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Coimisiún Na Meán has announced the outcomes of two recent Sound & Vision funding rounds. More than €7.5m of funding will go to broadcasters and independent producers to make high-quality programmes about Irish culture, heritage, and experience for broadcast on a range of national, local and community Irish radio and TV services. This was the final tranche of funding awarded by the BAI ahead of its dissolution on the 15th of March 2023 and the establishment of Coimisiún na Mean, Ireland’s new commission for regulating broadcasters, online media, and supporting media development.
Round 47 of the Sound & Vision 4 Scheme received 140 applications seeking funding of just over €12.8m. Of those, 96 projects were successful, with a total value of approximately €7.29m. This comprised funding of €636,000 to 67 radio projects and €6.66m to 29 TV projects. 35% of the funding will support the production of programmes in Irish/Bi-lingual.
Regarding format, 38% of the funding will go to documentaries, 20% to dramas, 18% to entertainment, 13% to education and 10% to animation programmes. Contemporary society (38%) was the most popular genre recommended for funding, followed by Children’s (25%) and Arts / Culture (22%). Of the projects recommended for funding, 81 will be produced by independent producers/production companies, amounting to approximately 95% of the total recommended funding.
The allocation of €7.29m in this round includes an additional €1m in funds secured by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media, Catherine Martin, to support the scheme’s operation in 2023.
Under Round 48 of the Scheme, funding of €645,000 is being offered to 17 community broadcasters nationwide to enhance social benefit content and activities for their communities. This round was open to the community TV sector for the first time marking the sector’s adoption of the Community Media Social Benefit Framework. The package of recommendations will provide for a diverse range of programme productions, outreach and training activities, by a variety of community stations, groups, and individuals across the community broadcasting sector.
A full list of the successful projects being offered funding for round 47 is available to download here and a full list of the projects being offered funding for round 48 is available to download here.
ENDS
Media contact: Joanne Ahern, DHR Communications, Tel: 087-9881837.
All other queries: Coimisiún na Meán, 01-6441200.
Note to Editors:
These rounds were the final funding allocation of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (“BAI”) before its dissolution on the 15th of March 2023. The functions of the BAI have now been transferred to Coimisiún na Meán, Ireland’s new commission for regulating broadcasters and online media and supporting media development.