When does a simple £1,000 a month lease on a Land Rover SUV spark some scandal?  When it’s made by a Television station that’s pleading poverty. Executives of the Welsh television channel S4C (Channel 4 Wales) went under fire from its audience after the station leased a Land Rover Discovery for its Welsh language program Cefn Gwlad.

S4C anchor man Dai Jones will be using the leased SUV for visiting farm locations for his S4C program. He also hosts a couple of other programs for the station, Rasus and Fferm Factor.   It is estimated that he makes about £185,000 annually from these programs.

An ITV Wales spokesman says that “We ensure that the most cost effective and economical ways are followed when purchasing goods and services. This was the case for the long term hire of a suitable vehicle for the services of the programme Cefn Gwlad, a countryside programme that offers challenging filming locations around Wales throughout the year.”

An Insider Comments

A station production insider called the Western Mail to say that “It is a crazy waste of money to have leased a vehicle at £1,000 a month.  

It’s true Dai travels all over Wales to visit remote farms of the countryside, but that doesn’t justify leasing a Land Rover Discovery. Any car will take you to a farm. If it’s a rocky terrain, you can use farmer’s tractor.”

“S4C is pleading poverty and telling production companies they will have to tighten belts. What sort of message does this send out? They should use the money they get more wisely.”

Funding Cuts Notwithstanding

S4C funding comes directly from the Department for Culture Media and Sport in London. Since being established in 1982, the station has benefited from generous funding increases with grants tied with inflation.

But after the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition came to power last month, with Jeremy Hunt as the new Culture Secretary, there have been concerns whether its inflation-adjusted funding will continue.  S4C already took a “voluntary” funding cut of £2m for 2010, leading to speculation that the station will no longer enjoy immunity from future public sector funding cuts.

A senior TV industry insider intimated to the Western Mail: “S4C must be careful not to give the impression that it uses public funds unwisely”.

Jones, 66, was already a TV celebrity, hosting a family quiz show Siôn a Siân, when he took over the Cefn Gwlad shortly after it started airing in 1982. He also hosts a Sunday gala program for the BBC Radio Cymru, the Ar Eich Cais.  Seen as a larger than life personality, Dai Jones is also a tenor, having won the riband prize from the National Eisteddfod back in 1970.