Oh dear. I hope new DG Tim Davie and one of his top lieutenants Rhodri Talfan Davies, i/c BBC Wales, are not at odds.
BBC News reports that BBC Studios and BBC Wales are in a stand-off over a programme they make for S4C.
Recording of the long-running soap Pobol y Cwm, on air since 1974, stopped during the coronavirus epidemic. Production was supposed to restart at the beginning of July. But there's an argument over money. Covid-19 filming restrictions mean you get less content for the same money (the BBC Studios argument). BBC Wales' argument - we have less money for the same productions across the piece (absorb the extra costs - make production simpler and cheaper).
The BBC is obliged to give S4C £74.5m in cash every year until 2021/22, and make enough 'free' programmes to fill 10 hours a week, to a value of £19.4m annually. Pobol y Cym is 'free': four episodes are produced a week, with an omnibus edition on Sundays. Average audience per show is around 25,000.
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