Y Byd ar Bedwar

Lore & Background

The programme's reporters have covered major global events, including the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Chernobyl disaster, and the Persian Gulf war. In the 1980s, long-serving reporter Tweli Griffiths secured the first interview with Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi. The team also obtained exclusive interviews in Wales, such as with Sion Aubrey Roberts, who was jailed over the Meibion Glyndŵr arson campaign, and Ryan James, a vet from Ammanford wrongly jailed for murdering his wife.

More recently, undercover investigations into west Wales puppy farms led to calls for legislative change by the Welsh Government. Senior producer Eifion Glyn travelled undercover to Zimbabwe in 2008 to document life under Robert Mugabe's rule and journeyed to Afghanistan in 2013 to produce programmes on Welsh troops fighting the Taliban. At home, a raw portrayal of two heroin addicts in Cardiff won the Best Current Affairs Award at the 2009 Celtic Media Festival, and a 2013 expose on the heroin scene in Anglesey won the BAFTA Cymru award for current affairs.

Reader's Guide

Y Byd ar Bedwar has been a cornerstone of Welsh-language current affairs for decades, providing in-depth coverage of both international events and local issues. Its significance lies in its ability to bring global stories to a Welsh audience while also holding power to account through exclusive interviews and undercover investigations. The programme's awards, including BAFTA Cymru wins for coverage of Typhoon Haiyan in 2014 and mental health provision in 2015, underscore its impact. By securing interviews with figures like Colonel Gaddafi and exposing issues such as puppy farming and heroin addiction, the programme has shaped public discourse in Wales. Its legacy is one of rigorous journalism that bridges the local and the global, all within the Welsh language.

Did You Know?

• The programme's name translates to 'The World on Four' in Welsh.
• It has broadcast on S4C since the channel launched in November 1982.
• Reporter Tweli Griffiths secured the first interview with Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi in the 1980s.
• Undercover investigations into west Wales puppy farms led to calls for legislative change by the Welsh Government.

Origins & Heritage

Y Byd ar Bedwar, whose Welsh title translates to "The World on Four," has been a cornerstone of Welsh-language television since its very first broadcast in November 1982, coinciding with the launch of S4C itself. Produced by ITV Cymru Wales, the current affairs programme was essentially born alongside the channel, giving Welsh-speaking audiences a dedicated window onto national and international news from day one. The "four" in its name evokes the four corners of the globe, a promise the show has kept for over four decades. Its long-running format has allowed it to build a reputation as one of the most trusted voices in Welsh media, bridging the gap between local concerns and global events for a viewership that might otherwise rely on English-language broadcasts. The programme's endurance since 1982 speaks to its importance as a cultural institution, anchoring S4C's identity as a channel committed to delivering serious journalism in the Welsh language.

Global Reporting & Defining Moments

Over the decades, Y Byd ar Bedwar's reporters have carried audiences to some of the most consequential moments in world history. In the 1980s, long-serving journalist Tweli Griffiths managed to secure what was the first-ever interview with Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi, a feat that underscored the show's reach and ambition. The programme's coverage extended to the dramatic fall of the Berlin Wall, the devastating Chernobyl nuclear disaster, and the Persian Gulf War, each reported for Welsh-speaking homes. More recently, senior producer Eifion Glyn went undercover in Zimbabwe in 2008 to expose the harsh realities of life under Robert Mugabe's regime. In 2013, she returned to Afghanistan for a second visit, this time to document the experiences of Welsh soldiers engaged in combat against the Taliban. These dispatches illustrate a consistent commitment to putting Welsh viewers at the centre of major international events, regardless of the risks involved in getting the story.

Domestic Investigations & Exclusive Access

Beyond its international reach, Y Byd ar Bedwar has built an equally impressive record of hard-hitting domestic journalism and rare exclusive interviews within Wales. The show secured a sit-down with Sion Aubrey Roberts, the sole individual convicted in connection with the Meibion Glyndwr arson campaign, as well as with Ryan James, an Ammanford veterinarian who had been wrongly imprisoned after being accused of killing his wife. In more recent years, a series of undercover investigations into puppy farming operations in west Wales prompted multiple animal welfare pressure groups to urge the Welsh Government to reform legislation protecting animals. The team also gained a deeply personal interview with the grandparents of April Jones following her disappearance in 2012. At home in Cardiff, a stark documentary following the daily lives of two heroin users captured the raw reality of addiction, while a subsequent investigation into the heroin scene on Anglesey brought the crisis to wider attention.

Awards & Critical Recognition

The quality of Y Byd ar Bedwar's journalism has been consistently recognised by the industry's most prestigious award bodies. In 2009, the programme's unflinching portrayal of two heroin addicts living in Cardiff took home the Best Current Affairs Award at the Celtic Media Festival, a significant honour at a pan-Celtic level. The following years saw continued success: a 2013 investigation into the heroin trade on Anglesey earned the BAFTA Cymru award for current affairs. That momentum carried into 2014, when the team's compassionate reporting on the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines was again recognised at the BAFTA Cymru ceremony. In 2015, an emotional examination of the inadequate mental health services available to young people in Wales secured yet another BAFTA Cymru win. This string of accolades across multiple years and diverse subject matter — from addiction to natural disaster to youth welfare — cements the programme's reputation as a consistently outstanding force in Welsh current affairs broadcasting.