The BBC’s Welsh programme will no longer be accessible internationally. How is this going to impact Welsh speaking communities overseas?
In 2023, Steff Morris travelled through South America on a solo backpacking trip. When he landed in Trelew, a town in Patagonia where Spanish is commonly spoken, a man greeted him with the Welsh phrase “Shwmae, bore da” [good morning].
It was the first time Steff heard Welsh since leaving Wales. He hadn’t expected to hear it 7,500 miles away from home, in a distant and unfamiliar setting. He soon discovered Patagonia was a little slice of Wales away from Britain.
“The fact that the Welsh language was spoken to such a high standard, like way better than I speak Welsh,” says Steff with a smile. “It’s like I was conversing with experts in something I’ve grown up speaking.”
Steff is a YouTuber who has been documenting Welsh-speaking communities. He is amazed by the preservation of Welsh cultures in communities like Trelew, but a new concern looms on the horizon for him.
Starting in spring 2025, BBC Sounds will only be available to UK audiences, restricting international access to Welsh-language programs.
While the new BBC policy preserves the availability of BBC Radio 4 and the World Service, it seems the days of Radio Cymru and Radio Wales being heard worldwide are numbered.
BBC’s decision has sparked outrage among the Welsh-speaking diaspora. A Welsh Speakers’ group on Facebook recently drafted a protest letter to Members of Parliament.
Geraint Lewis, who is originally from Wales, has lived in Patagonia for 30 years. For him, digital access to Welsh-language content from Wales is vital for maintaining fluency and cultural connection.
“Listening to Radio Cymru has been really important since we settled in Patagonia,” says Geraint, “It’s been a way for the children to hear the language naturally.”
The Welsh settlement in Patagonia dates back to 1865 when a group of migrants crossed the Atlantic in search of a place to preserve their language and cultural traditions.
What started as a small colony along the Chubut River has grown into a vibrant community. In towns like Trelew and Gaiman, Welsh is still taught in schools, spoken at home, and celebrated in festivals modelled after the Eisteddfod in Wales.
“These children were speaking Welsh to a brilliant level and taking such an interest in our culture, the dancing, the singing,” Steff says. “It was just really special.”
While BBC Sounds later highlighted that the policy variation would not affect international audiences who listen through substitute platforms and apps, the actual implications of the change still remain unclear.
“For me, it’s not too bad, I can probably find a way around it,” Geraint says. “But I do worry about older members of the community. If it gets too complicated, they might just stop listening altogether.”
Fortunately, even if BBC Sounds has geo-limitation, a decent amount of S4C content is still available for global audiences.
Welsh-language broadcasting has experienced troubling changes recently. Capital Cymru, the sole commercial radio station in North Wales that primarily broadcasts in Welsh, has ceased operations.
Despite Cymdeithas yr Iaith [a Welsh language society] having called on the related officer to reverse its decision, we barely see a whimper of protest. The people of Arfon and Môn will lose their local radio station that has existed for 42 years.
So, how can the Welsh language be preserved and thrive in the digital era? Steff believes the answer lies in making the language more accessible and engaging for younger audiences.
“Whether it’s S4C or Welsh memes on social media, whatever grabs young people’s attention helps them learn and that really matters,” he says.
For Steff, his three days in Patagonia felt like being immersed in a cultural bubble where everyone celebrated their shared passion and pride in the Welsh language and heritage.
“It reminded me that Welsh doesn’t belong to one place, it belongs to people,” Steff says. “If we keep using it, sharing it, speaking it. It’ll keep living, wherever we are.”