doing more to get organisations to comply with this legislation? Like you said, stop talking about it and get on with it!
My wife was somewhat discusted as a Welsh Speaker that the election material from the Welsh Nationalist candidate (using the term "candidate" in it's broadest terms) for the Maesteg West Ward of Bridgend put his literature out in English ONLY!
Dim Siarad Cymraeg
G. Lewis
Bridgend Liberal Democrats
Unless something has happened overnight and I've fallen through a worm hole and ended up in a parallel universe, haven't Plaid been in Joint Power in the Bay with the Labour administration?
Why aren't Plaid doing more to get organisations to comply with this legislation? Like you said, stop talking about it and get on with it!
My wife was somewhat discusted as a Welsh Speaker that the election material from the Welsh Nationalist candidate (using the term "candidate" in it's broadest terms) for the Maesteg West Ward of Bridgend put his literature out in English ONLY!
Dim Siarad Cymraeg
G. Lewis
Bridgend Liberal Democrats
# posted by : 2:01 PM
: 2:01 PM
Re the two similar announcement - doesn't the first announcement say that they are planning to bring more bodies under the act and are discussing with different bodies to decide which ones to bring under. Doesn't it also say that the final decision would be made after the election.
Isn't the new announcement confirming which bodies have been taken under, and didn't the new announcement come after the elections?
Wow, a government actually doing what they told us they'd do - you should be congratulating them Peter!
(Well, congratulating the Labour part of it anyway, this clearly was a pre-One Wales Labour policy not a Plaid one)
Post a Comment
Isn't the new announcement confirming which bodies have been taken under, and didn't the new announcement come after the elections?
Wow, a government actually doing what they told us they'd do - you should be congratulating them Peter!
(Well, congratulating the Labour part of it anyway, this clearly was a pre-One Wales Labour policy not a Plaid one)
<< Home
