[Archive 2010-09-02] Welsh TV pioneer Owen Edwards dies at age 76

Historical archive — originally published 2010-09-02. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

Owen Edwards, the former director of BBC Wales and the first chief executive of Welsh language television station S4C, died on Monday at the age of 76. Edwards had suffered from Parkinson's Disease for over twenty years.

Edwards started his career with the BBC in 1950 as a broadcaster. He worked on regional news programmes and reported on such events as the Aberfan disaster. In 1961 he began presenting Heddiw (‘Today’), the BBC's Welsh early evening news programme. He took a role behind the camera in 1966.

In 1974, Edwards was made director of BBC Wales. Under his control, both Radio Wales and Radio Cymru were launched. He left the post in 1981 to found S4C, a Welsh language television station. He stayed with the channel until his retirement in 1989. In 2008, Edwards was presented with a special achievement award for his contributions to media.

Source and licence

Text adapted from Welsh TV pioneer Owen Edwards dies at age 76 by Wikinews contributors under CC BY 2.5. Paragraphs have been selected and abridged, and formatting adjusted. Contributor history.