Owen Edwards, the first director of S4C, has died at the age of 76, it was announced today.
Mr Edwards, who led the channel from its launch in 1981 until 1989 was today described as “a colussus of Welsh broadcasting” by the channel’s chair, John Walter Jones.
He led S4C through the early pioneering years, establishing it as a channel that was at the centre of Welsh-speaking cultural life.
Mr Jones said: “He was not only a colossus of Welsh-language broadcasting but one of the great figures of our nation.
“He made an invaluable contribution to the survival of our culture and our identity as a country.
“As the first director of S4C, he continued his family’s unique tradition of ensuring that our culture remains dynamic in the modern era.
“He built on what his father and grandfather accomplished in the field of education and with young people by ensuring that our language and culture flourish in the media. He managed to establish a Welsh language television service that was admired throughout the world.
“By extending our condolences to the family at this difficult time, I can state categorically that Wales will never forget his remarkable contribution.”
Born and brought up in Aberystwyth, he was the son of Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards, the founder of the Welsh-language youth movement Urdd Gobaith Cymru, and the grandson of the historian, author and publisher OM Edwards.
He worked in the Welsh-language media for over 30 years and was key in the establishment of the radio services BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio Wales as well as S4C.
Mr Edwards’ career in broadcasting began in the late 1950s and 1960s as presenter of Welsh-language programmes on ITV and BBC.
He earned a reputation as a polished broadcaster as the anchor presenter of BBC’s Welsh-language daily news programme, Heddiw.
In the 1970s, he turned to management behind the camera as the BBC’s Programme Organiser and Head of Programmes before being appointed Controller of BBC Wales in 1974.
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Owen Edwards fronted the launch of  station S4C in 1982
, the former director of  and the first chief executive of Welsh language television station , died on Monday at the age of 76.  Edwards had suffered from  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 . 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  and  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.

, the current director of BBC Wales, commented on Edwards death. She said, “He was a man who truly loved Wales, and his legacy to our nation's public life is rich and enduring.” Current S4C chair  said, “He managed to establish a Welsh language television service that was admired throughout the world.”