Welsh Programmes pages 105 to 109

Two enduring myths exist in the minds of less well-informed television historians.

One states that Welsh language programming appeared out of nowhere on 1 November 1982 with the advent of S4C, with little or no programming in Welsh having appeared before that date.

Another, contrary, myth states that Teledu Cymru, the ITV company that served north and west Wales (and later the southern area as well) was entirely Welsh with little or no English to be heard.

Of course, neither of these ideas are correct.  Welsh language programming began on ITV in 1956 with Granada, which produced up to an hour a week of current affairs and education programmes to serve the overlap audience in north Wales.

TWW launch in 1958 with a mixed schedule of Welsh language and English language programming - the Welsh programmes, as with Granada, largely scheduled in the nether regions of the day - early afternoons being a typical favourite.

In 1962, the ITA awarded a contract to Wales (West and North) Television to operate a bilingual service in north and west Wales.  The 'other' regulator of ITV, the Postmaster General, fixed exceptionally high levels of Welsh peak time programming for WWN's Teledu Cymru to produce and show.  Naturally this had the intended effect - the company folded.

TWW took over the failed company and managed to secure a second channel on the south Wales transmitter.  From this it relaunched the now all-Wales bilingual service Teledu Cymru, and the existing south Wales and west England became monolingually English.

As a bilingual service, Teledu Cymru had the oddities associated with S4C to this day - announcers switching between the two languages being the most odd for the English to comprehend - plus the wonderful benefit of going from an hour of Welsh programming into 'Coronation Street' or 'Peyton Place'.

But what an hour.  In common with S4C, Teledu Cymru could rely on the top Welsh singers, actors, writers and directors wanting to make programmes in their native language - and for the pride of it, rather than for money.

Additionally, pride in the nation and its culture meant that the local news of Wales in Welsh was of the same standard as the ITN news.

The ITA was always justly proud of this.  Welsh programmes (with a chapter in both languages) are mentioned in every yearbook until the creation of S4C took them out of the IBA's hands (S4C is regulated by the Welsh Fourth Channel Authority, rather than the IBA's successor, the ITC).

Programmes on national and international themes - rather than just applying to Wales - were made in Welsh.  Thus a language that was almost made extinct in the first half of the 20th century was to bounce back to become the fastest growing language in the world.  The power of television never ceases to amaze.

Erys dau fyth hirhoedlog ym meddyliau haneswyr llai gwybodus byd y teledu.

Sef yn gyntaf fod rhaglenni teledu Cymraeg wedi dechrau ar Dachwedd 1af 1982 gyda dyfodiad S4C - ac mai prin iawn oedd y rhaglenni Cymraeg a ddarlledwyd cyn y dyddiad hwnnw.

Mae myth arall yn awgrymu mai cwmni cwbl Gymraeg oedd Teledu Cymru, y cwmni oedd yn gwasanaethu Gogledd a Gorllewin Cymru (ac wedyn ardal y De) ac mai ychydig iawn o raglenni Saesneg a gaed.

Wrth gwrs, nid oedd yr un o'r syniadau hyn yn gywir.

Dechreuodd rhaglenni Cymraeg ar ITV ym 1956 ar Granada - a oedd yn cynhyrchu hyd at awr yr wythnos o raglenni materion y dydd ac addysg er mwyn gwasanaethu’r gynulleidfa ‘ychwanegol’ ar hyd glannau’r Gogledd.

Fe ddechreuodd TWW ym 1958 gydag amserlen gymysg o raglenni Cymraeg a Saesneg - y rhaglenni Cymraeg, fel Granada, wedi’u darlledu y tu allan i’r oriau brig - yn y prynhawn gan amlaf.

Ym 1962 rhoddwyd cyntundeb gan yr ATA i Deledu (Gogledd a Gorllewin) Cymru er mwyn sefydlu gwasanaeth yng Ngogledd a Gorllewin Cymru. Fe ofynodd rheolydd arall yr ATA, sef y Postfeistr Cyffredinol, am nifer sylweddol iawn o raglenni Cymraeg yn ystod yr oriau brig.

Roedd yn disgwyl hefyd i Deledu Cymru gynhyrchu’r rhaglenni yma. Yn natururiol ddigon fe aeth y cwmni i’r wal - sef yr hyn a fwriadwyd yn wreiddiol.

Daeth TWW i’r adwy ac fe lwyddwyd i sicrhau ail sianel i drosglwyddydd sain Hilari yn ne Cymru.Trwy hyn fe ail-lansiwyd gwasanaeth dwyieithog Teledu Cymru - y tro hyn I Gymru benbaladr - yn ogystal a’r gwasanaeth uniaith Saesneg a oedd eisioes yn bod yn ne Cymru a Gorllewin Lloegr.

Gan fod Teledu Cymru yn wasanaeth dwyieithog, roedd gan y cwmni rinweddau arbennig a allai ymddangos yn rhyfedd i rai pobl y tu hwnt i Glawdd Offa - yn un peth yr arfer o newid o un iaith i’r llall wrth gyhoeddi rhaglenni. Roedd hi’n wych i ddarlledu awr o deledu Cymraeg cyn cyflwyno rhaglenni Saesneg poblogaidd fel ‘Coronation Street’ neu ‘Peyton Place’.

Ond awr ddifyr fyddai honno! Fel S4C heddiw roedd gan Deledu Cymru gantorion o fri, actorion, ysgrifenwyr a chyfarwyddwyr oedd eisiau cyfrannu at raglenni yn eu mamiaith - a hynny oherwydd cariad at eu cenedl yn hytrach na’r ysfa am wneud arian.

Yn ogystal a hyn roedd balchder y Cymry yn eu cenedl yn golygu fod y newyddion lleol yn y Gymraeg yr un mor raenus a’i gymar Saesneg o ITN.

Roedd hyn yn achos balchder i’r ATA. Roedd erthyglau (yn y Gymraeg a’r Saesneg) am raglenni Cymraeg ym mhob un blwyddlyfr hyd at greu S4C.

Rheolir S4C gan Awdurdod y Bedwaredd Sianel yng Nghymru yn hytrach na’r ADA a ddisodlwyd gan yr ITC.

Fe wnaed rhaglenni ar themau cenedlaethol a rhyngwladol eu naws yn y Gymraeg- nid rhaglenni am Gymru’n unig. Felly roedd iaith a fu ar ei gwely angau ar droad yr ugeinfed ganrif bellach yn ffynnu - ac mae teledu wedi chwarae rhan bwysig yn ei hadfywiad.

Transdiffusion and the Photomusications archive offer thanks to Richard 'Dicibach' Jones for his help with this article and for its translation.