Galway East TD and Minister for Digital Development Seán Canney has welcomed the latest Sound and Vision scheme which will offer €40 million in support for broadcasters over the next three years.
The scheme provides funding for programme makers at national and local level for the production of high-quality television and radio programmes on Irish culture, heritage and experience.
Minister Canney said: “I am delighted at the level of support being offered by my Department, the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment.
“I am particularly pleased that there will be a focus on initiatives to develop local and community broadcasting and projects with lower funding levels. Programming around Climate Action will also be encouraged.”
The Sound and Vision Scheme is funded by the licence fee from the Broadcasting Fund and is administered by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI).

For more information, contact Minister Canney on 086-2513639
March 13 2020

Notes to the Editor
Objectives of the Broadcasting Fund:
• Develop high quality programmes based on Irish culture, heritage and experience
• Develop programmes in the Irish language
• Increased availability of these programmes to audiences in the State
• Represent the diversity of Irish culture and heritage
• Record oral Irish heritage and aspect of Irish heritage which are disappearing, under threat, or have not been previously recorded and
• Develop local and community broadcasting
The main changes to Sound and Vision 4 are set out below.
• Digital First Principle – facilitates the distribution of content on digital media first to try capture younger audiences where they tend to view their media
• Initiatives to develop local and community broadcasting – the scheme will allocate funds on an 85%/15% ratio TV/Radio basis
• The BAI aim to establish specific support measures for projects with lower funding levels in the community radio and TV sectors on a rolling basis with a less onerous application process and a maximum funding limit available
• The BAI intend developing a standardised points system to inform the evaluation of applications and assist in streamlining feedback provided to applicants and to bring more transparency to the assessment process.
• The introduction of metrics to assess the impact of the new initiatives
• The BAI’s aim is to have 2 or 3 open funding rounds annually with additional ancillary measures to focus on:
o Adult/media literacy
o Global issues – initially climate change
Stakeholder workshops with industry will be facilitated by the BAI to improve communications with broadcasters and producers in the industry